How to Care of new Bunny and Bunny Cage Size

[bri]

Had a question. I’m getting a bunny in a little more than 5 months. I’m worried about the size cage the bunny’s going in. The dimensions are 26.5in L x 17.25in W x 36.5in H. it has 4 floors. Is it big enough? he’l be free roam in my room during the daytime. link to cage. the rabbit will be alone, but my sister will also be getting a bunny and during the day they will be together in my room. From what i know, they need hay on the bottom of their cage so they don’t get sore feet, lots of wooden toys, a water bottle, food dish (not just pellets, certain vegetables too) nail clippers, a brush because they can’t cough up hairballs, timothy grass hay always available in hay rack, litter box and rabbit safe litter, (rabbit safe litter) and is that basically it? im new to this. i usually deal with fishkeeping (basically bettas in 3 gallons) and hermit crabs (6 in a 20 long). im also going to put a large plastic wheel (not mesh) in there just in case he wants to get his energy out during the night. is that okay? i also have 1 questions.

How often do you cut there nails? How do you do it without them biting you or stressing them out too much?

[sarahthegemini]

That cage is not appropriate for a rabbit. At all. It needs to be long enough at the base that they can run and binky. That looks tiny.
It also has wire flooring I think? That’s going to cause serious health issues with their feet.

Rabbits don’t need a wheel. They need adequate space to run and get their exercise.

You can’t put unbonded rabbits together so unless you’re going to bond your bun with your sister’s bun, they shouldn’t be put together at all. Unless you mean they’ll have cages in the same room but not let out at the same time? 

Timothy Hay is great but it’s not the only option. Any grass hay such as orchard, oat, Meadow etc

[Deleted User]

Agree with Sarah, but to clarify on the bonding, you can’t bond them until after they have been spayed and neutered. So they shouldn’t be together at all until after that.

[tobyluv]

There is very little floor space in that cage, so it’s not adequate at all. That looks like a cage that would be more suited to a ferret. It is not suitable for a rabbit. It would be far better to use an x-pen or an XL size dog crate (with 2 doors) or any large cage that you can find. Do not put any kind of plastic wheel in a cage. It is not needed and would very likely get chewed on. You don’t want a rabbit to be ingesting plastic.

Most rabbits prefer a water bowl instead of a water bottle. You have to get a heavy, crockery one.

As has been mentioned, you cannot put your rabbit together with your sister’s rabbit until both have been spayed or neutered, at least a month has passed since surgery, and they have gone through a proper bonding procedure.

Rabbit’s nails will grow at a different rate, depending on the rabbit. Some wear their nails down and would only have to be clipped every few months, others might need it more often.

[LBJ10]

It’s a very nice cage, but I agree it isn’t appropriate for a rabbit. It would be great for a ferret or chinchilla. A rabbit will not use a wheel either. They are not appropriate anyway considering their hopping gate. Chinchillas like wheels though.

You can have a single or two tier cage for a rabbit, but they really need to have a large floor space. They need enough room to take several hops in one direction. They need to be able to stretch out when they lay down too. Most people who get one of those smaller pet store “rabbit/guinea pig cages” will use the cage to house the litter box and food bowl. Then they attach an exercise pen to the cage to give bunny a lot of floor space and leave the cage door open at all times.

[Mikey]

That cage is not for rabbits. Rabbits need less climb room and more run room. Wheels are also not safe or acceptable for rabbits. For cages, I suggest using large dog pens, small animal exercise pens (and buy the lid add on), or getting a large cage from C&C cages website.

You cannot put two rabbits together and hope they get along. Hormonal rabbits have two main instincts: defend their territory to the death (literally), and breed. Unless you want a dead rabbit and/or a lot of baby rabbits (which you will need to pay for, and pay to have them vetted, and pay to have them all fixed…), you should not put them together until two to six months after both are fixed.

