Plans for Edmund’s “Purple Palace” ;D

[Deleted User]

After seeing all of the incredible custom bunny houses made with wire panels on this site and elsewhere, I’ve decided to try my hand at making Edmund a wire house of his very own.

I would like to stick with my room’s existing design scheme, so I’ll be using purple wire panels from Target.com and purple carpeting and rubber “gym” mats for flooring.

As for the main floor plan, I’d like to stick with this basic design:

3 panels wide (42″), 2 panels high (28″) and 2 panels deep (28″) – This design requires 31 wire panels (including the platforms), meaning I will have to purchase two boxes of the purple wire storage cubes from Target:

I made a few basic floorplans with this design below in Photoshop (because I’m anal like that ):

(The cardboard house and tunnel idea was taken from a wire cube house on display at RabbitCondo.com.)

My only issue with the design is the litter box and pellet dish placement. Edmund isn’t litter box trained yet, and right now, he goes to the bathroom in one corner of his cage AND next to his pellet dish. How do I get him to go to the bathroom in just one place (preferably the litter box)? Does he just HAVE to go next to wherever he eats? Should I set the litter box and pellet dish up differently to encourage him to go ONLY in the litter box?

I plan on just tying the wire panels together with white cable ties and using either long wood panels or dowel rods to support the platforms.

As for the flooring, I’d REALLY love to use four of the “My Gym Soft Lock Plus” mats in “Lavender” on sale at the following URL: http://www.mygymfloor.com/Products/ValueGrade/tabid/78/Default.aspx?itemid=35. They’re supposed to be waterproof, easy to clean and should be quite comfortable for Edmund to walk and lay on.

I’m not sure if I should use the foam mats on top of the wire panels acting as the two platforms or not. Do you think some heavy-duty carpet would be better for the platforms instead?

I DEFINITELY want to make some baseboards to go along the inside of the cage (especially around where the litter box will be placed) to keep Edmund’s messes contained. I’m not sure what material I should use for the baseboards… Wood? What do you think?

Thanks for reading!

[Barbie]

Looks good! Building/rearranging my bun’s cages is always fun! I have to caution you against the grids from Target… unless they’ve changed something recently that I don’t know about, the grids they sell have 3″ squares. Much too big for a bunny, let alone a baby bunny – he could squeeze through there. While they’re not purple, Bed Bath and Beyond sells grids with 1″ squares and the smaller holes are better, for safety reasons. For the floor on the levels, I would put something hard, like plywood, over the grids first, so that his feet don’t fall through. You could use cardboard, but given his current lack of litter box habits, youll probably have to replace it often.

[Deleted User]

Is it really 3″ across? Here’s a picture of the one I’d like to order:

It’s by Whitmor, and it says the panels are about 14″ across. The picture of the black wire cage I included in my original post has panels that are 9 boxes across and the purple one does too. Shouldn’t this mean they are the same size (i.e., that each box is about 1.5″ wide), or am I missing something?

I will definitely put plywood over the platforms! Thank you for the tip!

[Barbie]

I would still cover the plywood with the vinyl (watch to make sure he’s not ripping it up and eating it) so that if he does pee on it, the pee won’t soak into the wood and ruin it.

As for the grids, youre right they’re about 14″ by 14″… I’m talking about the individual holes… I haven’t bought any grids in awhile, and I always get mind from Bed Bath and Beyond, but I’ve heard that the ones from Target have much larger holes.  Just make sure that whatever you use isn’t too big for him to slip though.

[Deleted User]

Yes, something over the plywood sounds great. Either the rubber or sturdy carpet… Not sure yet…

As for the grids, I was just thinking that if they’re 14″ and 9 individual boxes across (as the picture indicates) that each hole must be about 1.5″ (rather than 3″). Hopefully, I’m not making a stupid mistake somewhere…

[jerseygirl]

Judging from the picture those square sizes must be about 1.5″ (i.e. 14×14″panel with 9 grid squares .) But do open the packs and check they’re all the same. Some members bought packs at target with different grid sizes in the same pack.
I would rethink the foam mats in case Edmund turns out to be a chewer. Lots of people have used coroplast (fluted sign board) for flooring also.

