X-Pen Height Advice

[Mehgan Brooke]

Hello Everyone!

Hoping for a bit of advice! I got my bunny almost two weeks ago. She is a bit of an unusual mix, her dad was a Holland Lop while her mom was a Flemish Giant! I believe it was an accidental litter. She is 3 months old, and when I picked her up she and her littermates were all slightly bigger than their dad already. I’ve looked into it and I know Holland Lops are usually about 4 pounds max while Flemish Giants start at about 13-14+ pounds. So I have NO idea how big she will end up getting, but my best guess is probably like 7-10 pounds? If anyone has a better or more knowledgeable guess please let me know!

She is currently housed in a cage that has a small play yard fence attached. I bought it at Petsmart (it is an Oxbow cage) before I knew anything about rabbits and had planned to get a dwarf breed. It is working okay for now (temporary) especially since I am litter training her, but I know she needs LOTS more space long term and as she grows!
After lots of research and thought I have finally decided to house her in a XXL dog crate with a metal dog exercise pen attached to give her more room. I just ordered the crate, and the exercise pen is next on my list. Here is where I’m stuck! The fencing (Midwest) comes in several different heights. The tiny fence she has now is only about 20-22 inches tall. I am 100% sure she could probably jump it easily if she wanted to, she just hasn’t figured out that she can yet thank goodness!

So if it was you, would you order the 30″, 36″, 42″, or 48″ tall fence? I’ve gone back and forth and I just can’t decide! I feel like the 48″ might be overkill, and also hard to fit easily in my car if I need a temporary home for her for any reason. The price of the 30″ is tempting, but I don’t want to have to repurchase a taller one later if she outgrows it! I believe the height of the dog crate is supposed to be about 32″. The fence does have a gate so I will be able to easily enter and exit to play with her and clean. Thanks in advance for the help guys!

[tobyluv]

Welcome to Binky Bunny!

It is usually advised to get a pen with a height of at least 36″. But some rabbits can jump over that, and some rabbits have been known to climb the pens to get out, although that’s not as common. It can be hard to know the exact correct height to use, since some rabbits are big jumpers and other rabbits jump very little. If there is a hidey house or anything similar inside the x-pen, it is best for it to be in the middle instead of next to the side of the pen so that rabbits can’t jump on top of it and use that as a platform to jump out of the pen.

Maybe the 42″ size would be a good one for your bunny.

[jerseygirl]

Oh yes, go at least the 42″. Bunnies can suprise you how well they can get over barriers. Especially when they are young and light weight!

[BunnyFriends]

Definitely 42″.

[Author]

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