Help with Rabbit Cage Size and Type

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AFthfulJrney

AFthfulJrney

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Hi!

I am new to this forum as well as new to owning a rabbit. My husband and I are buying a Holland Lop Kit for my daughter for her birthday this month. The bunny will be ready for us on March 27th, so I have been spending these past few days researching and obtaining the things I need for my bunny!

I am stuck on cage size and type. There are so many options available and it is a bit overwhleming. I want to purchase one cage that will be a good fit for my bunny as it gets older. The breederI am purchasing from recommended a plastic bottom cage over a wire one. She also told me to use Yesterdays News or Pine Chips in the bottom of the cage to help with smell. She advised me to litter train, but I was wondering what I use for the litter...is their rabbit litter or do I use regular cat litter?

What size is a good size for a Holland Lop? I have been looking at the following cages and am not sure which would be best:

Rabbit Cage and Stand http://www.rabbitcagesource.com/rabbit-cages/indoor-rabbit-cages/rabbitcageandstand.cfm

Home Sweet Home 28 In. http://www.radiofence.com/products/Home-Sweet-Home-28-Inch-Small-Animal-Cage.html

A&E Small Cage http://www.petsbycsn.com/asp/show_detail.asp?sku=AEC1084

A$E Medium Cage http://www.petsbycsn.com/AandE-Cage-Co.-AE29671-AEC1083.html?cv=

I would prefer something on a stand, but don't want to spend more than $80 for the cage itself. Are the heights of any of these cages an ok height?

Also, if I may ask just one more question :), if the cage is going to be kept in an upstairs bedroom, but on the days we are home the bunny is free to roam in the living room, do I also train her to use to litter box in the living room? How do I keep her from messing on my rug when out of her cage?

Thanks in advance for your time and patience with me! :) Any other advice or tips would be greatly appreciated! We are very excited about our new friend that is going to be joining our family and I want to provide the best care as possible! :)
 
Honestly, I would get something *not* on a stand. Most bunnies aren't fans of being picked up and having a cage that the bun can hop in and out of on his own can be key to bonding. Plus it's such a pain to try and catch a bunny that doesn't want to be caught, compared to having a bunny who goes right home when necessary.

For size, 4'x2' is the minimum, but I would honestly go bigger if you have the space (all of the ones you posted seem too small). I started with a 4'x2' cage, then attached an xpen for my holland.

Have you looked into making a cage yourselves with shelving grids (called NIC or C&C cages around here). You can customize to whatever size you want, add levels, etc, and it's cheaper than a store bought cage.

If you do decide on a pet store cage, then a plastic bottom one is the way to go - it's easier on their feet, easy to clean, and will help litter train (on a wire floor, bunnies learn they can go to the bathroom anywhere, while on a plastic floor they quickly learn that if they pee it doesn't absorb and they have to sit in it, which bunnies don't like to do). Super Pet makes a 4x2 cage if you're set on a cage: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753350. This is the cage I have for my bunnies, though they have an xpen attached for more room.

Xpens also make great cages and are typically 4'x4' - you can buy any puppy exercise pen, 3' high is recommended. They're easy to set up and take down and have plenty of room. I like mine because I can travel with it and it folds flat.

For bedding: bunnies don't need bedding on the bottom of the cage, as this just confuses them about where they should pee. You can put a blanket there for traction if the bun doesn't pee on it, but I would start out with a bare cage floor and see how the litter training goes. I wouldn't recommend corner litter boxes as they're small and many bunnies accidentally pee over the edge. For a holland, one of the square ones, about 14"x14", work well, or just any rectangular cat litter box. For the litter box I recommend Yesterday's News or wood stove pellets (WSPs are really cheap, only $4-6 per 40lb bag, and work really well). Make sure to put hay in the litter box because bunnies like to eat and do their business at the same time.