[Deleted User]

I would rethink the foam mats in case Edmund turns out to be a chewer.

He’s definitely a chewer right now… (He’s almost 6 mo. old and I just got him neutered a few days ago.) I was hoping he wouldn’t be able to chew the rubber gym mat flooring. RabbitCondo.com has pictures of a condo with the rubber gym mat flooring and it looks like it would work great. I’m not familiar with coroplast. Do you think the chances are better that he won’t chew through the coroplast?

[Deleted User]

I wish I could get colorful grids here but I can only get white or brown. I love the purple, and the ones you posted a picture of have the right size squares, like Jersey figured it out. I would set up all feeding activities in or by his litterboxes like you already thought. This will help keep the habitat cleaner.

[Deleted User]

These two photos of grid habitats are from the BB great habitats gallery. Your description of what you would like reminded me of them.

[Deleted User]

Thanks, Petzy!

I’m really excited about all of the purple. My room has a lot of purple in it, so it should look pretty spiffy once it’s all done.

Yep, those pictures are of the same habitat I got the rubber “gym” mat flooring and “tunnel into house” ideas from at RabbitCondo.com. The wooden baseboards are outside the wire, but I’m wondering if it would keep the cage cleaner to put them inside the wire instead?

All of the wood panelling on the platforms and the ramp is pretty impressive. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to manage something like that… Heh.

[jerseygirl]

Merbella, I looked at the link for the mats. I was thinking they were those childrens puzzle mats when you first mentioned them. These are more dense than those? He might not be able to get his teeth into them….time will tell. If you’re keen on them build his palace with them and if it becomes a problem, you can pop something over the top but still have them as the padded floor. He’s gonna look gooood in a purple place. Will set off his colour nicely.

[Beka27]

If you’re going to be making a condo anyways, can I suggest you go ahead and make it 4 grids across rather than 3? 3 grids across doesn’t provide enough space in my opinion, especially once you add food and toys and a litterbox in. It’s amazing how much that extra 14 inches will come in handy…

Many if the Target boxes have (I think 6?) panels that have opening that are 3 inches wide. These are supposed to be for the back of the storage units where it doesn’t matter what size the holes are. But for bunny people using them for condos, obviously it does matter.

I’ve never seen purple grids at Target, is this something you can only purchase online? Maybe the online brands are configured differently…

[Deleted User]

Shipping costs for NIC grids are high because of the weight. I would just get what they have in the store.
By the time you spend the money to buy the materials for a big enough NIC condo with wood panelling, flooring and three stories high, you may find that you could go with an Xpen with less expense.

[Beka27]

Posted By Petzy on 06/04/2010 07:56 AM
Shipping costs for NIC grids are high because of the weight. I would just get what they have in the store.
By the time you spend the money to buy the materials for a big enough NIC condo with wood panelling, flooring and three stories high, you may find that you could go with an Xpen with less expense.

 

This is true, too.  Xpens are my housing of choice for bunnies.  Plus, I’ve never had luck with building (sturdy) things out of NIC grids.

[Deleted User]

Thanks, jerseygirl! I think he’ll look pretty snazzy too in a purple palace. As for the mats, I do *believe* they are more dense than the childrens’ puzzle mats you can buy in stores. It says on the website that they provide “increased durability and density,” but I think you’re right about only time being able to tell on this one…

If you’re going to be making a condo anyways, can I suggest you go ahead and make it 4 grids across rather than 3?

Thank you for your suggestion! I agree that 4 grids across would be ideal, but I, unfortunately, just don’t have the space at this point in time… Since I only have one rabbit, and he’s a small 3 lb. Holland Lop, I’m hoping that the 3-grid-across size will be enough. The two platforms will provide extra space, and once I have him litter box trained, I plan on extending the amount of time he spends outside of his cage.

Many if the Target boxes have (I think 6?) panels that have opening that are 3 inches wide. These are supposed to be for the back of the storage units where it doesn’t matter what size the holes are. But for bunny people using them for condos, obviously it does matter.

