How High is Too High? (Holland Lop)

[TheBelovedStone]

Hey! So I am in the process of planning out my 3 month old holland lops new cage. I plan on custom building a multilevel condo for him in the fall after getting him fixed and was wondering how high is too high for levels. I was thinking of using a tower rabbit bed from Etsy on one edge that is 12 inches high for a in between level to get to the second level at 18 inches. Is that too high for him to jump? He is 3 months and just over 2 pounds so I don't expect him to be much over 4 at full grown. Is jumping 12 inches up to the loft and then the 6 inches to the second going to be difficult?Should I plan to put ramps in? Any advice/info would be greatly appreciated.

Savannah

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

A 12 inch jump should not a big issue for most rabbits, but it can depend on the rabbit. I wouldn't go much higher than 12", but I do have some levels that are 14" (NIC grid).
It may take him some time to get used to a multi level cage, so don't worry too much right away. Make sure there is food and water around incase he doesn't want to jump up or down.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I wouldn't recommend more than two levels. Rabbits are ground-dwelling animals with relatively fragile skeletal systems. Their bodies are built to jump, but they need room to move out horizontally at the same time, not just up and down. Most multi-level cages aren't wide enough to provide enough room for high jumping, and the rabbit could be injured by trying to compensate for a steep vertical decline.

 

[TheBelovedStone]

Thank you both so much for your advice. I don't plan on making his cage more than two levels. The current dimensions are 42" long, 28" wide and 42-46" high, depending on where I end up putting the second level. The second level I plan to be 35" long and 28" wide. Someone on BinkyBunny suggested I move the second level to 25" and have a ramp for the tower bed to the second level. Still weighing my options before I make a decision. Winston (my bunny) does enjoy hoping and has already figured out how to easily jump over 1 foot high bunny proofing lol.

 

[Azerane]

Many people consider jumping down to be better than a ramp, because unless you have lots of room for a ramp, they're usually too steep, so you have to make them really long which takes up a lot of room. But it really depends on your bunn. You may build it and he might not take to it, but he may also get used to the jump in no time.