NIC Enclosures & Cats

[Bonsai]

I couldn't think of a way to make the title anymore coherent but no, I don't mean putting cats in NIC cages!! My cat would probably wring my neck for even trying.

My real question is this. As some of you may know, I lost my Netherland Dwarf, Totoro (RIP sweet baby &#9829 earlier this week on top of my constant companion kitty running away. This has left me with little morale and I've been looking into getting another pet in the event Milo (kitty) doesn't return.

I found a lovely Netherland Dwarf breeder nearby (I have to admit, I'm addicted to the little guys! Totoro got me hooked) and I'm thinking of making an NIC cage for him. I know I'm getting a buck already. No going back! They've got much lovelier personalities.

Anywho, I'm wondering how many NIC cubes I will need to make him a cage? I have never in my life seen an NIC cube in person so I have NO idea how big they are. I've googled for measurements on one cube to kinda come up with my own idea but no dice. Could anyone give me an estimated size or how many cubes you'd think I'd need to house a Netherland Dwarf? Cage cannot be more than 3ft wide, and I'm thinking 2 tiers to it... He'll have free roam of my room whenever I'm in here, of course, too.

Now onto the second part of my question. We do still have resident kitties. I also know a Netherland Dwarf will look like a midday snack to them. How should I go about this? I know there will be some point at some time that the door will be left unlocked when I'm not here so how can I protect my baby best? I want to prepare for the worst case scenario, of course. Rather tackle the hurdle before I get to it. I have 2 locks on my door - one outside and one inside. However, my family can be a little careless sometimes with these things and may leave it open long enough for a kitty to slip in. Would putting a little nesting box in there for him be enough to protect him? I believe NIC have a hole big enough for a cat paw, don't they?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just getting preparations! I feel so bad entertaining the thought of getting a rabbit so soon after Totoro died... But I think us animal-lovers are just wired this way. It will still be a few months before I can get one, so there is that. I can still mourn my baby; I still do miss him so much.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

The grids are usually 14" by 14". Even for a Netherland, I would go 2X3 grids or about 28" by 42". You can overlap the grids if you need to fit a specific space. Levels are good as well. You can use the grids to make steps if needed and also use them to make the shelf or levels. I use zip ties to attach the grids as they are much easier than the connectors. Assuming you want a 2X3 cage that is 2 tall with a top (a good idea with the cats), you would need at least 26 grids. Levels would be in addition to that.

I am not really sure what to suggest about the cats. If you can put the cage in a corner, they can't have too much access to him. You might be able to set up the cage so they don't have too much access. You could also get some wire mesh and put that around the cage so they can't stick their paws through.

 

[Bonsai]

Thanks for the response! I'm figuring two of these will be enough, if it makes "four cubes" like I think it does:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...nd-storage-cubes/1016719773?_requestid=240932

Has anyone bought those before and know you get at least 12 in the package? If I can make his cage in under $50 that'd be great! I have a whole pack of zip ties sitting unused so those are covered.

Would it be okay to make a ramp out of a grid or would it be too unstable? I'm worried about little guy not being able to jump high enough at first to go from level to level.

I also looked at rolls of fleece today and I think I'd like to put some fleece on some levels so he's not on the mesh or hard floor all the time. Should I wait until he is litterbox trained to add fleece? I know buns like to potty on soft things, hehe.

What can I use for the bottom flooring? I have linoleum in my room and Totoro was terrified of it, so I figure they can't get footing very easily on it. I've heard of people using cloroplast but I'm not sure if that would be less/more slick than my flooring? I'm gonna have to use an old sheet to expand his play area, too...

I will have to put my cage in the corner... Currently trying to figure out where the heck to put our routers and stuff when I get him. I'm trying to minimize amount of wires lol. I think putting some hardware mesh around the cage may be a great idea; then all they can do is intimidate him through the wire. The worst offender for "predator"ing is declawed so she can't actually do anything to him through wire anyway but I just want to be sure.

If I can put mesh around his cage, would I be able to have a cat in the same room during the night? I have one cat who loves sleeping on my bed and I hate to refuse her that since she's kinda old... Do you think she could do anything to him?

PS Just contacted a breeder and she put me on the waiting list for November - December for a vienna-marked or broken orange. I love Siamese Sable but I just can't bring myself to get another. Siamese Sable will always be Totoro to me!