Yikes! This is definitely a concern! If this turns out to be the case, you can bet I’ll be sending those grids right back!

I’ve never seen purple grids at Target, is this something you can only purchase online?

Yes, they’re only available online. I had the same thought about the online ones being configured differently… Here’s hoping!

Petzy, Target offers free shipping for the grids!

[mocha200]

if it ends up being to small for him, you can always build another level.

[Deleted User]

Oh, that’s fantastic that there is free shipping.
If your rabbit gets daily exercise time outside of his enclosure, and you schedule this time during his active phase (evening/morning) you can go with the 3 grids wide, I suppose. But, don’t underestimate a little holland lop’s need for space: the little buns are very active and fast. No matter how many levels there are, they can’t make up for floor space. A rabbit can really only binky and zoom in a large area. I would build him a condo then as an xpen does take up very much room, but do bunny-proof an exercisde area and plan for that when you shop for the grids. The grids are great for bunny–proofing around your home.

[Deleted User]

Posted By mocha200 on 06/04/2010 09:13 AM
if it ends up being to small for him, you can always build another level.

Very true.

Thanks for the advice, Petzy! I think for my space it’d work better to have a 3-grid-across-sized condo with an easily movable exercise pen situated around the door rather than a 4-grid-across-sized condo without a pen. I, unfortunately, just don’t have the room to keep a pen there all the time or to have a condo with 4 panels.

You’re right about Hollands being super active little buns. Every single time I let him out of his cage, he does a binky!

[leyley904]

Those purple grids are fine. I’m not sure if they are sold in stores, though. But, white cubes/grids are sold at target under a different brand. They are NOT safe. The grid has 5 holes across and 5 holes down, and also has grids with 8 holes across and 8 holes down in the same box. If it were to come to that brand being the easiest choice, make sure that you use the 5 hole ones ONLY for floors and other places where the rabbit will have no chance of getting stuck. My little dwarfs can slip through them easily, so I know a larger bun could get stuck easily.

Good luck building! I wish I could have purple grids

 

ADD:

Is he going to be in the cage most of the day? If so, I think that’s quite a bit too small. I’m not going to make a big deal or anything but here are some suggestions for creating more space for him. For my cage, which is a 2×6 with 4 complete levels (for two 2.5 pound buns who are in the cage most of the day) I had to rearrange my whole entire room. I only have a bed, a dresser, and the cage in my room. I took out all my other furniture. I think their happiness is worth my furniture. For that size cage, it would be like you living in a bathroom. It just doesn’t sit well with me. It takes up my whole wall and extends a good bit into my room. I’m actually planning on finding a way to expand . A good thing to do for finding a more space efficient set up is to measure the dimensions on your room. Draw it out on a piece of paper. Then, measure every piece of furniture in your room including your cage. Draw them on another piece of paper, cut them out, then you can move them around on your other piece of paper with the outline of your room on it. Is your bed extending into the middle of your room? Moving it against the wall opens up a lot of space. Also, you can get wall shelves to organize your things.

Here’s my cage:

It’s on cinder blocks, for size reference.

Space can be made, but it takes some creative thinking

Again, good luck!

[Deleted User]

^ Wow. It’s like an apartment complex for bunnies.

What is the white siding you have on it made of, if you don’t mind my asking? Do they chew on it? Also, what material are you using as flooring?

[mocha200]

i think she is using coroplast for the siding and the floor but i am not positive.

[Beka27]

Yes, she has coroplast. That is the corrugated plastic sign board, it’s available at stores that make signs. A very popular material for rabbit and guinea pig cages…

[mocha200]

it might come in purple……..

[AbigailBW]

 Hi, 

I thought I’d share some updated pics or our rabbit condo, since we had some of the same questions you do when we were putting it together.  We’ve been using it for about 5 months and are very pleased.  Let me preface by saying we have two standard rex mix rabbits that are each about 6 lbs.  We used the same footprint as the one you are planning, but have two extra levels– one complete.  Our buns are in the cage during the night and between 9 am and 4 pm.  The rest of the time they get free roam of our tiny condo.  

