How to make NIC or C&C cage?

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mnyablonski2796

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Messages
28
Reaction score
1
Location
NULL
Hello I will be getting bunnies again in a few months when I get my own house and was wondering how to build a C&C or NIC type cage? What do you use for the bottom? How to add levels? What would be a good size?

Thank you
 
There are many videos on YouTube that cover this topic, I haven't yet made a video on how I did it, but I did most of a step-by-step in my blog thread about how I made Bandit's cage. It starts about 1/4 of the way down this page here and is over several pages: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=73547&page=39

The base of the cage can be variable, some people (like myself) use plywood or braceboard and cover it with a waterproof surface such as cut to measure vinyl flooring. Other people don't put a base and simply have fleece blankets that are big enough to cover the bottom of the cage and outside the edges so the cage sits on the fleece. This is a much more cost effective option, although it has limitations if you have a bunny that constantly pulls up the blanket or has bad litter habits.

For one bunny (of medium size) I would suggest a minimum of four grids long, two deep, and three tall. Mine is similar, just five grids long. My bottom level is two grids high which gives plenty of room for stretching whereas the top level is only one grid high (still high enough for hopping around depending on your rabbit). Some people split it evenly so that each level is 1.5 grids high. To add a second level, you can either attach a layer of the grids and rest your flooring on it (may need a beam for support), or you can simply support flooring (plywood or similar) with wooden dowels (bunny safe wood of course).

If you're getting two bunnies, I would suggest at least 5 grids long and 4 grids high (Unless you're getting something like netherland dwarf, but still, if you have the space, the suggested size is to get the most expensive cage you can afford that fits in the space available. Also known as, bigger is better!
 
I used a commercial door mat, 3' x 5'.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/TrafficM...e-Rubber-Commercial-Door-Mat-482923/206309518

It really depends on how potty-trained your bun is. Mine never pees anywhere but the litter box, but if he did, the rubber backing would protect the floor.

Only think I would say about this mat is that it has grooves in the pattern there (as you can see) and said grooves are approximately perfect for lodging poops of your average 4lb bunny. :) So they can be a bit difficult to vacuum.
 
Would chloroplast be an okay bottom for a cage?

You can use it, it can just be a bit slippery for bunnies, because they don't have paw pads they just slide around on it. So you'll also need other surfaces in the cage so your bunny can have a place where he can stretch and support himself for grooming, or his feet will constantly slip out from under him. Vinyl flooring is a little bit the same, though not as slippery if you get one with a textured surface.
 
I would definitely put something over the chloroplast to make it more comfortable. Would fleece be okay? That is what i use for my rats right now and that's easy to clean and use (especially since they are mostly litter trained). What would be a good base size? Would 2x6 be okay for the base and of course have at least one level? I do plan on keeping the cage open while I'm home so it would more just be a sleeping area
 
Fleece is good, it may still slip on the coroplast but fleece is great for bunnies. If bunny pees on it a lot you may need to remove it until your rabbit is litter trained because some like to pee on soft things, but after training you should have no worries using fleece. 2x6 is a great size for the base, nice and big :)
 
As Azarene stated, the coroplast can be slick. Fleece on coroplast can be even more slick and confuse bunny during potty training. Rolled linoleum or vinyl is available not only textured but actually gritty. I found some that felt like sandpaper or rough brick to the touch. That would prevent bunny from slipping but still be washable.

Whatever you use, you'll want to be sure bunnies don't get the edge and chew it. I'll attach a photo of one my past NIC cages that shows a piece of rolled linoleum for the bottom level. I made sure the edges went just beyond the cage edge. The upper levels were carpet since mine did not chew (or pee on) carpet.

IM000411.jpg
 

Latest posts

Back
Top