On the betta note, its a myth that bettas thrive in small tanks. A 10gal is the min a betta should go in. Anything smaller and youll be limiting its lifespan, happiness, and wellbeing. Not to mention the smaller the tank, the harder it is to keep perfectly clean. You should be changing a cup of water a day in each three gal tank, and each time you do a water change it creates stress for the fish. It really isnt fair and you should consider upgrading their tanks. 

[Boston's Mama]

Agree with all the above , it’s not a suitable cage for a bunny , would you be able to get a pet playpen instead? I have a 36” tall one it’s a much better option there are better flooring options than hay for the floor of the cage – fleece blankets is what I use
A solid floor is way better than wire , look at fleece blankets or lino / vinyl for flooring , hay is essential at all times in either a holder or in the litter tray at one end , and there are many hay types that are good for bunnies it comes down to what you can get in the best quality near you and what your bunny will eat the most

Also agree with Mikey on the betta tank – it’s a myth and definetly go bigger with their tanks

[Boston's Mama]

There is some really helpful articles on binkybunny that gives great info in bunny care , feeding and all the things you are asking about so you’ve come to a good place to get info
It’s great that you have started research 5 months before getting bunny too so you have time to prepare and gather all the info
Welcome to binkybunny and I look forward to hearing about your bunny in your future posts

[Bladesmith]

Too many new/would be rabbit owners think that rabbits are like rodents in terms of cages. The actual answer is no cage at all. Rabbits need all the room they can get to run and binky and just be bunnies. They don’t do well in close confinement, despite the impression people have of them being kept in small cages. The BEST thing you can do is bunny proof as MUCH room as you can be allowed the bunny to roam in, and let bunny roam. If confinement is required (When you go to bed for example, an Xpen is the best bet for keeping Bun in place.

If you have carpet floors, expect damage. Expect bunny tooth marks on everything they can reach. Expect poop on the floor and hair everywhere. Make sure they have lots of things to play with and chew. Make sure YOU have time to spend with them, on the floor, at their level. Rabbits aren’t a buy and forget pet like cats. They demand (And deserve) every second they can get from you. If you’re not up for all of that, don’t get a rabbit. My bunnies contributed to the destruction of my very expensive sofa and recliner, and I found that their company and antics make up for it.

My rabbits, after a suitable amount of time acclimating, have free run of my little home 24/7. I use multiple litter pans, a central feeding location, and they all get along fine. Just my 2 cents.

[Deleted User]

Also, that is not rabbit safe litter. Cat litter and rabbit litter are different. For buns you need to use something like carefresh.

[sarahthegemini]

Agree with Bladesmith. I’ve no idea why people get bunnies and shove them in a cage. Bunnies need and deserve freedom.

[Fluffykins]

Posted By Asriel and Bombur on 12/03/2017 9:29 AM
Also, that is not rabbit safe litter. Cat litter and rabbit litter are different. For buns you need to use something like carefresh.

Yesterday’s news and carefresh are exactly the same. They are both paper based litter. You can also use wood pellets.

[Deleted User]

Fluffykins: the link sent me to tidy cat’s cat litter. Maybe there’s something wrong on my end.

[Fluffykins]

Oh haha I got yesterday’s news

[LBJ10]

Yeah, it was unscented Yesterday’s News in the link. Perfectly safe for bunnies.

[bri]

Ya! I can totally get a pet playpen. Just to be clear, I’m almost positive I’m getting a Dwarf bunny. There’s no difference between them and an regular sized bunny’s cage right? Just wanted to know. I’ll still get the pet playpen. Thanks so much for your info (:

With the bettas, I’ll do my best. I do still live with my parents unfortunately therefore they’d kill me if I bought anything without asking as if I’m like 10 but wtv.. I think the best I can do is a 6 gallon. Because over the years I’ve gotten many.. I currently have 7.. ya… The thing is they’re pretty old betta fish. I think it’ll be 5 years I’ve had them in a few months.

[sarahthegemini]

Living with parents isn’t an excuse to not provide adequate housing.

A dwarf bunny still needs as much space as possible. Rabbits are very active creatures, they love running and sprinting around. They need the space to do so.

[Author]

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