Cage help!

[carrot]

Hi everyone...

I'm planning on getting a rabbit within the next few months and want toget a really nice cage for a house bunny, that is spacious. I hateseeing bunnies cramped up in small cages. I have searched all over theinternet and have found nothing! Do you recommend a flat bottom or awire bottom? I plan on litter box training my rabbit. Also, I know thisis probably very basic, but what do you put in the cage (newpaper,woodshavings ect.)? How often do you clean the cage and how long doesit take to litter box train a rabbit and how old do they have to be tobe litter box trained. Sorry about all of the questions... As you cantell I'm totally new at this bunny stuff, but I want to know all I canto be a great mommy to my bunny. Let me know any websites that I shouldgo to, or books that I should by on bunny care.

Thank you!

 

[Spring]

Hi! If you look on Yahoo There's ideas on "NICIdeas" Just search in "NIC cage ideas for rabbits" And the first feware fairly good (sorry my internet is slow or I'd post them). They aregreat cages they just need some time and are very cheap. Wire bottem isok as long as you have a piece of wood so the rabbiot can get off theharsh metal but if you can keep it clean, solid bottem is better fortheir feet.

Litter box training can be easy. You jsut (in some cases) put thelitter boxes where they go to the washroom then tehy usually go in itor just put some solid stuff, hay and maybe a trea so theyget the idea. You can use a number of products such as carefresh (Ithink I got the name right?) or yesterdays news but stay away from pineand cedar as I've heard it can cause liver problems. If you want cheapsafe bedding I'd use shredded newspaper. That's what I use. I put aayer of newspaper on the cage floor and a handfull of shreddednewspaper over top and they love it. You just have to clean it everynight.

I would to keep the rabbit healthy clean where it goes to the bathroomatleast once a day and have it in there no longer then two days as thatcan be very unhealthy. Then change the whole cage (what I do) everyweek. I rinse my plastic cage out with a diluted/white vinegar solutionand rinse it in hot water but with my wood cage I just sprinkle bakingsoda on the bottem.

They can be any age, but babies tend to have little accidents becausethey aren't mature enough to realize to keep the bathroom in one spot.

Here's a few links on helpful stuff you should read on a huge number of things.

Just browse through the websites

http://www.carrotcafe.com/

http://www.vrra.org/rabbits101.htm

http://www.rabbit.org/care/index.html

And just an extra about health issues

http://www.mysweetpet.com/rabbitart2.htm



I was a really inexperienced rabbit owner but I jsut spent hours looking up random stuff and learning about it.

 

[jordiwes]

Check out the housing thread under Bunny 101:

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11792&forum_id=17

 

[Bramble Briar86]

If your rabbit is going to be outside i'drecommend wire-bottomed cages w/o the litter box and a thin, flatwooden board to stand on. You can make your own cages or find someonethat's built a hutch that's suitable.

Sinceyour rabbit is going to be inside then i'd use a litterbox w/ a solid-bottomed cage. It's really all up to you, whatever worksbest, you could even loose the litter box and get a wire bottomed cageand put it inside w/ a tray underneath it, this would be very sanitary.I, personally, don't like the solid bottomed cages b/c i have a lot ofrabbits in breeding/show season and it's too time-consuming to getthose solid bottomed cages spotless. I'm always afraid of the bacteriabuild-up.

If you get a wire bottomed cage make sure you have a board he can siton to prevent him from getting sore hocks from the wire being on hisfeet all day.

Ellie :headflick:A Warm Welcome to Rabbits Only!!!

 

[naturestee]

If you're looking for good-sized housing, NICcages are the best! You can also use dog exercise pens (makesure the rabbit isn't a jumper, or buy the super-tall ones and/or coverit) or large dog crates.

Adult rabbits that are spayed or neutered usually littertrainquickly. Babies can be littertrained but often loose itduring puberty.

Since you're new to rabbits, skim through the threads in Bunny101. They're not all finished yet, but it's a really goodresource. The House Rabbit Society also has great info onrabbit care:
http://www.rabbit.org/