When the bun is in the living room you can certainly provide another litter box. I would keep her in the cage for a bit to make sure she gets the idea of the litter box, and then try her in the living room. Also, I absolutely recommend you get her spayed - female rabbits have a very high rate of reproductive cancer over 3 years of age, and unfixed rabbits just aren't much fun to live with (they can be territorial, aggressive, smelly, and not use a litter box well).

Good luck with your new bunny! I adore holland lops and I can't wait to see pictures.
 
I have the first one - but in the jumbo size and I love it!!! I have no problem picking up my rabbit when she's in it and putting her back and I want to get about half a dozen more in the next few months for my holland lops.

I would litter train the rabbit in his/her cage with a litterbox before taking it out for playtimes and have a second litter box where the rabbit can go during playtimes.

I don't like your other cages - I have the second one for my hollands and I feel it is too small as they are a more energetic breed.
 
Hi, I agree with Laura about making a cage out of the NIC panels. I've made 3 for my 4 bunnies. You can make them nice and big too which is good for me as I'm gone for at least 8 hours a day. The cages are big enough that they have lots of room to move around.

If you decide on the first cage (Daisy Mae had one like that for many years) I had a ramp that she could go up and down when she wanted to. I'll find a picture of it this evening to show you.

Good luck in picking your cage.

Susan:)
 
elrohwen wrote:
Honestly, I would get something *not* on a stand. Most bunnies aren't fans of being picked up and having a cage that the bun can hop in and out of on his own can be key to bonding. Plus it's such a pain to try and catch a bunny that doesn't want to be caught, compared to having a bunny who goes right home when necessary.

For size, 4'x2' is the minimum, but I would honestly go bigger if you have the space (all of the ones you posted seem too small). I started with a 4'x2' cage, then attached an xpen for my holland.

Have you looked into making a cage yourselves with shelving grids (called NIC or C&C cages around here). You can customize to whatever size you want, add levels, etc, and it's cheaper than a store bought cage.

If you do decide on a pet store cage, then a plastic bottom one is the way to go - it's easier on their feet, easy to clean, and will help litter train (on a wire floor, bunnies learn they can go to the bathroom anywhere, while on a plastic floor they quickly learn that if they pee it doesn't absorb and they have to sit in it, which bunnies don't like to do). Super Pet makes a 4x2 cage if you're set on a cage: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753350. This is the cage I have for my bunnies, though they have an xpen attached for more room.

Xpens also make great cages and are typically 4'x4' - you can buy any puppy exercise pen, 3' high is recommended. They're easy to set up and take down and have plenty of room. I like mine because I can travel with it and it folds flat.

For bedding: bunnies don't need bedding on the bottom of the cage, as this just confuses them about where they should pee. You can put a blanket there for traction if the bun doesn't pee on it, but I would start out with a bare cage floor and see how the litter training goes. I wouldn't recommend corner litter boxes as they're small and many bunnies accidentally pee over the edge. For a holland, one of the square ones, about 14"x14", work well, or just any rectangular cat litter box. For the litter box I recommend Yesterday's News or wood stove pellets (WSPs are really cheap, only $4-6 per 40lb bag, and work really well). Make sure to put hay in the litter box because bunnies like to eat and do their business at the same time.

When the bun is in the living room you can certainly provide another litter box. I would keep her in the cage for a bit to make sure she gets the idea of the litter box, and then try her in the living room. Also, I absolutely recommend you get her spayed - female rabbits have a very high rate of reproductive cancer over 3 years of age, and unfixed rabbits just aren't much fun to live with (they can be territorial, aggressive, smelly, and not use a litter box well).

Good luck with your new bunny! I adore holland lops and I can't wait to see pictures.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the info! :)

We live in a very small house with limited space, so I do need something not too large as we are putting the cage in my daughters bedroom. If I buy the cage you recommended, would that be suffice for the bunny without having to buy an Xpen? I honestly do not have the room for an Xpen.

My plan is to mainly keep the bunny in the cage at night and when we are not home. I stay-at-home with my children so would be home most of the day and would let the bunny roam around the living room...supervised of course...throughout the day. She will not be caged up all the time.

