Cage and running space size

[buggzter]

Ok, each type of animal needs a certain amount of space to be happy.

Examples. My CAG needs a smaller cage than general as her wings are clipped, but still bigger than a TAG would need since her wings still need the space. My gliders need enough room to jump around as needed. The ratties need room to run in their cage. And bunnies? Yep, need it too.

This isn't against any other cages I've seen, really. just maybe the play pens I have a question on. The cube cages work great, had one for guinea pigs previously a few years back before having to rehome due to horrible allergies... but how much space would a rabbit need for proper exercise? I'd THINK that they need room to be able to fully run. I let my critters all have "out" time to RUN (or glide as per species), and they seem to need it. But how much room is *needed* to "run" for rabbits? Not just the cage, but also the play area if enclosed?

I looked at the play pens and runs on here, and some just seemsosmall for such active animals. I can't talk much since I used to have WAY WAY WAY too many rats and other animals previously (and I am for SURE at my limit now) and they didn't have the full activity room they needed - enough for the "minimum", but the needed more to really be as happy as I could let them. Which makes me wonder about what IS needed for the rabbits, too, so they can be happy.

All four bunnies get full run of most of my home - not the bedrooms nor the laundry area since it's hard to extract them and the rats have one bedroom as their play area, but bunnies get to run and chase a LOT here - full speed to full stop right before the sliding glass doors many times a day, around the table, up and down the hallway, under cages and over empty shelves, and crazy slips in the kitchen, too! But, if we move, I need to make sure that the place is safe and proofed, and may need to make a "bunny run".

THANK YOU, sorry for rambling. It's getting late and I usually ramble anyways. I guess I'm changing and growing from where I used to be, when the animals didn't get out as much as they could have if I limited them to truely managable numbers for MY family.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

It does depend on the energy level of the rabbit in question. I have a Giant Angora who doesn't really move fast. She has a fairly large pen and can run in it, but she doesn't run much. Even when she is out of the pen or on the agility course, she rarely runs for more that 6-10ft. I also have a 4.5 pound mixed breed who will run circles around the coffee table and is quite active when he is out. He doesn't need a ton of space, but does seem to like something to run around. He is confined to the living room and does have enough space to run, jump (onto the couch) and explore.

I think that as long as there is space that they can run and jump, it should be fine. Providing toys does help, cat tunnels are quite popular with many rabbits.

 

[elrohwen]

Personally, I think that bunnies need at least one room, with carpet, in order to run around and get up to full speed. They don't need to be in the room full time, as they do sleep a lot, but I think they need access to a large area for at least a few hours a day in order to really stretch their legs. Really, the more space the better. I think of them like cats - you wouldn't put your cat in a little cage all of the time, so same with bunnies. Though, like a dog that you might keep in a crate while you're away at work, I don't think it's necessarily the worst thing in the world to have a bunny in a smaller cage while you're gone, as long as they get hours of time out while you're home - heck, they sleep all day anyway, so it's not like they need a lot of room to run. It's the bunnies that get stuck in those cages all day and all evening that I feel bad for.

My two share an 8'x4' cage/pen area while we're not home or sleeping, then are allowed free roam while we're home (though they stick to the dining room and living room areas). Only our living room and their cage are carpeted though, so the dining room is more of a pass-through room since they can't really run around there (I guess the dining room chairs do make a nice jungle gym at times).

I agree that is also depends on the rabbit. One of my buns is very laid back, and he could be locked in a pen for a few days without really caring. My other rabbit is very high energy and being locked in her huge pen for a day is too much for her. On the rare occasion she doesn't get time out in the evening, she makes a mess of things and spends the day after running around like a nutcase to get her energy out. She's not the kind of rabbit who could be confined to a 4'x2' cage and let out for 1hr a day and be happy (this was actually her life at her old home, and her owner realized it wasn't working and decided to rehome her).

 

[buggzter]

Thanks everyone. It's making sense to me more now. Moppsy is quite laid back, though he does run awhile each day with the girls - chasing each other. But it's only a few minutes. The girls though? They couldn't live without being able to chase each other round and round and round the house for at least an hour plus other destructive things (eating boxes to bits, chewing books that I've given them, trying to break into my room to eat the pictures under my bed....).

I suppose I was thinking most bunnies are as hyper as my females are - always on the move. Their cage is not big for sure, but they are out daily for quite awhile.

 

[tamsin]

A cage/hutch is basically the replacement for a warren - it's the space your bun should feel safe and will retreat to for sleeping etc. On top of that a rabbit should always have a larger exercise space. The size of each depends on how much time a rabbit spends in it and their access between them. For example you could provide a 6' cage for your rabbit to live in overnight, extend that with a pen whilst you are around in the evenings/morning and then add an hours supervised free range access for a larger space.

Size is not just about the ability to run fast. You need space if your going to provide environmental enrichment. Even in a large cage and with the best will in the world you are going to be limited on the size and variety of toys and activities you can provide.