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I have a couple pack of the grids from BB&B. You actually get 19 grids, 17 regular ones and 2 shelf ones. The shelf ones have little hooks on the end and work great for the top of a level. I would recommend getting a 20% off coupon to help with the cost. You could even print one off and get a friend to buy one for you to save even more.

If you make a ramp and want it to go up 1 grid height, you need 2 grids. It is good to overlap them a bit and add some support such as a dowel. A rabbit also needs some traction, carpet will work. I find that ramps take up a lot of space and most rabbits can jump up easily enough.

I would use fleece right away and make sure he has a litter box. Fleece is easy to wash anyway and having litter in the whole cage can confuse him. I would have at least 2 sets of fleece so there is one in the cage while you wash the other.

Fleece or a towel or something on the bottom will help with traction. You may want some clips to attach it to the base so it can't be moved around. I like coroplast as the base and also for levels as it is easy to cut and sturdy and easy to clean.

Keeping your cat in your room at night should be fine. The rabbit should get used to having the cat around. As long as the cat isn't going at the rabbit, there should not be a problem.

 

[Bonsai]

That's wonderful! I'll have my friend order one set and I'll order the other. Every little bit helps, especially when I'm working full-time for barely part-time pay lol. Plus that's dollars to put toward extra things for his cage to make it even better. Thank you for the tip for the 20% off! Will definitely put it to use.

Do you think I could avoid a ramp, then? He'll be a Netherland Dwarf so he'll be on the smaller side. Does it seem like a jump he could make? My biggest phobia is him getting a leg hung/hurt trying to jump from on level or onto another. Isn't chloroplast slick? Would he be able to get traction on that? I could try getting small pieces of carpet, but that sounds a bit expensive! I can't imagine trying to explain to my family I'm spending money for carpet for my RABBIT lol. To them they're already stock animals! I found that walmart sells large rolls of fleece for like $6 so that's really affordable. Its a whole lot of fleece, too.

What kind of clips would I use to secure fleece/towels?

I don't think Lydia will bother him at all. She might watch him a little but I don't honestly think she'll try to get him. Requires way too much effort on her part lol.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

You can make a step instead of a ramp. Put a grid about 1/2 way up a grid and use an L bracket to stabilize it. For traction, I have found some shelf liner that is bumpy and provides good traction, you can tape or glue it to the coroplast. If you wanted carpet, you can find some door mats that could be easily cut and are not too expensive.
Binder clips should work well to keep the fleece in place.

 

[middlemuse]

If you're really concerned about slickness, you can get dog crate liners pretty cheap online or at Petco. Since you're building the cage, it would be pretty easy to just build it to the size of the crate liner, and even the big ones are only like $15. They're plastic but they have a textured surface, probably because dogs don't like slick floors much more than bunnies.


Sent from my iPhone using Rabbit Forum

 

[Bonsai]

Thank you guys for all the input!

The step sounds like a wonderful idea and I'll have to try it. It should give ample leverage for a little guy. I'll explore options on the flooring, too. Liners and carpet mats sound like a good idea. I saw in a blog that someone uses stall mats (like for horses). A little expensive but also an idea I'll keep in mind. Maybe by next month, I can start getting the supplies to make this behemoth.

What do you guys use for wire covers? My wires vary in width so I'm not sure what an "one-size-fits-all" option would be.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

For wires, there are wire covers you can buy. Most are a plastic tubing that is sliced length wise so you can just put the wires in an maybe tape it in a few spots. Most hardware stores should have bulk wire tubing in different sides that you can buy and cut yourself. If you have a strait area, pvc piping can work as well, just make sure you get it wide enough for the plugs fit through. Blocking off access is best, but for that areas you can't block something hard to chew is best.

For the flooring, look into foam puzzle mats. They are usually 2ft by 2ft and come 4 or 6 in a pack. They are easy to cut if you need to, but also easy for a rabbit to chew. My rabbits tend to go for the seams and I tape those up if needed. You can put a blanket overtop if you need to as well. With any kind of flooring, soft stuff tends to be easy to chew and hard to chew stuff can be slick or hard.

 

[Bonsai]

Thanks! I'll look for those. I'm hoping to do away with a lot of my wires or at least tuck them out of accessibility. The best protection is prevention!

I'm looking at alternatives for the flooring and I found these on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003AY7GIC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Would that be okay for him to be on? Its pretty decently priced and I can throw some hay or something into that order to get free shipping lol. I could build the cage to fit it and then, I think. This seems softer than carpet, but do you think he could get ample traction on it?