NIC cage to X-pen dilemma.

[Jessyka]

I have this x-pen:

 

I really like it because it’s so easy to assemble (I just tried modifying my NIC cage and it turned into a huge, frustrating mess in a matter of minutes. I had to completely tear the thing down and put Bayou in the x-pen until I calm down. ) Anyway, it’s easy to assemble but it’s not big enough. So I’m going to buy another one because you can put them together to add more space. BUT, the reason I built an NIC cage was because of another problem I have with the pen. Bayou grabs the bars and then pushes the pen all over the place.

Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but he’ll push the pen off the plastic mat I have him on and onto the carpet which becomes his dinner.

Long story short, I love this x-pen and want to expand it, but I need a way to stabilize it so he can’t move it onto the carpet.

Any ideas? I’m sorry if this is confusing.

[Kafrn]

Hmmmmm…… you could put something heavy at the edge of the corners to stop it from moving?

[Beka27]

Bayou is SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!

I vote that you stabilize the xpen. I’m not a big fan of NIC condos b/c I feel they are harder to get into to clean properly and I’m just not talented enough to make them structural strong.

If you got a second one and attached it, you’d have a total of 16 panels. To make it immovable for the bun, you could arrange it in a square or rectangle shape and reinforce the corners with a couple NIC grids ziptied at the bottom. Another option, would be to place a a couple heavy bricks at each corner so it could not be pushed outward. Also, if you made the sides straight, you could ziptie grids halfway across two panels, and then it would make the sides solid.

[Jessyka]

Thank you. I like the NIC grid idea. I figured if it came down to it and I had to use cinder blocks or something I would, but I thought that may look a little silly to just have some random bricks or cement blocks in my room.

[Jessyka]

I got the other pen today. Right now it looks a little ghetto because it’s a white cage with black NIC grids zip tied to it with hot pink zip ties, but once I get some money I’ll get white grids and white zip ties. Now I can just open the door and not worry about the whole cage collapsing! I’m a little dissapointed the NIC thing didn’t work out, because I’ve seen some AMAZING ones, but I’m just not that handy. I may give it another go in the future, but for right now this works.

If anyone else happens to have an idea on how to stabilize it without the grids, I’m still willing to try different things.

[i~luv~frappichino&sammy]

crazy idea but try to staple it with thoe staple guns to the floor haha, i dont even what i m doing, i am trying to help!!!

[Moonlight_Wolf]

I think you should have BOTH! Haha that’s what I have, I have an x-pen connected to a NIC cage. The NIC cages are not hard to make at all, mine only took three days. Just look at one you like on the cool habitats and make one resembling one of those, you will probably end up remaking it because the first attempt is sometimes a learning curve, I ended up remaking mine because I realized some mistakes the cage had after keeping my bunnies in it for a while.

[i~luv~frappichino&sammy]

what does nic mean?

[i~luv~frappichino&sammy]

i feel wierd asking

[i~luv~frappichino&sammy]

i juust reallywant to know

[i~luv~frappichino&sammy]

haha are they like x pens?

[jerseygirl]

Posted By i~luv~frappichino on 11/28/2009 12:06 PM
what does nic mean?

NIC stands for Neat Idea Cubes which is a brand.  They’re called other names too but most people refer to them as NIC.  Anyway, they are a grid squares that you can put togther to build shelving (see below).  Bunny and Guinea pig people use them for building condos.  They’re so pictures in the Cool Habitats section under the BUNNY INFO tab at top of the page. 

Jessyka – you could put together a wooden frame for the floor that the pen sits inside.  I also though maybe wrapping the plastic mat you use up around the outside of the base and securing it might help stablize it.  It’ll also keep the hay inside the pen.  The reinforcing with the grid squares seems the simplest way to go though!

[KatnipCrzy]

I use dowels ziptied to my NIC pen to keep the side straight- as Cotton will push the pen out.  so dowels at the top help keep the side straight and they cannot reach them to chew on them.  You would use a NIC cube at the corner- zip tie it in on top as a corner piece- that does not allow the corner to move.  And then try to use other things like the litterbox, play house, etc to keep the walls in place.

[Jamm]

hello, you could buy those small rugs and put them at the “standing points” of the xpens if your rabbit does not chew or eat the rug.

offtopic/ my rabbit is also living in a xpen connected to his cage- i’m going to connecta nother 8 panel xpen to the current one. is this enough for exercise? i’m not allowed to let my rabbit free roam since my whole house is carpeted and it tends to chew and dig the carpet when outside his playpen and cage :/

[Author]

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