 |
|
 |
|
To Cage or Not to
Cage: Updated: 9/30/04 |
|
Have questions about
your new bunny's habitat, or what kind and sizes of cages are best? Read below to get some
great ideas for helping your Bunny to feel "right at home." |
|
Yes, you will need
a cage! - or a pen. The cage will be your rabbit's nest;
rabbits usually prefer to have a safe area they can call their own. Set the cage (nest) on
the floor, in an area where you spend a lot of time, such as the living room or family
room. Do not put the cage near a heater or a loud TV or stereo. Always provide shade from
a sunny window. When secluded in one room, such as a bedroom, your rabbit may be cut off
from the family and unsure of the area outside. The more contact you have with your
rabbit, the more you will enjoy each other. Rabbits
are crepuscular, which means that they generally sleep during the day and during the
night, but are ready to play at dawn and twilight. So, if you're at work during the day,
they won't mind so much being in a "roomy" cage. But they MUST be let out for
at least several hours each day, both to exercise and to have social interaction with you. |
|
|
|
Perhaps you'd feel more
comfortable having your bunny in a more open "pen" environment, instead of a
cage. This is one option that is especially good for rabbits who are a bit "cage
protective," and for those rabbits not inclined to jump out of their space. With
a pen, you need to protect your floor or carpet, and this can be done with the use of an
inexpensive area rug, plastic office chair mat, sea grass mats, or other bunny-safe floor
covering. You will also want a means to cover
the top if your rabbit is inclined to jump or climb out of their pen. This will prevent
them from getting out and into trouble, or from injuring themselves by possibly catching a
leg when trying to get out.
|
|
Some things to
consider when planning your rabbit's habitat:
- Make sure you purchase a cage that is large enough to
accommodate Bunny when he/she is full grown
- Make sure the cage is large enough for bunny to lay stretched
out, when all the necessary supplies (litterbox, water & food bowls) are inside
- Take into consideration, the amount of daily run time your
rabbit will receive, when determining cage size; in this case, bigger is better
- Make sure the cage door is large enough for a large cat
litterbox to fit through
- Make sure the cage door opens from the side, and not down, so
bunny's feet won't get caught when entering or exiting the cage
- Urine guards are helpful in keeping hay and urine in the cage
- Casters or wheels on the cage make it easy to move about when
needing to clean bunny's area
- And, don't forget, bunny needs several hours "out of cage
or pen" time, each day
|
|
Where to buy
"house rabbit" cages: For
small to medium rabbits (3-6 lbs.) we recommend a cage no smaller than 36" wide x 24" deep x 18-24"
high. If bunny is larger, then a minimum of 36" wide x 30" deep is
better (best of all, however, is the
x-pen setup). You may have a cage manufacturer near you, or visit these web sites for some great
examples of cages that meet Bunny's needs:
- San Diego HRS,
telephone 619-718-7777
Visit our office to select a variety of
cages or pens, perfect for your bunny. We are open the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every
month, at 4805 Mercury Street, Suite B, in Kearny Mesa (corner
of Mercury & Ronson Road).
- KW Cages,
Santee, California (San Diego County) telephone 800-447-2243 or
619-596-4000.
- Leith
Petwerks, telephone 800-956-3576
- Build your own with Neat Idea Cubes!
If you live in the San Diego's north
coastal area, call
760-633-1564 to purchase cages and supplies.
|
|
Cage and pen
photos: Here are photos of HRS members' cage/pen setups that you
might find helpful when designing your bunny's habitat. Email
us if you have questions about any of the cage setups shown below. |
|
This photo shows the perfect "basic cage" set-up with
a Libby cage. Included inside the cage is a roomy litterbox containing
hay, a large water crock and smaller pellet crock. A piece of carpet protects bunny's feet
from the wire floor, and makes a comfortable place to rest. Bunny also has some toys
inside to keep her entertained. Really great features of this cage are the side-opening
front door that allows bunny to come and go on her own during run time, and the large
top-opening door that lets you add a "large" litterbox and makes this cage
really easy to clean. This cage measures 36" wide, by 24" deep, by 22"
high. This is a great setup for smaller dwarf bunnies. It can be purchased from San Diego HRS at the Bunny Supplies Store.
|
|
This is a great setup in a family room, where bunny's pen
(36" high as she's a jumper!) allows her to interact with the family where they spend
most of their time. Her living space includes a large litterbox full of hay, her water and
pellet bowls, and a cardboard box in which to play, climb, and that she loves to chew.
