For those of you who used coroplast on the bottom of your rabbit cages

[renaelock]

How tall did you make the sides and did you put any of the plastic framing on the top edge so the rabbit couldn't chew it? How do you like it? I'd like to have a taller border on the bottom of my NIC cage so hopefully most of the hay stays inside but I'm unsure how tall to go...any help or ideas would be great!

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

I know most people do about 2 to 3 inches high.

I have never used it myself I tend to just clean up.

I have never thought about the plastic on the top that could be a great idea.

I know some people put the flooring on the outside of the NIC cage so the cage sits inside it hope this helps.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

The chloroplast for my cages covers 3 holes in the grid.

I also have chloroplast behind the hay rack. I use S hooks to hang the rack on. The chloroplast is on the inside of the cage so hay can't get caught between the grid and the chloroplast. The S hooks and through holes and hooked onto the grid bars for stability. This seems to keep most of the hay in the cage and not behind it.

I use poster hangers over the edge of the chloroplast to prevent chewing. Penelope will chew the side right down, but can't with the hangers on. When you put them on, you have to slide them, so it is best to do it when you first build it. They come in 2ft lengths and usually 2 in a pack. You will probably need 3-4 packs depending on your cage size.

 

[aurora369]

I normally have sides of about 6 inches. I would cut a rectangle with an extra 12 inches in length and width, and then cut the corners out so the sides would fold up. I would then use tape to make the box hold it's shape and seal the corners.

I haven't tried putting something around the edges to prevent chewing. It would probably be a good idea as some bunnies do chew and it doesn't take them very long to destroy the coroplast.

I have since made wooden bottoms covered with lino and the edges protected with metal stripping.

-Dawn

 

[bengal77]

5" is plenty for me. Luckily Lily doesn't really chew on it. I have heard of people using the plastic poster frame on the ends to keep the rabbit from chewing it. But if it's not a problem then I wouldn't worry about it. You can always add it later is your bun decides that coroplast makes a great toy.

 

[BethM]

My pens are so large that I was only able to have a very small (1-1/2") lip for my coroplast. This is tall enough to contain stray poops from rolling out.
I did put the lip around the outside of the pen, so it is difficult for the bunnies to chew on it when they are inside the pen. They seem to leave it alone during run time, but if they were to start chewing, I would try to find the poster frame to use.

 

[renaelock]

Thank you for the replies! I plan on working on my NIC cage this weekend. I talked to a coroplast guy so I am able to order from him when I am ready - after looking closely at the cage directions I will need to make some changes to the level/platform heights because I think they may be too short for my guy. The final heights of those will determine how big I should go with the coroplast. I started at 6" but it might go shorter...hmm. Also, I am looking into 1/8" plexi glass for a border instead of a coroplast bottom with sides. I plan on putting linoleum (sp?)on the base of the cage so I really only have the sides to worry about - I want to keep the poops and hay in as well as possible. So I can honestly say I don't know if I will be going with the coroplast or the plexi glass. but I do really appreicate reading all of your comments, they are all helping me decide height for either method. Who knew building a cage would carry so many "major" decisions...

 

[Pipp]

Make sure you use Coroplast and not Corofoam, btw. The latter does not wash up well at all! (I found that out the hard way).

(Also just discovered Coroplast is locally owned).


sas :bunnydance:

 

[aurora369]

Yeah, lots to think about when building bunny cages.

What I ended up building was a wooden base with 6" sides and then glued lino to the inside and used metal corning stripping along the edge to prevent chewing. I love this design, and it clean so easy and the buns have not been able to destroy it at all.

Sorry about the green colour in this picture, my camera was dieing, but it does give you a good idea of what I did:


And another one:


One one with bunnies in it:


If you do use lino, make sure there are no seams along the bottom. They can and will start pulling it up from the seams. I only have seams in the corners where the sides meet the bottom, and I use a small bead of silicon to seal them. I have not had any issues with it so far.

-Dawn

 

[renaelock]

The pictures are great! I think I am going to do the same thing you did up the sides but use 1/8" thick plexi glass. I have most of the cage put together and just need to put the levels in, the door and top on - which will probably happen tomorrow as my back is killing me!

 

[Laceycamille212]

Where do you get the

The chloroplast for my cages covers 3 holes in the grid.

I also have chloroplast behind the hay rack. I use S hooks to hang the rack on. The chloroplast is on the inside of the cage so hay can't get caught between the grid and the chloroplast. The S hooks and through holes and hooked onto the grid bars for stability. This seems to keep most of the hay in the cage and not behind it.

I use poster hangers over the edge of the chloroplast to prevent chewing. Penelope will chew the side right down, but can't with the hangers on. When you put them on, you have to slide them, so it is best to do it when you first build it. They come in 2ft lengths and usually 2 in a pack. You will probably need 3-4 packs depending on your cage size.

Where do you get the poster hangers? Thanks!

 

[Blue eyes]

Where do you get the poster hangers? Thanks!

This thread is 10 years old. The cheap poster frames from wal-mart are made of 4 pieces that slide onto the edge of the cardboard poster. It is similar to the binding used for report covers. That is what can slide over the top edges of coroplast.

However, please know that coroplast, while great for guinea pig cages, is not really ideal for rabbits. Not unless it is covered with something so that it isn't so slippery. Anything like fleece must be secured very tightly to prevent slipping. That can make it a real pain for changing it out when cleaning.

You can see better options for cage floorings in the Housing section:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/2020-indoor-cages-add-your-photo.96731/