Is this cage ok ?

This is the cage that I have for my rabbit. Does it have everything she needs ? and is there enough space etc ?

She has;
a house with straw for sleep/naps.
Watter bottle
daisy chain(wood) to chew and play
Carrot(wood) to chew/play
Purple tennis ball
food bowl
Litter box

Looks good! I found when we first brought our boy home that by putting hay in other places around the cage he would "go" where ever it was... So we started putting all of his hay in his litter box! And he has perfect litter box habits now he has a little blanket he can curl up with to sleep

Love his little face! What a cutie

I think if I was a bunny, it would be everything I could ever want. Plus with time out with Mom, best way to live a bunny life.

Oh BTW, nice choice on the crate. We have three of them and our bunnies enjoy their space. No problem. 41 inches is plenty. Plus they get out every day for a run. They are all very content.

K

As a baby, I think it should be fine.

Growing, I would try to upgrade to a Xpen or NIC cage. Minimum rabbit caging should be 3X the body length of them laying completely straight out and for them to be able to do a full hop 4 times. Also, they need to be able to completely stand on their hind legs.

To make this easier, the ASPCA has mandated that the minimum cage requirement for a small/medium sized rabbit is 4ftX2ftX2ft.

So, I'd give her another month or two in there before upgrading. Or, an easy way to do it is to buy an Xpen that you can put around the cage and leave the door open all of the time. That way you get your money's worth. (Store bought cages are UNBELIEVABLY expensive for how small and poorly made they are.)

But, it looks really good on the toy front! You certainly made use of the space that she does have.

One thing I would do though, is to put down a towel or a fleece blanket instead of the wood shavings. She will litter train a lot faster, and it will save you a TON of money since you can just pop it in the wash instead of keep having to buy more bedding.

Nelsons_Mom wrote:

As a baby, I think it should be fine.

Growing, I would try to upgrade to a Xpen or NIC cage. Minimum rabbit caging should be 3X the body length of them laying completely straight out and for them to be able to do a full hop 4 times. Also, they need to be able to completely stand on their hind legs.

To make this easier, the ASPCA has mandated that the minimum cage requirement for a small/medium sized rabbit is 4ftX2ftX2ft.

So, I'd give her another month or two in there before upgrading. Or, an easy way to do it is to buy an Xpen that you can put around the cage and leave the door open all of the time. That way you get your money's worth. (Store bought cages are UNBELIEVABLY expensive for how small and poorly made they are.)

But, it looks really good on the toy front! You certainly made use of the space that she does have.

Click to expand...

That's true by the ASPCA standard, but I have adults in that type of cage and they have no problems with standing, hopping and stretching out. Plus with the extra time out, I have no problems. Very healthy, happy rabbits.

And I don't know where you buy your crates, but mine have stood up and they are built in the USA, coded and the bottoms are high molded plastic which is very easy to clean. And inexpensive.

41 inches for a rabbit is more than efficient by several inches. I have proof. Got them all right here. Just read my blog.

K

Thanks people. she is very small as she is only 10 weeks old, also she is a mini lop.

My partner and I have her out for at least 4-5 hours week days and at the weekend she is out for a good 8 hours or sometimes more. If we are in the house then we allow her out to run and play.

I will be looking into building my own Nix style cage to give her more space and we MIGHT get her a friend.

maisy&layla wrote:

Thanks people. she is very small as she is only 10 weeks old, also she is a mini lop.

My partner and I have her out for at least 4-5 hours week days and at the weekend she is out for a good 8 hours or sometimes more. If we are in the house then we allow her out to run and play.

I will be looking into building my own Nix style cage to give her more space and we MIGHT get her a friend.

Click to expand...

Just make sure you use wire ties. Plenty of people on here who's rabbits have escaped. Make sure it's secured to the floor. You would be surprised how strong a bunny is.

Also make sure it has a top. Bunnies do climb. Lots of unexpected pregnancies due to that. Know one who's bunny got out and wreaked havoc.

Just a word of advise. From what I've seen and read here.

K

Yes would have a top as she likes to climb and jump and can jump pretty high!

I wanna point out that this is not directed at the OP who wants to learn what other options are out there and bought her cage before anyone else could have guided her in a money-saving direction. THIS IS JUST GENERAL KNOWLEDGE THAT ALL RABBIT OWNERS SHOULD CONSIDER. I am posting it in response to the misinformation that has been floating around recently.

