how about this cage?

[twitch-6]

some of you may remember this cage in my introduction thread. i was originally planning on using it for my rats but its going to take some modifcation before it would be suitable for them and they already have a cage that isn't too bad anyway. so i got to thinking, maybe using it for dexter instead? he doesn't have all that great a cage and i'm having difficultly finding anything better in my price range (i can't even find the NIC stuff). its approximately 4' tall, maybe 2 1/2-3' wide and couple feet deep (these measures are only a guess-timate by my mother-who currently has possesion of the cage).

here's a pic of it:

so here's my question: is this cage ok? and how do i deck it out for opitum bunny-love?

EDIT: to fix picture

 

[TK Bunnies]

I can't see the picture. rivateeyes

How long are you going to keeep your bunns in the cage?

It sounds a bit to small. The height might be okay, but it sounds sort of short. hope I was some help,

-TK

 

[Haley]

I wonder, can you move the shelves around or take them out? They seem to be sort of smallish and would probably be slippery. Most bunnies like to jump to different levels rather than climb a ladder.

I was wondering if maybe you could take all that out and just build like one or two levels using peg board and cover them with carpet or something?

Or could you turn it on its side and put something on the floor so that it would be nice and wide but not so tall?

Just some ideas

 

[twitch-6]

shoot, i thought i had fixed the picture. i can see it, i wonder how i could fix it...
here, i'll try this, maybe one of them will work... (all following images are the same so if you can't see one but can see another, you're not missing anything)

does that work for anyone?
well i was hoping to just leave the cage door open when i was home so dexter could come and go as he pleased. please keep in mind though th dimensions are just a guessimate. when i can i'll get accurate measures. but if these measures are correct would it then be too short for him to use at all? even with the extra height?

 

[TK Bunnies]

i see it now!!

Like I said in my last post I think it's too small. What you could do is, make that the bed and food area, you could put a bed and the food and water in there and conect it to anouther cage were the litter box and toys are! So it might look something like this,


[align=left]( cage 1 )---run---(Cage 2 )[/align]

[align=left]And if you really wanted to get creative,[/align]

[align=left]( cage 1 )---run---(Cage 2 )[/align]

[align=center]//Run (this conects off of run)[/align]

[align=left] ( Cage 3 )[/align]

[align=left]Just an idea. [/align]

 

[TK Bunnies]

Haley wrote:

Or could you turn it on its side and put something on the floor so that it would be nice and wide but not so tall?
[line]



That's a good idea!

 

[twitch-6]

i can move the levels around and bit and take the ramps completely out and i could probably attach carpets to the levels with some velcro as well to make the footing more secure. or would the velco not be strong enough when a rabbit jumps to keep the carpet in place? as for turning it on its side, i'm not sure but i doubt it. what would i use for a floor then?

the runs would be a great idea but i don't have the space in the apartment for something of that size. but is 3 feet really that small? its 36 inches and i thought that was what was good for rabbits length wise?

 

[TK Bunnies]

You could use a peice of coroplast for a floor. It's easy to work with and you can pin it up so that if you feel like moving it, or taking it down, it's easy.

But 3 feet is to small. I know when Kali's streched out she's about 2 feet long. And Kali's a rex. I think that you'd want at least 4 or 5 feet.

 

[spoh]

twitch-6 wrote:

i can move the levels around and bit and take the ramps completely out and i could probably attach carpets to the levels with some velcro as well to make the footing more secure. or would the velco not be strong enough when a rabbit jumps to keep the carpet in place? as for turning it on its side, i'm not sure but i doubt it. what would i use for a floor then?

the runs would be a great idea but i don't have the space in the apartment for something of that size. but is 3 feet really that small? its 36 inches and i thought that was what was good for rabbits length wise?

I attached pieces of carpet with zip ties, I just poked a small hole in the carpet, put the zip tie through the hole and through the wire of the cage. It keeps it from slipping when bun jumps onto it.

Joy

 

[twitch-6]

does it make a difference that dexter is only a 3lb dwarf? if the cage really is too small then i won't use it of course but i thought i had something here...! *sighs* i guess its back to the drawing board then... so close....

 

[Haley]

I think it could be adjusted to work for a bunny. A lot of cage size has to do with how long the bunny is confined. If the bunny has a lot of run time then you dont need such a large cage.

But I think that would work quite well with some minor alterations to the leveling (and be sure to take out the hammocks of course)

 

[twitch-6]

oh, that's a picture from 2 years ago when i first got it was starting to set it up for rats. i think the rats have actually since eaten those hammocks.

but why no hammocks? i've seen pictures on this site with rabbits using them. are they bad for bunnies or do they just generally not use them?

also, what other things could i put in there? do they make PVC pipe big enough for a bunny? would a bunny chew apart a fabric tunnel?

 

[TK Bunnies]

twitch-6 wrote:

oh, that's a picture from 2 years ago when i first got it was starting to set it up for rats. i think the rats have actually since eaten those hammocks.

but why no hammocks? i've seen pictures on this site with rabbits using them. are they bad for bunnies or do they just generally not use them?

also, what other things could i put in there? do they make PVC pipe big enough for a bunny? would a bunny chew apart a fabric tunnel?