I do like the look of that cage you recommended...thank you!
 
TinysMom wrote:
I have the first one - but in the jumbo size and I love it!!! I have no problem picking up my rabbit when she's in it and putting her back and I want to get about half a dozen more in the next few months for my holland lops.

I would litter train the rabbit in his/her cage with a litterbox before taking it out for playtimes and have a second litter box where the rabbit can go during playtimes.

I don't like your other cages - I have the second one for my hollands and I feel it is too small as they are a more energetic breed.
Click to expand...

Is this the only cage for your rabbit that you have? I am limited on space and really only want one cage and not a whole lot of other contraptions for the bunny. I am home most of the time, so have the ability to let the bunny out of her cage throughout the day. She will not be kept in it all the time which makes me feel a little better about not needing something too big. :) I just want her to be comfortable in it when she has to stayin it for a few hours at a time.
 
AFthfulJrney wrote:
TinysMom wrote:
I have the first one - but in the jumbo size and I love it!!! I have no problem picking up my rabbit when she's in it and putting her back and I want to get about half a dozen more in the next few months for my holland lops.

I would litter train the rabbit in his/her cage with a litterbox before taking it out for playtimes and have a second litter box where the rabbit can go during playtimes.

I don't like your other cages - I have the second one for my hollands and I feel it is too small as they are a more energetic breed.
Click to expand...

Is this the only cage for your rabbit that you have? I am limited on space and really only want one cage and not a whole lot of other contraptions for the bunny. I am home most of the time, so have the ability to let the bunny out of her cage throughout the day. She will not be kept in it all the time which makes me feel a little better about not needing something too big. :) I just want her to be comfortable in it when she has to stayin it for a few hours at a time.
Click to expand...
As a breeder - I have a LOT of rabbits.....and I have experienced many types of cages. I use a lot of dog cages for my rabbits and litter box train them.

However, I paid a lot for our cage for Angel because she was a 5 year old doe that was retiring from breeding and someone was sorta dumping her....and I wanted her to have a good life. She's a Polish rabbit and to me - she's not nearly as active as a holland lop - in fact - I've considered moving a holland lop to her cage instead but she just likes it so much.

Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what her cage is like...

Her cage (I paid about $150 for it)

[align=center]
24911.jpg


[align=left]Yesterday she got in trouble for chasing the dogs and nipping at them during her playtime (mind you - she's scared of other rabbits). So Art put her in her cage and left the door open so she could get out if she wanted. He didn't plan on this happening....

[align=center]
IMG_0158.jpg


IMG_0168.jpg


That is a flemish giant napping in her cage!!!

[align=left]Honestly - I love having a cage on a stand and I may get her a stepstool for about $5 at Family Dollar (like I did for Zeus to be able to get on the bed). But she's really good about us reaching in to get her.

If it were me - I'd go with the BIGGEST cage I could afford for a Holland Lop. I just find they are more active and energetic than other rabbits.


[/align][/align][/align][/align]
 
I built my rabbit condo out of NIC cubes and love it! It is 3 stories there are shelves and plenty of room for her to play when I am not home and she has to be in her cage. On top of all of that, it was really inexpensive to make. Most "how to" sites will tell you to use wood or sign board for the shelves and floor. I used the cubes for the shelves and covered them in cardboard that I attached with wire ties. I also use cardboard for the floor and just replace it once in a while. She is litter trained so there is never any urine on it. The cubes are also great for making a small "pen" type set up that is attached to the cage. This was a great thing to have when our bunny was new and she was acclimating to her new home. We let her run most of the time now so we took the cubes that we were using as the pen and used them to keep her away from our entertainment center and to block her from going upstairs.
 
I just found this cage on my local craigslist:

rabbitcage.jpg


It is 2 ft x 3 1/2 ft X 3ft for $75!

Is this a good size/price? Should I go for it?