What I said about sizing in previous posts not a matter of my personal opinion. ALL of the leading rabbit care sites agree with me. Unless your rabbits are out for eight hours a day, cages such as that for full grown rabbits are TOO SMALL. Which is why care sites ALL warn prospective rabbit owners to steer away from store-bought cages. Especially, since for the same price, you can make one with wood or NIC cubes twice the size. Even Xpens are twice if not three times the size for the same price.

House Rabbit Society:

"A cage should be at least 4 times the size of your bunny when he's entirely stretched out--more if he is confined for a large amount of the day."

"at least 8 square feet of cage time combined with at least at least 24 square feet of exercise space, for 1-2 rabbits, in which the rabbit(s) can run and play at least 5 hours per day."


The Rabbit House:

"A relaxed rabbit will fully stretch out when resting. The rabbit hutch should be wide enough to allow you rabbit to lie with its legs stretched. This allows for plenty of room to turn around in the hutch too.

A width of 2' (60cm) is recommended for small to medium sized rabbits and 3' (90cm) for large to giant breeds."

"The rabbit hutch should be long enough for the rabbit to take atleast 3-4 hops without bumping its nose on the end."

"A minimum length of 6' (180cm) is recommended for a hutch, though this can be slightly flexible providing the hutch is permanently attached to a run giving access to a large area 24/7."

"The RWA (UK) recommend a minimum hutch size of 6' x 2' x 2' to meet the duty of care requirements under the animal welfare act. With the addition of an exercise run. The RSPCA are currently gathering evidence and will present guidelines in 2012.

The ASPCA (US) recommends rabbits should be housed indoors only in a cage a minimum of 4' x 2' x 2', again with access to a large exercise area."

Indiana House Rabbit Society:

"Because many cages advertised for rabbits don’t really provide enough room for all [their] supplies, think about other ways to house your rabbit."


Anyone who is currently housing their rabbits in such conditions are not bad owners or don't love their rabbits, but should seriously consider altering their housing to better fit the needs of the members of their family.

All of the reasons listed above is why I urge prospective pet owners do plenty of research before owning an animal. I would argue that 95% of the products sold in pet stores marketed for small animals are NOT suitable for small animals. If one does not do their research, it is not surprising that SO MANY rabbits are improperly housed and fed when the mainstreamed products are what they are purchasing.

Again no misinformation from me.  Go to my blog.  I show experience. 

And this is not directed to the OP who did provide good shelter for their rabbits. 

BTW, I have a hutch too.

K

My opinion? I think it's up to the individual pet owner... They know their pet the best and are the best to make that decision! It take more effort with getting out for exercise when the pen is smaller, but it totally can work and be awesome! Zrabbits are all happy healthy and well adjusted, in their store bought crates! As is our Mr. Cookie in his x-pen! Everyone know what is best for their family! Just my 2 cents

Wow! Nelsons mom... We can all see you a re experienced, but let's not attack people... It's really not fair to throw around words like hoarding, when really dont know someone's life or situation! What you get is but a brief glimpse... Everyone can have different ways! It's ok! We can all do things a little differently, and all be right for our own families! Lets be kind we are all here cuz we live bunnies

BunMommaD,

I am sorry that I have offended you. Offense wasn't my intention. I am just so passionate that sometimes I get ahead of myself.

And yes, each person is an individual and has a right to do what they think is best for their animals.

What I have a problem with, is an individual saying that their personal experience counts more than decades of research and the opinions of true experts, people who have owned rabbits for 10-20yrs and have evolved their practices to best fit rabbits. As, obviously, 10-20yrs ago was a VERY different time in pet care. Working alongside experienced vets and having that much experience is even more than I can hope for, which is why I turn to those people for guidance.