Oh, It'll work, you just need to do a bit of changing!

I don't think that a rabbit would use the hamocks, because they are wobbely, and it might be hard for a bunny to get their balence on them. So I think that you should take them out, plus it's scrap material for a later project!

You could put a couple cardboard boxes in. (It doesn't matter what size) Bunnies LOVE boxes!

I don't know if a bunny would chew apart a tunnle, but I'd guess that they'd probably chew a couple hole in it and then get bored with chewing, but a tunel would be great!! My buns LOVE tunels!!

To give your buns something to chew on you can get them,

and bunny salt block,

apple or willow branches/twigs

Also mabey give your bunny some toys like,

cat ball (like the ones with bells, that sort of thing)

I've heared that old phone books are good to.

hope I was some help,

-TK :bunny5

 

[Haley]

I have also seen some bunnies use hammocks, but it makes me very nervous. Bunnies arent as agile and I can see one really hurting himself trying to get out of one. I guess if I had one I would make sure it was close to the ground in case he fell. I guess Im kind of a worry wort

Bunnies love cardboard boxes/tunnels etc. Anything cardboard is fun and safe for bunnies (and cheap for us humans). I like to take small boxes and cut holes in them for bunnies to hide in.

 

[twitch-6]

i'm glad this is a viable cage! now i just need to get it from my mother....

so to some up the alterations i need to make and to consider:

i need to cover and move shelves so that dexter can jump to them. how many do you think i should leave in there? perhaps just the larger ones (there's a third that wasn't shown in the picture) and move them so that dexter can hop up? or are the smaller ones ok too?

i need to take out the ramps completely.

no hammocks

perhaps a food crock attached to the cage

cardboard boxes, tunnels and cat jingly balls for play. (how small would be too small? a lot of the ones i seem to come across i can wrap my hand completely around it, would that pose a choking hazzard?)

do they like dangling bait balls? and if they do, do they prefer teh homemade ones where you have ti rip into it to get the treats of one of the metal store bought ones where you bang it around a bit to get it drop the treat? i don't know how destructive bunnies like to be.

look into putting the cage on its side and using coroplast as the floor.

is there anything that i have forgotten to mention or any other ideas that you could offer me?

and thank you so much for your fast replies. i thought the replies on the ratforum.com was fast but they have nothing on you. (which is kinda sad for me to be saying as i mod there... *blush*)

 

[TK Bunnies]

twitch-6 wrote:

i need to cover and move shelves so that dexter can jump to them. how many do you think i should leave in there? perhaps just the larger ones (there's a third that wasn't shown in the picture) and move them so that dexter can hop up? or are the smaller ones ok too?

I think that you might want to take out all of them, but I'm not sure.

perhaps a food crock attached to the cage

mabey, a bowl might work better because bunnies have a habbit of spilling stuff.

cardboard boxes, tunnels and cat jingly balls for play. (how small would be too small? a lot of the ones i seem to come across i can wrap my hand completely around it, would that pose a choking hazzard?)

These are what I have, just take out the little thing inside. I can't wrap my hand around this ball.

do they like dangling bait balls? and if they do, do they prefer teh homemade ones where you have ti rip into it to get the treats of one of the metal store bought ones where you bang it around a bit to get it drop the treat? i don't know how destructive bunnies like to be.

I think that they'd like the one that dropes treats. Bunnies are VERY destructive! That's why you'll want to give them things like boxes and twigs to chew on, so they have something to destroy.

-TK :bunnydance:

 

[twitch-6]

a crock is esstenially a heavy bowl and most hook to the cage, if i'm not mistaken in my terminology.

if they like being destructive then the homemade ones would probably be best.i use them for my rats from time to time. essentially its a scrap of fabric with a bunch of goodies folded in then tied to the top of the cage with some yarn or string. they have to rip and tear at the bag to get at the treats. though its not as noisy as the metal ones... do they prefer noise over destruction?

if i take out all the levels (assuming i can't get it to work on its side) what do i put there to maximise space?


i'll look for the larger balls, does that mean the ones i can wrap my hand around is a choking hazard though?

 

[TK Bunnies]

Bunies perfer destruction over noise. But that doesn't mean they won't make nosie!

Those treat hangers sound like a GREAT toy!!! I might have to try them!

I think that it's only a choking hazard if the bunny can fit it in it's mouth and what ever fits into the mouth can come off.

 

[Haley]

Yup, crocks are good!

I really think it would work best on its side. Do you have a Home Depot near you? You can buy cheap pegboard (and they'll even cut it to size if you measure before you go). And then you can put these cheap stick on tiles on it so it makes it easy to clean!

And if you bought enough peg board you could even add a second level with some L brackets and zip ties!

If you want it the way it is, I would say just make sure all the shelves are sturdy and not slippery for him. It shouldnt matter how many you use as long as theyre big enough for him and within jumping distance.

:biggrin2:

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Crocks are what I have for both buns. I love them and so do they. You can put them at a comfortable height for the bun too.

Yep, I use the stick on tiles as well. They're cheap and work great and they're pretty.