Rabbit running cage

[Hayden Wolford]

Hey, I found a giant cage for my rabbits to run but it is made of PVC coated hexagonal wire mesh. It says it will hold rabbits in but I know they like to chew on stuff and will chew through standard chicken wire. Do you think this will work?? I’m looking for second opinions. The actual owner of the product says it holds rabbits and they can’t break out. I don’t want to risk it though so I came here for a professional opinion. Thank you! FYI the cage is 9 feet by 18 feet. It is giant. Thanks for the help

[LBJ10]

What gauge are we talking here? Many people make condos out of NIC grid panels, which is fairly thick.

[Hayden Wolford]

This is just normal hexagon wire as far as I know. It’s made for chickens cats dogs and rabbits. it’s not thick like a dog cage or rabbit wire from what I understand.

[LBJ10]

Hexagonal chicken wire is very thin, like 20 gauge. Even if it is PVC coated, I would worry about a bunny (or other animal) chewing through it. Plus PVC coating tends to be very yummy for some reason.

[Hayden Wolford]

Alright thank you!!

[Bam]

Hexagonal chicken wire is no match for a bun. They chew through it and because the wire is “knitted”, not welded, a small hole can become a big hole quickly, but he plastic coating would prevent that to an extent though.

Double chicken wire is ok though. Maybe you could put a second layer of chicken wire around the run, where the rabbit can access it? The roof would not have to be reinforced, it’d still protect against raptor birds.

Chicken wire is not predator safe , so a double chicken wire run would only work during the day and when the humans aren’t far away.

[Hayden Wolford]

Ok thank you!! So what do you all suggest I should use instead. I can’t seem to find any larger runs with thick rabbit wire. Should I just make my own? I want them to be able to run around when they want. I know the hutch will be too small for them

[LBJ10]

I would suggest building your own if you can’t find what you need. Welded wire is more appropriate. However, if the run is not predator-proof, then they will still need to be monitored closely while using it.

Keep in mind that fencing sold as “rabbit wire” often has varied sized holes where they get larger toward the top. You need something that has the same sized holes throughout. Recommended is welded wire (aka hardware cloth) with no more than 1″ x 1″ holes. The wire tends to be thicker on this style too.

[DanaNM]

Are you planning this for outdoors or indoors? If outdoors, are you going to supervise or will they be allowed in it unsupervised?

I agree that welded wire is the safest bet for outdoor enclosures in general. If the plan is for them to be in the area unsupervised it must be very very secure against predators.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Hayden Wolford]

This will be outside. If it is not predator proof fully I’ll sit and supervise while they play. If I find that nothing can break through I might consider letting them out unsupervised. Also I live in East Tennessee. Would snakes be a problem to adult rabbits?

[LBJ10]

Do you live in a rural area? Honestly, it would depend on the snake. A large snake like a rattlesnake or bullsnake can kill and eat a small adult rabbit. If snakes are a concern, then you would need 1/4″ wire mesh and nowhere for them to squeeze underneath.

[Hayden Wolford]

Yes I pretty much live in the woods. We don’t have rattlesnakes, bull snakes, or anything like that. We have copperheads and that’s it. We have king snakes and that’s about as big as they get. Corn snakes, black snakes, and garden snakes, is pretty much all we get. I would make the wire pretty much small that way nothing could get in for sure. I’ll definitely make the hutch 100% safe. Do you all have any suggestions on outdoor hutches. I have seen bad reviews about them rotting and also they don’t have the drop pan where they don’t walk in their own waste. Thanks again for everyone helping me out!

[DanaNM]

We really encourage indoor housing because it tends to be much safer for the rabbits for a variety of reasons (this is a house-rabbit forum so most of us keep our bunnies primarily indoors). In addition to predators, there are several dangerous diseases that spread through vectors and wild rabbits (RHDV2 is particularly dangerous). Outdoor hutches tend to be much too small, wire flooring is very bad for rabbit’s feet, and since you don’t see them as much it’s harder to notice illness. Rabbits hide their symptoms very well and so it can be hard to notice subtle changes when you aren’t watching them as often. Climate control is also important, as rabbits do not do well with heat.

I recommend checking out the housing section here: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/house-rabbit-habitats/

In some places it’s common for rabbits to be given a full shed to live in for outdoor housing, but again climate control is important.

There is a section on safe-outdoor runs, but again these are generally better as something for supervised roaming time, not 24/7 housing.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Hayden Wolford]

Thank you!! I will probably keep them inside until they go exercise.

[LBJ10]

Yes, I was under the impression that this was just for an outdoor play area. And, if that is your intention, then I’m not sure what you would need a hutch for. The play run should be sufficient as long as they are sheltered and you’re not leaving them out there unsupervised.

[Hayden Wolford]

Alright thanks!

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