Thanks everyone so much for all your help/advice! I truly appreciate it!
 
I'd get it - yes. It looks like mine - only without the shelf and you could make a shelf.
 
I would not use any of those cages are they are really too small. Rabbits need space to move around in the cage when it has the stuff in it and there would be no room in those cages.
I would get a cage that is at least 2X3ft, but bigger is better. Most of the cages you posted are not even 2X2ft.
Look into the NIC cages. You can adjust the size to what fits in your space and you can build up as well. I have a cage that is 28X42", but it has 2 28X28" levels and it enough space for my bonded pair that are 3.5 and 4.5 pounds. For a Holland Lop, you can make a 2X3 grid cage and put a level in it to add more room. You can also make the top so that it can be like a desk or place to put things (not really heavy thing though). It is much cheaper than a pet store cage for the price, but does take some work to build.
EDIT: The cage from Craigslist looks suitable. I would take out the wire bottom part and just have the rabbit in the bottom. I would also build a ramp or something so the rabbit can come out of the cage on it's own.

For litter training, you need a suitable sized litter box. The small corner ones are really too small for most adult rabbits. I would get a rectangular bat box, a small or medium would work. The best litters are wood or paper pellets. Avoid clay or clumping litters and wood shavings. Don't put litter in the whole cage as it can confuse them about where they are supposed to pee and poop. Use a blanket (fleece) or towel in the rest of the cage but keep it clean.
 
cindyrads wrote:
Out of the two I would get the one for $75. But I would recommend making one out of grids, it's cheaper and you can be pretty creative making it.
Click to expand...

Ok...talked to the hubby and he wants to try and make one ourselves. Where do I buy the grids at...Home Depot? Lowes?

Thank You! :)
 
You should be able to get the grids at Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Bed Bath and Beyond and other similar stores. Check around for the best price, coupons and sales.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5005200

I would try to plan the cage before you go buy the grids. Look at some and figure out how many girds you would need, then figure out how many packs of girds you need. It can be good to get extra so you can use them to bunny proof, but you don't need to buy more boxes than needed.
 
Making one of NIC panels is ultimate...we found ours at Target.
If you go with a store bought one, I would recommend one not on a stand. I first wanted one on a stand, but happy I didn't get one. We do stack our cages for our foster buns, but we can put them at floor level for them to go in and out and that helps them as a lot of them aren't fans on being picked up. Also if I were to buy a store bought...I would say get a large size. We have a 7 mos old mini rex in a 40 long by 20 wide and he has lots of room.. They say that a cage should be about 6 times as long as a bunny.

Have fun if you do end up making one. Our NIC cage is a 3 story bunny condo!
 
I got my grids at Meijer for 17.99 a box. I used two boxes for the cage and for a barrier to keep Brady away from my entertainment center and all of its cords... Be careful buying them. There are large grids and small grids. The ones sold at Target is like a multi pack of both small and large. Just make sure that if you get the large ones your bunny can not jump through them (mine is still a baby so she can) or get its head stuck.
 
AFthfulJrney wrote:
cindyrads wrote:
Out of the two I would get the one for $75. But I would recommend making one out of grids, it's cheaper and you can be pretty creative making it.
Click to expand...

Ok...talked to the hubby and he wants to try and make one ourselves. Where do I buy the grids at...Home Depot? Lowes?

Thank You! :)
Click to expand...
Good luck! I've gone the NIC route before.....but it didn't work well for us - yet I know others who like it.


 
One trick with NIC grids is that they started making some of the grids larger (I guess to cut costs) and now the holes are too big. Some packages come with the small grids and large, so if you want you can use the large ones as the roof, or the base for a shelf (since you'd cover it with something else anyway), or against a wall in your house. They can't be used normally because small rabbits can get heads stuck.

I've found Bed Bath and Beyond sells the packages with only the smaller grids, for about $14. Hopefully someone else can tell you another place that sells only these, or you can just get creative with the placement of the larger grids.
 
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