koolaidsmiiles
koolaidsmiiles
I live in a 2bd apartment with not much space. What is the min cage requirement size for a Holland lop? Also how much out side time does he need?
A single rabbit or pair of rabbits needs *either* 24/7 access to 60+ square feet of space (a "run" area attached to their cage with playpens, for example) OR at least 4-5h outside the cage each day. Bigger is always better with cages unless they're free-range all the time (like a house cat), though the more time they spend out, the more you can scrimp on cage space.
An important thing to consider is that rabbits are most active around dusk and dawn - they don't sleep all night like most people do. Mine are usually awake and often bouncing off the walls at 3 am, to the point that they seem almost as nocturnal as my sugar gliders sometimes. In other words, if you cage your rabbit at night, you don't want him to be bored and destructive in a small cage.
While there's not a "minimum cage size" per se, ALL store-bought rabbit cages are way too small. Most people who want a cage build one themselves with storage cube grids (aka a "NIC condo" or "C&C cage"); some opt to convert a large dog crate or just fence off an area with pens.
I also live in a 2bd apartment... we've sacrificed a large portion of the living room to fence off a run for my rabbits, but that's not practical for most people. We tried free-ranging them, but they bullied the heck out of the cats, peed on ALL of the cats things, ate the cat food, camped out in the cat box (I use pine pellets in it just to be safe, since almost all cat litters are unsafe for bunns), etc. Our poor cats hid out in the master bedroom most of the time, helpless in the face of an evil little lionhead and her Holland lop side-kick. Since space is a concern for you, I'd recommend a NIC condo that focuses on height to get extra space. If you bunny-proof and litter box train, you can let him out for a few hours a day to avoid having to fence off a 60+ square foot area.
Here's the first NIC condo I built - it's 2 grids wide x 3 long x 5 high, so it only has a "footprint" of 28'' x 42'':
(I didn't have direct access between the first and second floors in that condo because they were never locked in it - obviously you'd need to leave a grid out so your bunny could jump up if the cage were going to be closed)
You can build a cage like that for around $110-$130. With grids on the bottom floor for added stability, which I did with that condo, it would require four boxes of 23 grids; however, I built a 2 wide x 4 long x 5 high condo at my boyfriend's apartment (I'm living at his apartment for a year while he finishes school and then we'll move back to my house 3h away) and I did NOT line the bottom floor with grids yet it's still plenty sturdy. Not using those six extra grids would let you eke by on three boxes of grids for a 2x3x5, saving you around $22.
cage info:
http://breyfamily.net/bunnycage.html
http://www.guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm (shows how to do coroplast floors if you'd rather use that than plywood)
best deal on grids for the cages: http://www.sears.com/stor-floor-sta...p-00913332000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1 (do site-to-store for free shipping if they aren't stocked at your local sears)
I prefer coroplast (corrugated cardboard) for my floors, as it's cheaper than plywood and can be cut with a $1 pair of box cutters. Most Home Depots sell a 3'x6' sheet for around $14, which is the cheapest I've seen.
Also, dowels can really help add some stability to a big cage (they stop the floors from sagging) - Home Depot charges $3-4 each for dowels, which is a rip-off. You can find 3' long dowels in a large enough diameter for cage support at Hobby Lobby for under $1 each.
Home Depot (or Lowe's, etc.) is also not the place to buy zip-ties. HD is like $5 for 100 of the 4'' ties and $18 or so for 1,000. If you're lucky, you can find some in a dollar store (Dollar Tree, for example) that are $1 for 100. Failing that, you can find way better deals online than at hardware stores - for example, I sell 500 for $3.80-4.05 (natural is cheaper than black for some reason) on my website; shipping for just the zip-ties wouldn't be more than about $2.
If you dig around with the search option on the forums, you can find lots of pictures of different condo and DIY cage designs - everyone does theirs a little bit different . Here's a good thread; I think there might be a new/2013 version of the thread as well.
Oh I should've mentioned that rabbit cages from pet stores are always too small and I bought a pen online, I'll try find it...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I56WU0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
I live in a 2bd apartment with not much space. What is the min cage requirement size for a Holland lop? Also how much out side time does he need?
My Holland Lops live in 24"x24" cages, which is large enough for an average 3-4 lb. Holland. Especially if you're factoring in out-of-cage playtime. With a non-dwarf Holland, I would recommend 30"x24".
There is a major difference between breeder standards and pet/rescue/welfare standards.
Sometimes it's difficult to read responses online and get the right emphasis or feeling, but this comment came across to me as though your feeling is that breeders justify lesser or inadequate conditions for their rabbits.
If that is not what you intended, I apologize for the miscommunication.
I do raise rabbits, but can assure you that everything I do with and for them are with their best interest in mind. I am physically and emotionally invested in their well-being and have as much concern for and attention to the welfare of my animals as those who own pets or help in rescue. The housing/diet/etc I practice is not based on the number of rabbits I own or their "purpose." It's simply what I have experience with and feel is best for them.
I respect and appreciate the opportunity for all of us to share our different ideas and opinions. There are many on this post that vary from my own, and that's okay. However, I'd ask that we don't turn it into a separation between the breeding and pet communities. We all have the same investment in providing the best for our rabbits.
Imbrium, I tend to agree with what you're saying. Probably what got me was the use of the word welfare in relation to pets/rescue, but not related to breeders. Let's just say that if I wasn't concerned about the welfare of rabbits (mine or others), I'd spend a lot less time browsing around a bunny forum.
According to the Animal Welfare Act, 1.5 sq. ft. is adequate for a rabbit under 5 lbs. (Holland Lops). It sounds like everyone here is in agreement that extra space is ideal, and I am sure that our bunnies don't mind.
The more space the better is what everyone's saying ... so 24 x 24 is for a baby? Do you agree that 24 x 24 is right? All I'm concerned about is making sure I have at least the minimum. .I can't do these huge cages alot of ppl have on here but I do want to make sure that my lop is at least comfortable in his cage & I can just let him out as often as possible.
Enter your email address to join: