Cages/hutches (help!)

[Mybunnybella]

Hi!
Bella is my beautifuy young doe, spayed, litter trained, and ready for another minilop rescue boy to join her, as soon as i set up the living arrangements! The verandah she is living on is enclosed, and theres not much stopping me from putting a HUGE NIC cage in it and giving her free rein, but the stupid air conditioner. The aircon is right above her cage and im sure she would literally die if i had her in her cage with it on for more than five minutes! This annoys mum as we are in AUS and it gets REALLY hot. She has tried to banish poor bella outside for the summer, but I wont let her. I would bring them inside in a NIC cage to live, but the stench that radiates from her urine compells mum to yell at me when i even think about it, how can i stop her smelling, manage the aircon issue, and try to convince mum to let her inside?! If i put an NIC cage inside, with her and her *soon to be* buddy, will it smell twice as bad? If i put one on the verandah, how do i bring them inside when the aircon threatens to melt them?!
I really need help here...:expressionless

 

[Mybunnybella]

Also, im in Australia, as i mentioned before, if i wanted a NIC cage, where do i go to get one, online i mean. (pet shops are always so expensive)

 

[Imbrium]

the cages are way overpriced online and shipping is BRUTAL - much better to make your own! not sure what stores you have over there... here, sears has the best price on them. walmart, k-mart and target also sometimes sell them (you may have to order online and do site-to-store, as they're often not carried in stores) but be careful with target ones if you have target 'cause here, they often have some grids with a big hole in the middle instead of four small holes, which is no good. as far as aussie-specific stores, the only one I can remember off-hand that sells them is Bunnings.

if you don't know how to build a NIC cage, here are good how-to sites:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm
http://breyfamily.net/bunnycage.html

what sort of litter do you use in the litter box? that can have a big effect on whether or not there's any noticeable urine smell. my rabbits take up my whole living room and the only smell I ever notice is from the bay of coastal hay if I'm near it.

 

[Mybunnybella]

Well he used to kick out the recyclable eco litter i put in, and pulled hay in, so i left it like that. Ill try the actual litter again and see if shes kicked her bad habit! It seems stupid, but i hadnt even thought of that! XD thankyou for the links, If mum notices the change in odor i MAY be able to get bell inside...

 

[Imbrium]

ooh, yeah, hay is CRAP for odor absorption!

if kicking the litter out is an issue, you could build a grid - that way the litter stays in the box and the waste falls through the grid. 1/3 of the way down the first page in this thread are instructions: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f69/stormhaven-litter-system-step-step-instructions-48510/
(the stuff you use is lighting diffuser aka eggcrate, you should be able to buy it at any hardware store. if you can't find it, you could use hardware cloth (though that's a little more irksome to work with). failing that, I know one of our members had success with using a cookie-cooling rack when she couldn't find the right materials).

if the eco litter doesn't seem to do a great job either, you can try wood pellets if you have a feed store in the area - they're dirt cheap and work well (if you don't already buy hay by the bale, I recommend picking up a bale while you're there if you've got a place to store it - SO much cheaper than pet store hay and seems a bit fresher, too. in USD, it's like $3 per lb for pet store hay and $1 for 7-8 lbs buying by the bale.)

 

[Mybunnybella]

The only hay i can get my hands on over here is lucerne, $5 AUD by the ale, (which goes mouldy really quick) or really expensive "timothy hay" that is $28 for 1/4 of a bale... meh, shes gone a bit off her hay, now i have to actually mix the timothy with a smidgen of the lucerne to get her to munch it.. Maybe i should lay off the pellet for a while?

 

[Imbrium]

how old is she? they're not supposed to eat alfalfa hay (aka lucerne) after about 7 mos of age because of the higher protein, calories and calcium compared to grass hay... a tiny bit now and then is probably fine as long as you're pretty stingy about it, though.

do you not have any feed stores or horse stables anywhere around? gas prices suck and my car gets crappy gas mileage but it's still way cheaper to go buy a bale even if I have to drive a LONG way to fetch it. of course, it turns out the darn bunnies don't like the stuff that comes by the bale - the ONLY non-alfalfa hay they'll eat is oat (I've tried like six different kinds). I had to special order a 9 lb thing of oat hay through the feed store for $27 and now I'm stuck with a whole bale of coastal >.>

how are you storing the lucerne? you should be able to keep hay fresh/usable for a year or so if stored well, assuming it was stored properly before it got to you.

 

[Mybunnybella]

Shes around... oh god, ummmm... 12-13 months? Theres this place that mostly caters for farmers and cows and things like that, and even thats a while away... I use the Timothy sparingly a d only refill the hay holding thingo XD when she is completely out to avoid wasting the timothy when i clean her cage. As long as its good for her, i dont mind the price! Most lucerne is stored in dirty old sheds, but i now by tidbits as treats and a bribe to eat the timothy She got cut off from lucerne initially at about 5 months. The lucerne i buy now in small amounts is vacuum sealed Oh, and that 3 story cond link... would tha be big enough for two buns? if not, how much wider/taller?

 

[Imbrium]

she needs unlimited hay, so make sure she's getting enough... many bunns eat more when it's refreshed often, which is one of the reasons buying a bale is so great. a bunny should be eating at least a volume of hay (not tightly compressed but not very loose either) equal to or larger than their own body each day.

the 3-story condo in the link I gave... ehh... depends on the size of the rabbits, how much time they spend in there and whether some of the time they spend in there occurs during their really active hours (late evening/early morning for most bunnies). at the very least, I'd definitely make both shelves 2x2 (in grid-widths) for two bunnies. I think a 2Wx4Lx2-3H condo would be better for two bunnies if they get locked up at night and/or during part of the day since it's longer and therefore has some running around room. I went with 2Wx3Lx5H for two (small breed) bunnies, but they have an attached run made from playpens that takes up my whole living room, so they're never actually stuck in just the condo.

here's my condo:

 

[Mybunnybella]

WOW... Just asked mum if she could live inside. Tried to be mature! Im only 13!!! hehe, did that shock you? Heres some pics of bella and me that i took literally just then.

 

[Mybunnybella]

im sunburnt and shes... errr "Plump?" we make a good team

 

[Imbrium]

WOW... Just asked mum if she could live inside. Tried to be mature! Im only 13!!! hehe, did that shock you? Heres some pics of bella and me that i took literally just then.

aww, she's a cutie... I gathered you were fairly young from contextual clues, but you definitely act older than you are

what kind of lop is she? just curious, as I've got a holland and she's always on the chubby side no matter how strict I am with her diet. would love to do a pellet-free diet with her, but her bonded mate is SUPER picky about veggies to the point that I just wouldn't be comfortable with not giving Nala pellets... and of course if I give them to Nala, Gaz will inevitably scarf down at least half of them, lol.

 

[Mybunnybella]

Minilop. Mum has agreed to let her inside for a trial, were going to bunnings tomorrow to get the squares. any idea as to cost? Bella has a Big run, almost half of our yard, (we have a dog, he doesnt mean to but he thinks she is a puppy... and gets a bit rough) and i feed her with hay, (mostly) her pellets look unappetising, but she eats them, ive read that all the colours and fruits and things might not be the best for her sugar levels? Oh, and im unsure about what green leafy veg is okay for her to eat... a friends guinea pig got diarrhoea when fed lettuce, do rabbits do this too? And some sites say beans are a no-no, but she seem to love them! That and the odd small epice of banana.

 

[1357bunnylover]

Yeah try to get her pellets rather than a muesli type if food because they don't have enough fibre in them and are full if sugar. It's better to give bunnies herbs than veg, and my bunnies LOVE herbs more! Like parsley, coriander, dill, basil, mint, ect about the lettuce.. Iceberg lettuce is a big no no, it causes diahria because it has no nutritional value and is just full of water so don't give your bunny that but dark leaf lettuces like romaine are ok to give and my bunnies love carrot tops, kale and collard greens, rocket and watercress (I think it's called but keep the kale to a minimum because it can cause gas. I don't know about peas! good luck with your bunny!

 

[Imbrium]

yeah, you want pellets with nothing in them but pellets. oxbow is one of the best foods out there and it's available in australia - http://oxbowaustralia.com/retail-locations/ ... if it's a bit too pricey for you, just look for something with nothing but plain pellets that has low protein (around 12-15%) and high fiber (really good stuff has min fiber of 20% or higher, max fiber in the mid-20s-30%).