NIC/x-pen bunny paradise

[Imbrium]

so, long story... I hadn't moved the furniture that I needed to out of the living room yet when I eagerly started assembling my cage in the front parlor. at some point, I realized that before I could put the cage in the living room, I was going to have to move the furniture to the same room I was building the cage in... but I figured I'd deal with that when I got to it.

when I got the condo to 3x2x3 size, I realized it was so heavy I'd have a heck of a time sliding it out of the way to move the furniture and then dragging it all the way into the living room, so I ended up cutting the stupid thing in half to make it way easier to move.

by the time I got the furniture and cage in opposite rooms, got the cage halves back together, measured/scored/cut/folded all the coroplast sheets, got a door made, etc., I was tired as hell and decided they didn't need a bigger condo anyway since they're still so little, lol. I'm sure I'll go back later and add to it, plus I'm thinking I'll make the third floor two grids high - they can still stand up all the way at 1 high, but they're growing fast.

the condo is still unfurnished, mostly just wanted to see what they thought of it first (and see if I could break them of their new bad habit of peeing outside the cage once a day) before I decked it out... plus I was trying to figure out if they needed shelves/ramps of some sort. I think Gaz does, she's smaller and not much of a jumper... Nala figured it out really quickly, though. I'll be adding something soon to help Gaz get to the second floor (I've got a hammock stretched out to work as a half-way point between the second and third floors).

I have it set up so that I can close off the top two levels to keep them in there 'cause I need to deep clean the pen and so I can seal the levels off for a while after they get spayed so they're not jumping up.

and of course, with 60 square feet of run space in addition to the brand new three story condo complete with purple coroplast, guess where they decided to sleep last night! that's right, in the dinky little store-bought cage:

(once the furniture was gone, I was able to unfold the tarp fully rather than having it folded in half, so they've got twice the floor space now and a new condo on top of that - I didn't want to overwhelm them by changing their environment completely in a single day, so I let them keep their cage for now since they're used to having it in their pen)

couple of questions with finishing touches... is there any harm in turning the zipties out/folding them flat against the outside of the condo and NOT clipping them? I really don't want to cut them because part of the cage is exposed to the bunnies from both the inside and the outside so there's no "safe" place to put the pointy edge.

also, what can I do for flooring in addition to the coroplast? I'd like to give them something like fleece or fabric, but I'm not sure if anything would be safe considering Nala likes to nibble at every inch of her environment. if there is something that wouldn't be harmful if a tiny bit was nibbled off/ingested, how would I go about attaching it to the coroplast so it doesn't slide around?

 

[Blue eyes]

What a good job! I like your idea of making the 3rd floor 2 grids high. Before I read your plans for that, I was going to suggest you have an area they can fully stretch upward.
It appears you used those nice & thick zip ties. That shouldn't be any problem keeping them intact. You'll notice if they chew on them, but the ties are prob too thick to eat.
You could get some seagrass mats to put on the coroplast. They can safely chew it all up (and most likely will). The coroplast is slippery so it would be a good idea to have something on it. I'm not sure what others have done because it seems that anything you place on top of coroplast will slip around on it. Maybe strips of velcro could be used to hold something down? Those woven fabric rugs are super cheap and could be velcroed down. I think I paid about $1 at walmart for doormat size one.

 

[Imbrium]

ah, nice! what part of walmart did you find it in? I've never seen those, but I've never really looked, either.

I'm not terribly concerned about them having a lot of stand-up room in the cage, but I think they'd enjoy a roomier upper level and cozy downstairs - I plan to leave the cage open 24/7 so they've always got access to the run unless I need to lock them up (in which case it would only be for half an hour or so).

I'll probably buy another water bottle for 'em so they've got water in the condo in addition to one in the small cage and a larger one out in the pen, plus I'll be either moving the new/bigger litter-box in there or, more likely, getting a third. (I won't be taking the little cage away until after they're spayed, I think, since their litter box habits are currently tenuous and I don't want to risk making them worse)

 

[Nelsons_Mom]

Fleece is your friend! Fleece, unlike other fabrics, when chewed, doesn't thread, so it can't really be ingested and cause problems. Keep them in place with binder clips (they have another name, but they're the big clips with "wings" you would use if you had like a fifty page packet.

Plus, you can buy fleece blankets at thrift shops and discount stores for like five bucks and you just throw them in the washer every few days.

The place looks huge! Bunny paradise is right!

Ps. Is that cat litter in their pan? Clumping litters are dangerous for bunnies.

