Lola’s new NIC home

[bmt87]

So – aside from getting spayed during the Binky Bunny update – Lola also acquired some new digs! She’s loving it and actually prefers hanging out in here half the time instead of being out and about…even when we keep the door open!  You know, except when she plops herself on your lap because she needs some love via nose and ear rubs.  She loves the carpeting and doesn’t bother it at all which has been ammmazzzzing and SO easy to just vacuum and clean up every other day.  I keep debating on getting her a playmate but I think we’ve been blessed with a bun with immaculate potty and cage habits and don’t want to stretch my luck.

And here’s she is keeping watch over the couch…since it belongs to her and all….

[CinnabunMom]

That is super nice. Can I ask how you put it together, what you used? I’m trying to revamp Cinnabun’s living quarters and am looking for ideas.

[CandyMan]

I want to know what you used too! CandyMan needs a new cage set up.

[bunnnnnnie!]

What an adoreable bun, my goodness. I love your setup too. Neat that you were able to incorporate the traditional cage tray into it. I’m glad she leaves the carpet alone. Zeus would have that destroyed in a day or two, bad boy.

[Mr.Buck]

Looks awesome! Nice job! I love that you had an easy bottom. That was the hardest part of making our nic cage. We ended up getting some wood and sticking on tiles, but they had to be cut so it was pretty hard.

Also, Lola looks really cute!

[bmt87]

So, like I said, Lola has impeccable litter/cage habits so this might not work for everyone….

Supplies:

NIC cubes (ordered off of Amazon – the one’s from Target/Kmart have the too big hole size)
Zip-ties
Binder Clips
4 pine rods
1 small sheet of pine
1 piece of home carpeting (can be cut in bulk at Lowe’s for cheap)
Base of XXL Pet Store Cage

To make the cage:

The dimensions of the cage are 2×3 – so 3 NIC cubes up and 2 across. And held together with basic cable ties – A LOT of cable ties. There is an opening in the front middle (2 high) and one cube open on the top. When she is caged in we just hold it shut with the black binder clips.

To make the shelves:

Cut 2 shelves to width size (Lowe’s will do this for free if you give them the dimensions). Next, cut carpet to size so that it can wrap around the wood. Wrap the carpet around the wood and hold in place with screws (nails are way hard but a staple gun would also work, just be careful you have no pointy ends sticky out!).

Thread 2 pine bars across through the holes length wise. Hold them in place with cable ties by wrapping them around the corners. Repeat this step for the top ledge.

Place carpet wrapped shelves on top of the poles. They serve as a brace for the shelves on the side. Do NOT nail/screw/staple down the shelves. This is so the shelves can easily be removed for vacuuming and cleaning!

To finish:

Place the completed project over the base of an XXL Pet Store Cage.

Voila! You are done! This literally only took us one Sunday to buy all the supplies, brainstorm, and complete! It was a lot of fun and she loves it so much!

Notes:

You might have to be careful with the carpeting because not all buns will leave it alone. Everyone in awhile Lola will dig at it but it’s really rare and I think it’s when she drops/dribbles some of her greens and smells them still on the carpet.

If you have left over wood you can make smaller sheaves and ledges (like what Lola is laying on in the picture). These are actually her favorite parts of her cage – I think it’s because they are just big enough for her to lay on so she feels like they are “her spot”.

If you feel like the XXL Pet Store Cage base is not big enough you can build a small shelf on the back of it so there is not any space between the NIC cubes and the cage. You can also cut the NIC cubes with a wire cutter to fit the size of your Pet Store Cage – just make sure you have a metal file to file down the sharp edges!

I hope this makes sense and helps! If someone would like pictures to go along with the steps – let me know! I’m at work right now (obviously using my time wisely) or else I would have taken some and included them with the instructions.

[bun-crazy]

That is a wonderful set-up! She has to be one of the cutest buns I have ever seen!! I love her! She looks like she’s very happy with her new home! =:x Awesome job!!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Gorgeous setup to match your gorgeous bunny.

[Lauri&Chanel]

So awesome!

[Usagi5]

Such a cute bunny! Very nice setup!

[Stitchntwinks]

Wow this is amazing, when I get my two propery bonded I think I’m going to get a setup like this for them to share, it looks really nice too, my two are fab with their litter boxes too!!

[bebe]

Awesome habitat i think i might make one for my bun instead of an xpen.

[Stitchntwinks]

I’m thinking the same thing how many nic panels did u use?

[Little]

Yea…knowing how many nic panels would be great…one thing I have noticed is that fleece, like from joanns can provide good footing, and they have to work extra hard to eat it lol.

[bmt87]

It took 36 panels. I think that was 2 boxes?

Side note:  We ended up having to buy them off of Amazon because the ones they sell in the stores are the wrong size – the spaces are too wide and buns can get their little adorable heads caught in them.   So make sure that you buy the ones with the ‘smaller/right’ size grids and not the larger.

[bullrider76543]

This is the home I built for Mr Hopper and Nibbles, they are very happy.

 

[Stitchntwinks]

Thanks that’s a massive help, I’m going to use the bottom of stitches old cage like you have too, it’s a fab idea!

[bullrider76543]

although its hard to see under mr hopper and nibbles cage is a clear desk mat, so its pretty easy to clean

[Svandis]

Sorry for responding to this so late, but I would really like to see pics from the process if you would still be able to post them? This set up is the cutest one I have seen on here and if you don’t mind I would like to make one similar

[Author]

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