 

We also got our grids from Target.  They only had the boxes with two different grid sizes.  We used the smaller hole grids for anywhere a bunny might stick its head and used the larger hole grids for support under the shelves and ramps, behind the cloroplast “baseboards,” and on the top where we added an extra layer of plastic “hardware cloth” that I, ahem, acquired from work.  The shelves have cloroplast that we bought ($20/4×8′ sheet) from a store called Sign-A-Rama.  Weird– when we asked if they sold it, they asked if we were making a guinea pig cage!  The carpet material came from wall mart, sold as bathroom mats.  They are washable and relatively sturdy, but in retrospect, we paid too much money for them.  We used 1″ closet pole, which worked perfectly to add support under each shelf and across the “roof”.  We lined the bottom floor with chloroplast on the inside to keep they hay from getting behind.  I think the buns like how protected the litter box/hay area is.  All the middle front panels open as doors, It looks like theres no door on the top in the picture, but its there. 

 

My newest addition was to attach the hay rack to the outside of the cage.  I noticed that Charlie would sit on the edge of his box when eating hay, like the box wasn’t big enough.  I cut some of the grids out with wire cutters and lined the sharp edges with aquarium airline tubing and secured with duct tape.  I will show some pictures of the haybox hinged open for filling and then closed, which is the normal position.  I covered the hay rack with cardboard to keep some of the hay in.  Its messy, but the buns approved — and that’s all that mattered, right?

 

For the bottom, we used a rubber entryway mat — the type you see walking into an office building.  We flipped it over so the surface is easy to wipe down and fairly cushion-y.  Lowes sells one that’s just the right size.  Here are some pictures of all the various elements.  

 

 

 

 

[leyley904]

Yes, I use coroplast. I have it for the flooring, then I scored it so that the sides can flip up like that, I didn’t just bend it. Yes, it comes in many colors (but sometimes its a tad more expensive). Yes, some rabbits would chew on it. Mine don’t. If you used it just for the flooring and had no sides it would be difficult for them to get at to chew, it’s fairly sturdy, not something they could easily bend up to chew on it. If you got it and had sides, and they started to chew, I’ve seen that people put these binding things on the edges where they chew (I will look up what they are called in a minute). They are still chewable, but they take a while to chew through, and once they start to get really chewed up, you can replace them before they get to the coroplast.

Coroplast can be difficult to find. You really have to search sometimes (i did!). First things first, try home depot, some carry it. You’ll have more luck if you ask for “full sheets of corrugated plastic” but some stores do call it coroplast.
Next, look in your phone book for sign shops/makers. Look for ones that make yard advertisement signs, but look at all of them, too. I called almost every sign shop in my phone book. Calling is important, even if it looks like that store wouldn’t have it. An important thing to tell them that you are using this for a rabbit cage. Yes, they will probably think you are crazy, but if they think you are a competing sign shop, they will charge you LOTS of money for it. Shipping is expensive, so try to find a way to get it home yourself. Or ask a friend who has a big truck to help out. Search the internet “coroplast + (your area)” Sometimes people get lucky and find it right away, but if you do go for coroplast, be prepared for a search.

Some places will cut it to the size you want for you. But if you do get the whole sheet, you can use they extra for something else. A full sheet is 4’x8′.

Okay, now I will go look for what these things are called, I think…like, binder splines or something? They go on laminated reports (like, for school).

[leyley904]

Oh, and I have two layers of fleece for flooring to provide comfort. But, I don’t suggest it. I am lucky and don’t have chewers, but even I still find some holes in it sometimes. It will be rags in a few days if you have chewers!

But, I am changing soon, I will have fleece in parts of the cage, but I’m planning to use tile some.

Okay, I’m actually am going to look now

[leyley904]

Like these (the colored part, but they are usually clear):
\

These say binder “spines”, so I don’t know. 

 

 

Okay, I can’t find exactly what I’m talking about, but it’s similar to that ^

They are meant to just slide over multiple sheets of paper, and they just slide over the edge of the coroplast.