 

[jap08m]

it looks absolutely amazing. I felt the same way when I built a 3 level cage for my buns but they stayed in this tiny little corner on the bottom level for a day or two. Regarding flooring it really depends on your rabbit. I got lucky in the sense that my buns don't eat carpet (though Reddit does like to just rip it up) I was able to put carpet down on all the levels like this

I'm assuming that they like it cuz they snuggle around there all day. Before I got the carpet though I used fleece. I got 50x60 blankets at walmart for 2.00

 

[Imbrium]

Nelsons_Mom wrote:

Fleece is your friend! Fleece, unlike other fabrics, when chewed, doesn't thread, so it can't really be ingested and cause problems. Keep them in place with binder clips (they have another name, but they're the big clips with "wings" you would use if you had like a fifty page packet.

Plus, you can buy fleece blankets at thrift shops and discount stores for like five bucks and you just throw them in the washer every few days.

The place looks huge! Bunny paradise is right!

Ps. Is that cat litter in their pan? Clumping litters are dangerous for bunnies.

added binder clips and fleece to my shopping list

don't worry, the litterbox is timothy hay on one side and critter care (diff brand but same thing as carefresh) on the other side - what you're seeing is a pile of the critter care bedding). absolutely no kitty litter of any kind for my little buns, clumping or otherwise

 

[Imbrium]

wow... you know the wooden dowels that are sticking out from the cage side a bit? I just went out there and nala was standing there with her front paws placed on one... then all of a sudden she just lept up and smoothly hurdled right over it! she can just barely reach it to nibble on or place her paws on when standing on her tip-toes. (I hope that doesn't mean I'll have to get higher playpens when she grows up!)

anyway, I was out there to take a picture of my other creation... got the idea from a website that actually sells completed C&C cages - they had a carrier for $65 or something.

I had bought a couple sheets of 2'x3' coroplast at home depot because they didn't have 4'x8', then decided I'd rather just make the drive and pay a little more for coroplast in proper sizes (I wasn't sure I could keep any taped parts away from my chewer if I had to use two sheets per floor instead of one 3'x4' (first two floors) or 3'x3' sheet (top floor)). I didn't want to cut up some of the remaining purple coroplast since I might add to the cage, but I hadn't returned the 2'x3' stuff to home depot yet and realized one sheet of that was the perfect size for a 2x1 sized floor.

I already have a carrier I got to bring them home/for their first vet trip, but now that they've grown a ton, it's a little on the small side (it's for 10lb and smaller dogs) for two bunnies that may be a little temperamental with each other when we go to the vet to get them spayed. instead of buying a second carrier, I made them this one:

I figure I can take the divider out after they're done getting spayed and are bonded for real (or if they have to go to the vet again before they get hormonal).

they're not bothered at all by other animals (they grew up at the breeder's place with a BIG dog who followed people around the rabbit pens and some chickens nearby), but I can always bring a bit of fleece to throw over the top and the longer sizes (so there's still air flow through the smaller sides) in case they bother another animal at the vet.

because it's so open, I think it'll be great for taking them to the vet in warmer months (aka 9 out of 12 here) since it has much better air flow than a traditional carrier and will let the car's AC do a better job of keeping them cool

 

[Imbrium]

*sigh* I had to take their condo away

someone (I'm pretty sure Gaz, since Nala's been on the upper floors for days without issue and Gaz didn't learn how to get up there until today) decided to pee on my gorgeous purple coroplast. worst of all, I got pee-sprayed!! that's not supposed to happen with girls, dammit ssd:

I opened the cage (while demanding to know who peed) to clean up the mess and Gaz started moving away from the door... I startled her by trying to nab her before she could walk into the pee puddle and she kinda darted into it, got pee on her feet and kicked out a little, spraying pee across the cage and onto me >.>

I walled off the entrances to the condo 'cause I don't want them peeing up my coroplast and now Nala's looking at me like I just clubbed a baby seal to death - she's positively heartbroken that I took her perch away :tears2:

 

[MiserySmith]

Coroplast should be easy enough to wash off.
New cage means someone wants to be the new boss. Maybe keep one on top one on the bottom and have them together for out time?

 

[Imbrium]

nah, I've had some issues with peeing in the pen even before I increased the size - it's been happening outside their old cage about once a day for a week now >< (plus their baby-bond is very strong and they're never actually "caged" - 24/7 access to their run, so the cage is just another part of their room that they can play in)

could just be hormones kicking in or a lazy baby bunny "forgetting" her litter-box habits, but I'll be taking them both to the vet tomorrow for a urinalysis on Gaz just to make sure everything is ok.

 

[ldoerr]

I would not get worried about a couple of pee spots. It happens. Coroplast is EXTREMELY easy to clean up. Just use a paper towel for the wet stuff and a mini broom and dust pan for the solid stuff. They are just getting used to their new cage. Give them some time. Put an extra litter box or 2 in the cage. They are probably just trying to mark their new teritory.

 

[Imbrium]

I cleaned it up with some spray-on pet cleaner and paper towels, but there's still a slightly discolored spot where the pee was. I'll be getting them an extra litter-box for the condo today.