Indoor/outdoor carpet protects the floor. Pens like these are available through HRS and
include eight 24" panels that can be arranged in many different configurations. They
are very versatile and comfortable for bunny.
|
|
This cage is actually a pen, with a "lid" on top to keep the bunny from
climbing out. You can see that it includes a litterbox, a shelf to sit up high, and a
little table that provides a fun hiding place. This pen's dimensions are 30" square
and it's available from KW Cages. It's a good idea to get the door on this pen, so you
don't have to lift the bunny out over the top and he can access his litterbox on his own
while he's out to play.
|
|
Here's a view into an office area where a pair of rabbits have a
large cage and attached pen, creating their own "run area." This setup
integrates very well into a space where the family spends a lot of time on the computer,
so the bunnies get a lot of attention. This is a standard 8-panel pen, that is 30"
high. These can be purchased online, from pet supply stores, and through HRS at its Bunny Supplies Store.
|
|
 |
 |
|
The two
images above demonstrate a simple, easy-to-clean pen set-up in a condo. It doesn't take
much room, and the owner has decorated it with an inexpensive rug that matches her decor.
As simple as it looks, the bunnies have everything they need: a big, roomy litterbox,
cardboard tubes to play in, two water bowls, and an assortment of toys. The pen is easily
opened to allow the bunnies to come and go during run time, then closed back up for the
night or when mom is gone to work
|
|
This bunny lives in the family/dining room area of her home. You can see that the
large bottom door allows a large litterbox to fit inside, and the top also opens upward,
providing easy access to the top floor. This cage is a Metro Condo, available from KW
Cages. This cage's dimensions are 36" wide, by 30" deep, by 34" high. It's
quite roomy and can accommodate up to two smaller to medium-size rabbits
as long as they get plenty of daily run time out of their cage.
|
|
This magnificent structure is a Leith Petwerks three-story condo. It's a bit more
expensive, but makes great use of a small space as the cage is taller than wide. Three
bonded bunnies share this cage and have plenty of space to lounge about and play during
the day. This cage's dimensions are 36" wide, by
23" deep, by 64.5" high. These also come in a 48" wide version, and can be
purchased as one or two-story models.
|
|
Here's a simple open pen setup, where the bunny's main abode is a cardboard
"bunny cottage." This affords her good space and exercise, playing in the
levels of the cottage. These cardboard cottages are great for bunnies who are love to
chew! This pen is available from KW Cages and its dimensions are 42" square. The
Cottontail Cottage can be purchased at http://www.catsandrabbitsandmore.com/cottontail_cottages.
|
|
If you are more
adventurous and would like to design your own rabbit habitat, visit these sites for some
great ideas:
|
|
Have multiple
rabbits? Here are some ideas for you:
For those of us whose rabbit families have grown a bit, ideas for housing
multiple singles and pairs can come in handy. Here are a couple photos and a link to an
HRS article that talks about housing multiples. |
|
This is a setup on an enclosed patio, which houses two bonded rabbit pairs. The
flooring is linoleum (we chose a non-slick surface) that has seagrass mats and carpet
samples strewn about for added comfort. A 36-inch high puppy exercise pen was used to
enclose the two areas that are separated down the middle by an 8-foot long by 36-inch high
piece of plastic lattice (available at home garden centers). Each side contains a
two-story rabbit cage, a cardboard bunny condo, food & water dishes, plus an
extra-large litterbox. These areas provide the bunnies with plenty of run space while
keeping them safely separated. This photo also gives you a picture of how this whole area
is separated from the family room by a telescoping plastic gate. This separation allows
free run of the paired bunnies housed in the family room (separated by their own pens),
yet keeps them apart from the pairs. In short, this layout houses eight bunnies; giving
all the bunnies plenty of run space and freedom. Note:
One very important aspect of this setup is that it is directly attached to the family room
and can be heated and cooled to keep these bunnies in a safe and comfortable environment.
And, it's easy to clean!
Don't forget - each of the bunnies' habitats
shown here work very well. As long as bunny still gets several hours, each day, of free
run outside his cage or pen.
|
|
This article from the
House Rabbit Journal may inspire those of you considering whether or not you should add to
your rabbit household.
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-8/multi-maintenance.html |
|
|
|
|