Thank you for the apology! I accept I love me a good debate, I just think it's important to be respectful I haven't been a bun owner for very long, and found fairly quickly that the store bought cage just wouldnt work long term for our guy, he likes to roam but we do use his store bought cage frequently when's e travel for up to a few weeks at a time and he's never had a problem with it! He's so bonded with us, that if we are around he is a happy secure boy

Good use of toys and space for what you got in there When I first got my rabbit, Honey, I had a similar cage, and I still have the same one for his base for food, hay, and litterbox. Oh, he was so tiny back then...I do think that you'll notice that as he/she gets older and you see how much space rabbits use to run around, you may want to attach an x-pen of some sort so that he can still come out and hop around a bit. I always thought of rabbits as a cage animal until I got Honey and realized how much space he needed, especially since he got a lot bigger than the pet store told me he would...Personally, I am also a believer in giving rabbits enough space to comfortably hop four times and fully sit up on their hind legs whenever they want, though I will never try to force the idea on anyone. I do offer it as sound, healthy advice, however, and you will find that many people support the idea and it definitely is a growing one. Once again, it's nothing I ever thought about until I saw how much room Honey loves to use and how much he hates when I close the cage door on him.

But for now, the cage looks like it will serve its purpose since your bunny is still a baby. And you have time as he grows up to research cage ideas and decide on expanding or not

To the OP:

Looks like a great set up for a small bun We have larger ones and our 9 week old wouldn't do so well in that amount of space but he is getting pretty big already.

I say go with your gut on this one. If your little one starts to seem like it is out of room then either upgrade to something larger or provide an enclosure for some extended play.

Our first rabbit, I guess you could call a rescue. She came from an individual but they were, quite seriously, ready to kill her because she escaped her container and made a mess on the floor. They got her for their daughter for Easter and the child quickly grew bored with her. She was ignored other than basic necessities. They provided pellets and water ONLY. She had never had hay or greens when we adopted her. She was living in a Rubbermaid storage container with a screen fashioned over the top. She could not even lay down stretched out inside. It was awful. We didn't have a cage or anything at the time but we knew we could do better for her than they were. The first thing we did was put her in a LARGE container of the same sort she was used to and we put that container in a cordoned off hallway without anything over the top. Within a few days she was hopping out in to the hall to explore. She still spent a lot of time in the storage tub though and we soon realized she was using it as a litter box. We slowly transitioned her to a cat litter box and got rid of the container. She lived in that hallway area for a few months until we built her a NIC cage. Long story short, you can tell by your rabbit's actions and reactions whether it needs more space or not.

I'm sure you'll do the right thing, OP, if your little one needs more space later!

I would like to agree with everyone who believes that each rabbits case is different. As long as the rabbit is happy and healthy and has good amount of time to run out in the open (or in my case ninja herself under the bed)I see no reason why a store bought cage would be too small unless it restricted movement to a point where it would cause damage or stress to the animal if they resided in there longer then overnight. While having a bigger cage or NIC unit would be convenient all of the time, not alot of people have the space for it. So make do with what you have, when she grows up she will probably need a bigger place but until then make her a happy bunny and deal with it when the time comes. I wish you both good luck and lots of fun.

All I'm going to say that in college, you have to support your information with valid sources showing that you have done your research, which Nelsons_Mom has definitely done here.  And you're the one making fun of her, trying to belittle the fact that she is saying she believes (as does the ASPCA and many absolutely wonderful, hard-working rabbit rescues) that rabbits need a lot of access to space because they are not small-cage animals.  Whether that space is given by NIC panel setups or an xpen or some other means doesn't matter.  You can't argue that rabbits are one of the most neglected pets out there as there are many irresponsible breeders, sellers, and owners of rabbits.  There NEEDS to be a change to how rabbits are viewed as pets, and I think Nelsons_Mom is doing a good job of trying to get information out there.  Maybe not everyone can give their rabbits 24/7 access to a lot of space, but they need A LOT of time to come out, not just a couple hours and then stuck in a small cage for another 22 or less. 

I looked at your blog and it looks like you have a wonderful run setup outside, and your rabbits look well-taken care of .  But I don't think there's anything wrong with other people promoting more space for rabbits.  She's arguing for better rabbit care, not against it, and I'm rather shocked at how you can ignore the solid information she's given and say she's being immature and unintelligent.  All you've given for your support is your blog (which is a very nice blog, yes), but there's much more information out there that is helpful and SHOULD be researched before making decisions about rabbits.  I think both of you, and most of the contributors on this site, have valid ideas to share and it's sad to see those ideas belittled rather than read with an open mind.

And that's the last I'm having to do with this topic post.  I hope the OP takes the information that has been given and makes an informed decision that is the best for her rabbit and will give it the best life possible