I tried blocking off the first floor and taking away the step that I put in so Gaz could get upstairs... but much to my surprise, she somehow managed to get up there on her own anyway! guess she's learning to jump higher, lol... kinda wish she didn't know how to get up there, though, as I had taken to feeding extra pellets on the top floor so that Nala would eat them and Gaz wouldn't (Gaz has weight issues).

oh, and here's a more current pic of the condo now that I've expanded the top floor:

 

[ldoerr]

How do they get from the bottom floor to the 2nd floor? It looks like it is solid coroplast the whole length and width of the cage (2nd floor that is).

 

[Imbrium]

in that pic (taken this morning), I've got both the bottom floor and the second level closed off 'cause I got irked at them for peeing in the condo yesterday and locked them out of it (it's not actually furnished with their hay, water and litter-boxes yet anyway).

on the shorter wall on the right-hand side, the coroplast is flush with the floor (no raised part) - I can hook one of the side panels open for each floor to grant access to the first and/or second floors.

there's no direct access between the first two floors if the cage is shut because they've got 24/7 access to their "yard" - I never shut the cage with them inside it

I'll open it back up after I go buy 'em another litter-box (or three) for the condo and then post a pic of the entrances.

 

[Imbrium]

I overhauled their condo... I swear I'm done, at least for now.

they weren't really using the first floor, I realized it was going to be a huge pain in the butt to clean and it seemed kinda pointless since there wasn't anything to put there/they've got access to the huge run 24/7 so I just took it out. main point of the condo is they like the view from up high and it's a good home base for hay, potties, water, etc. in retrospect, I should've left the coroplast flooring in, though - I have a feeling I'm going to be cutting out one of the sides to put it back in two months from now when they get spayed and I have to take away their levels.

I made the second level higher for more space for bunnies + much easier access for me and set up a hay manger/huge litter box for their alfalfa and put the water bottle where any drips will wind up in the litter box. I still need to get a screen made for that box, but it's midnight and I'm tired of arguing with that stupid light diffuser material so I'll do it tomorrow. I did get a screen made for the third floor (smaller) litter box that's a little timothy snack bin.

I couldn't find fleece in the same shade of purple as the coroplast, so I went with a pretty green (which has different shades of green in it, sort of a marbleized look.

I showed the bunnies their condo and got some pics of them in it, but of course minutes later, Nala was back to hanging out on the roof of their old cage (she finally figured out she could use the igloo to get up there ).

 

[Blue eyes]

I have to say, that's the tallest NIC cage I've ever seen. It looks like they really enjoy it.

I know you decided to begin by putting their original cage in the middle of the pen. Are you thinking of taking that away and leaving them with the NIC and the open space of the x-pen area? Just curious... I had the impression before that that was your intent.

 

[Imbrium]

yeah, now that I've got the condo done for real and actually have a manger and litter boxes set up in it, I figure I'll give them a couple days to adjust to the switch (and to prove to me that they're only going to use the boxes in there and not turn the whole thing into a toilet), then I'll pull the store cage out, scrub it clean and store it somewhere until the time comes to separate them due to hormones.

 

[MyBabyHasPaws]

wow, your condo rocks. and your buns are super cute!

good job!

 

[ldoerr]

That is crazy tall!!!!! I probably could not reach the top of it.

 

[Imbrium]

yeah, it's pretty tall, but they like a higher lookout spot. the doors/floor for the highest level are at eye level for me and I'm 5'4''

unfortunately, the little brats are wrecking up the condo

they keep moving the litter box under the hay manger to the middle of the floor, so I'm gonna have to see if one of my neighbors has a drill I can use to put a couple holes in the rim of the box so that I can zip-tie it to the side of the cage.

my bigger concern is that Nala was able to remove one of the binder clips holding the fleece to the coroplast in each of two corners on the main floor and keeps digging at the corner opposite the litter box with the insistence of someone with severe OCD.

I noticed the litter box didn't slide all the way back into the corner and the fabric seemed to be bunched up in the way or something... on closer inspection, I realized the lump wasn't fabric - it was a bunny UNDER the fleece and pressed up into the corner behind the box. scared the heck out of me when I pulled Gaz out 'cause she felt slightly cool (or perhaps that was just my imagination/paranoia) and didn't react for a couple seconds after I grabbed her, which is unusual. right as I was fearing the worst, she started wiggling around.

then when I went to grab nala out of the corner she was digging at again, she kept darting under the fleece and running around in circles under there to thwart me... I'd get her back to the corner and she'd go under again before I could get my hands around her; I finally had to scruff her to get her above the fleece, which I really don't like doing to an animal.

I'm worried if I don't find a solution, they'll keep getting under there and one of them might get stuck under there or suffocate or something... am I just being paranoid? will they be ok going under the fleece? or does anyone have a better way to secure it? (preferably where it wouldn't be a nightmare for me to get the fleece out if I need to wash it).