RABBIT HOUSING

Question
Hello Lee,
I am in the process of building a larger cage for my indoor rabbit. He outgrew his little 30 inch cage. He is 6 pounds and so I am building a cage that measures 40"Lx24"Wx22"H. Is this big enough? I also have not yet put the hardware cloth in place and would like to know what size is best for the top and sides. If you think he will try to chew on the wooden parts of the cage, what can I do to prevent that? The bottom will be solid because he has been recently neutered and is fully litter box trained, even when running free in the house or out back on our back patio. He's a very good bunny and I'm glad to have him around but I want to be sure I'm doing it right if he's going to like his new cage.
Before I forget, how much do rabbits shed and how often? I've yet to find a single book that discusses how much a rabbit sheds.
Irene C.
Midvale, UT
Irene

Answer
Hi Irene,

for a six-pound (larger mini to small regular) rabbit, the new cage dimensions are too small, in my opinion.

40 inches is not even three and a half feet long.  I have my 3 1/2 pound mini lop in a 48x24x19 cage when he is not out exercising.

A rule of thumb is to have a cage 4-5 times as long as your guy can do a full stretch.  Because not only will you be having him in there, his litterpan takes up area, hay racks take up space, if you have food and water crocks, and I give them a hidey hole in their house if they want some privacy - and this all takes real estate.  I'd say 24 inches to 30 inches for width is good.  22" is fine, but if you are going to give him a hidey hole/box or want to give him a partial 2nd level, you may want to make it 24" because he will need it and be more comfortable with the extra headroom.

He will chew on wooden parts of a cage.  Wood isn't the best thing to make for housing.  They can also tear through hardware cloth.  One real good solution many people (including myself) have used is to get a good, large dog cage (one with a nice large front door that lifts up over the top of the cage) and build a covered partial ledge for them.  We use regular cotton towels or synthetic medical pet bedding or synthetic/regular sheepskin for one or both levels.  It also is great because the cage is portable and will last longer than your home-built one.

I would aim for at least a 4 foot long, 3 ft wide, 2-2 1/2 ft high cage, so that you can give him a nice partial 2nd floor ledge and give him extra lay-around space.  They also like to be up higher because they can see more of what is going on in the room.

What we have done is build a wooden base out of 2x4s and put 2x4 legs on the base, so that the cage bottom rests on the base, and is up off the floor by about a foot.  This is wood (if you use UNTREATED pine) that they can chew on and it will be okay, and it won't affect the cage.  they love spending time underneath the cage. We built some covered steps (or a covered ramp would do) so that he is able to go up and down as he wants.  If he doesn't need steps, a 6 pound bunny should be able to hop up and down 12 inches easily.

Shedding - rabbits shed 4 times a year, alternating between a heavy shed and a light shed.  I believe the House Rabbit Society (www.rabbit.org) has an article on it.

Lee

Bigger is always better.