Suggestions on x-pen and baby gate?

[Lani]

I’m planning to purchase an x-pen and a new baby gate and am looking for any suggestions on either. What size x-pen should I be buying? I’ve seen some that come with a canvas cover, do I need that? For the baby gate, I’d really like something that has the door I can open and walk through instead of climbing over it. The problem is all the ones with this design are just vertical bars that look like it would be easy for my little bun to squeeze through or get stuck. Anyone have any ideas on a baby gate?

[Stickerbunny]

The x-pen covers are good if you plan to take your bun outside, as predator birds have been known to swoop down for small animals (even dogs) when they are out in the yard. If it is to be used inside, I wouldn’t worry about it.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754767&utm_source=googleproduct&utm_campaign=5050568&utm_medium=cse&mr:trackingCode=6DDD2C64-C881-DE11-B712-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA

There is one that is supposed to be really easy to open, doesn’t exactly have a door, but has mounting brackets and is designed to be opened/closed with one hand.

[Beka27]

The xpen should be 36 inches high at least. I prefer the “walk-through” xpens (Midwest makes one, and maybe Precision?) They have a door that opens so you can walk in and out for cleaning, feeding, etc… Other ones just have a small square hole, so animals can come in and out but people cannot.

There are baby gates that have a solid plastic panel. I would recommend that over wood. You also have to be careful with plastic “criss-cross” gates, buns will chew thru that and they might eat the plastic pieces.

[RabbitPam]

My xpen is the size Beka mentioned, and I got the one with the door. Sooooo easy. I put it on an inexpensive low pile area rug I got at Target that is just a bit larger than the xpen. I would recommend the cover that fits if you think your bunny is a jumper. Sammy is not, so my top is uncovered, but we don’t go outside either. You can also just take a sheet and stretch it taught across the top and use clips to hold it down along the top edges of the pen.

Didn’t have much luck with baby gates. My Spockie used to just push one end until he moved it out of place then slipped through.
My favorite baby gate is a closed door.

[angelicvampyre]

I had my “babygate” made as I could not find one I like, the local handman made it and attached it and it is a wooden frame with avery mesh and works great, got it the right hight so I can step over or I can open depending on what I am wearing or my mood. As for X-Pens check out Garden Waster Storage Cubes from your local hardware place. I got mine from Bunnings over here for $25 and it is larger then my x-pen which cost me over $100 and that way you also have a bit more flexability with it.

[Monkeybun]

You can often get xpens on sale too, or on craigslist. I love them! I have a precision pet pen, with the door that opens for easy access.

[Lani]

Thanks for all the suggestions on the xpen. Since we’re not going to be going outside, I won’t need to purchase the cover. And I think I’ll just have to add some chicken wire to the type of gate I want so little miss houdini can’t sneak through.

[Deleted User]

We installed a babygate down the end of the hallway, and it was perfect…except our little fella could wriggle through easily!

So we used zip-ties to fasten an NIC cube onto each side section, and one to the middle of the gate. Problem solved!

We recently tried removing all the cubes, but lo, he can still wriggle through the side bars, they’re 6cm apart rather than the 5cm gap in the gate section!
So the side cubes are a permanent fixture- better safe than sorry!

I love this gate- it only cost $40 from the hardware store, swings widely in both directions, self-closes, and we’ve found we can even lift it with one foot if our hands are full.

 

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