 

Binder- They aren’t FOR binders, but they ARE binders, as in they BIND things. So when I search for them I keep coming up with actual binders. I just wanted to make that clear

[Deleted User]

Wow, you guys… Thank you SO MUCH for your help. I really appreciate it (and I’m sure Edmund will too!).

AbigailBW, that was so kind of you to do that write-up for me with pictures of your habitat!

“hardware cloth” that I, ahem, acquired from work

lol

That hay rack is ingenious. I also love how your little black rex’s head is buried into it in the picture. lol, you have to come up for air, sweetheart!

Using the rubber entryway mat as a floor was another great idea.

Although you may have paid too much for the carpeting, it does look very sturdy and as resistant to chewing as carpet can be. I’ve been looking online for one for Edmund that he’ll have a hard time chewing up (preferably in purple, lol) but haven’t had any luck thus far…

Thanks, leyley904! I know what you mean about the binder spines. The coroplast does sound pretty hard to find, not to mention expensive! Maybe I’d have better luck with the “gym” mat rubber flooring? I still need something for the sides though to keep the hay in…

[jerseygirl]

Carpet tiles and vinyl flooring comes in purple.

Fabulous condo AbigailBW!  Can you post some more pics of your bun pair sometime? I checked your profile album but no bunnies.

[leyley904]

 I’ve actually heard of coroplast going both ways price wise. Some places sell it for upwards of 20 dollars. I got mine for 9 dollars. It really depends on where you get it (SEARCH).  

If I were you, I would go for the rubber flooring, as it sounds like you want to do that  Then, you could maybe buy a small piece of coroplast to go on the walls near where the hay is. Would that help? You would have to sacrifice your purple, but you can buy signs like this.

Okay, for those signs, you wouldn’t have to buy them in a pack of 10 in stores so it would be a lot cheaper. Also, if you have any elections or votings going around in your area, there are probably corrugated plastic signs all over. When the voting period is over for a certain thing, you can go ask the property owner if you could have their sign (wherever you see one) or you could go to the place where they distribute the signs during the voting period. Or you could even pull them out of people’s trash 

If you do use this for sides, where you want it to bend, score it. Don’t cut all the way through and tape it back together, or else it won’t look as good. If you do the sides high enough that your rabbits can’t chew on it, you could probably use tape like this to make the outside of the sign/walls purple. You can get duck tape at walmart and many other places. Duck tape is a brand of duct tape, don’t think I’m crazy . It comes in like a billion colors and is widely used for crafts and such.

 

Also, I’m more than happy to help! I love designing cages! Do you mind if I make a computer sketch of your cage? If you hate it, it don’t mind, I just like doing it! 

[mocha200]

i would not sudgest duck tape. yestureday my bunny got some stuck on her foot from the cage i made and we had to cut it off her foot! and she got cut on the scisers from kicking out.

[Deleted User]

Posted By jerseygirl on 06/05/2010 06:56 PM

Can you post some more pics of your bun pair sometime?

I second this request.

The coroplast near the hay sounds like a great idea, leyley904. Thank you for the advice on how to find coroplast for cheap! I should have no problem getting my hands on some now!

OF COURSE I DON’T MIND IF YOU MAKE ME A COMPUTER SKETCH! Haha. Seriously though, that would be awesome! The design process is half the fun. ;D

If I do decide to cover the coroplast with purple duct tape, I’ll only do it on the outside where my bun can’t get to it. Thanks for the tip, mocha200. I’m so sorry about your bun. That must have been quite a scare for her.

 

[leyley904]

Yes, you would definitely have to make sure the rabbit can not get to it if you put duct tape. I meant to make that more clear in my first post.

[leyley904]

Okie doke! *drum roll*

 

Okay, I made everything different colors so that it is easy to see. But, it would actually all be purple. 

I didn’t know what you wanted to use as your hay holder, so I just put a box (pink).

Most of the front opens for easy cleaning. But, you can just open the bottom grid for a door for Edmund to go in and out on his own. I suggest just making hinges with the zip ties. 

I did the mat floor.

OH DANG IT! I forgot the coroplast by the hay box!! I’ll add that in a minute!!! 

 

 

Another view.

 

 

This shows just “Edmund’s door” open. Nice, eh? 

 

 

This is just a thought if you wanted to add a level. It’s a larger level (for flopsies!), and for support reasons the door couldn’t be on the front. You could do it on the side like in the picture, or you could do it on top and use a step stool to reach it. You also might have to use support beams if you do a fourth level, but that’s easy to do if you need it. You might even need support beams for the 3 level cage, depending on how you build the shelves.

[leyley904]

 VWA-LA:

(But, the purple would just be on the other side of the coroplast)

(And the coroplast itself would be on the outside of the grids)

[leyley904]

Abigail, they probably asked if you were building a guinea pig cage because a lot of people use it as the bottom and sides in guinea pig cages like I did for my cage. It sure isn’t common that someone would buy just 1 sheet of coroplast, so I’m sure they remember those more, especially if they were told it was for a guinea pig cage .

[Beka27]

Nice drawings Leyley! One suggestion I would make is to have all the levels overlap slightly going up, just in case the bunny slips going up or down, it’s not a straight drop to the bottom.

[mocha200]

wow that is such a good drawing! next time i want another cage i will have to ask you to draw me one! you use google sketch up right?

[leyley904]

Beka, I don’t know if you were talking to me or to her, but I just did my design based off of hers on the first page .

Mocha, yeah, google sketch up.
Here are some I’ve made for other people, though many of them are for guinea pigs (who can’t jump )
http://s917.photobucket.com/albums/ad18/leyley904/cage%20designs/

[Deleted User]

Oh wow. O_O Thank you so, so much, Leyley! Those are AWESOME! I love how you were even able to make the little cage accessories.

I seriously can’t thank you enough for making them for me! It was so kind of you! <3

…

So, I’ve been perusing the “Great Habitats” gallery and I must say, there are some AMAZING bun houses here! Does anyone know where I might find any more information, pictures, etc. for the following habitats? A website or a thread would be great!

The above two are supposedly from a user named Tombstone. I couldn’t find any threads by him/her in the forum though… :/

I love how they situated the following one on a wooden platform with wheels. It looks so well-made…

Very inspirational!

[Deleted User]

So, the more I hear about these X-Pens, the more I find myself seriously thinking of just canning the purple cube shelving idea and going with a large mat and an X-Pen for Edmund’s home. It just seems so much simpler, cheaper (assuming I can find an X-Pen for a reasonable price), safer (I won’t have to worry about him falling off any shelves or about the shelves themselves collapsing), and more resistant to Edmund’s insatiable need to chew everything he can get his little paws on. Plus, I will be having to move Edmund at least once or twice when I go to graduate school, so the fact that it’s about 100x more portable is a huge point in the X-Pen’s favor.

I’ve been searching for what I could put underneath the X-Pen, and I found a very nice, large outdoor mat that is supposed to be “great for pets,” according to the website. It’s waterproof, durable and reversible. I didn’t want to use full-fledged carpet because I KNOW Edmund will chew right through it. (He’s already proven that he enjoys chewing my bathroom mat.) I don’t think he’d be able to chew through this outdoor mat though quite as easily… (Knock on wood.) It’s made of polypropylene, which I’m not certain is 100% safe, but after a quick Google search, I found that it’s used in pet clothing, animal feed pails and mesh to protect gardens from animals. Hopefully, this means it would be okay if Edmund was able to chew it… Has anyone, by any chance, heard anything about this material?

Here’s a picture of the mat and a link to the website:

http://www.yardlover.com/4-x-6-classic-floor-mat-purple

Personally, I think it’s a great price for being as big as it is (and as easy on the eyes!). ;D

As for the actual X-Pen, I’ve been scouring CraigsList the past half hour or so for one that’s both cheap and the right size. (I was told elsewhere on the forum that I should get one at least 36″ high with a door I can walk through.) One of the ones I found has 8 hinged panels (24″W x 36″H) and is made of gold zinc. The brand is K-9 Keeper. Does anyone know if this is a good brand? Which brands, specifically, are good?

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with me.

[mocha200]

Please show us the finished product!

[Author]

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