Let’s get severe about rabbit cages. Those they provide on the pet retailer? They’re truthfully too small to your rabbits.
Rabbits want room to run and bounce round. And that’s not even together with their train necessities. They might be small, however they want a whole lot of house.
On this article, you’ll study what sort of enclosures are appropriate for rabbits. Let’s get into it!
Do Rabbits Want a Cage?
In case your rabbits are free to roam in your house, then you definately don’t really want a cage for them, until your rabbits are like mine and like their cage. Normally, all you want is their enclosure or only a fundamental station for them.
That mentioned, it does assist to start out out utilizing the cage. In the event you discover that your rabbit isn’t stepping into there, simply take away it.
Ought to You Let Indoor Rabbits Be Free Roam?
It’s significantly better to your rabbit to be free to roam. Whereas it’s a standard follow for rabbits to be cooped up in a small cage, it’s not good for them. Rabbits want room to maneuver round and train.
After all, it’s not at all times potential to free-roam your rabbits, but it surely’s essential that they no less than have time in a day to run round the home/room or have entry to a large train enclosure.
How Large Ought to an Indoor Rabbit’s Cage Be?
The “proper dimension” for a rabbit cage will rely in your rabbit’s dimension (or how massive it would develop) and what number of rabbits you might have.
Your rabbit’s cage must be lengthy sufficient for 3-4 hops which comes all the way down to round 4.5 ft for small breeds and 6 ft for giant/large breeds. It also needs to be huge sufficient to your rabbit to stretch out in, with room to spare for a litter field, hay feeder, and your rabbit’s dishes.
For an actual overview of how a lot house your rabbit wants, go to this guide.
How a lot time does your rabbit spend in a cage?
In case your rabbit spends a whole lot of time of their cage with just a few hours of free roaming a day, then they need to have a spacious cage. However, in case your bunny has free entry to the home 24/7 and the cage is just used as the principle station, then it doesn’t need to be very giant – so long as it may possibly match all of the requirements akin to hay, bowls, litter field, and a mattress.
Finest Indoor Cages for Rabbits
The rabbit cages you usually see in pet shops are actually not the perfect cages for rabbits. Listed below are a way higher suggestions.
Playpen (My Private Suggestion)
My private advice is to make use of a pet playpen. It has sufficient house to your rabbit to hop and run round, the areas between the bars aren’t large enough for escape makes an attempt, they usually’re straightforward to maneuver round and reshape.
Playpens additionally are usually less expensive than pet retailer cages whereas offering considerably more room.
Listed below are some suggestions:
Plus, you may deliver it exterior so your rabbit can get some contemporary air and grass. Simply cowl the highest to stop any predators from swooping in and supply shade.
Massive Canine Crate
Extra large dog crates made for big canine breeds (54 inches lengthy) have sufficient house for a regular-sized rabbit. Nevertheless, you’ll have to search for one with out giant gaping separations between every bar. It’s a lot simpler for rabbits (even bigger ones) to flee than you’d suppose.
You may also wrap rooster wire across the backside, however that’s a much less aesthetically pleasing choice. However what I actually like about canine crates is that they largely include trays which make nice bottoms which can be tremendous straightforward to scrub.
Canine crates are choice when you want a coated cage though they are often fairly costly.
DIY Enclosures With Snap-On Grids
With C&C grids, you may customise how your rabbit cage seems to be and the way massive it’s. This can be a nice cheap manner to make sure your rabbits have sufficient room.
You may construct it to swimsuit the house you might have. For example, when you’ve got an ungainly L-shaped space the place one other enclosure wouldn’t match, you may construct a cage with grids to suit that house.
DIY Multi-Degree Rental
If you wish to give your rabbits sufficient room, however you don’t have a whole lot of house, construct upwards. This offers your rabbits the house they want, with out taking over an excessive amount of flooring house.
Construct a rabbit apartment with a number of ranges utilizing grids and even wooden. Use tiles on the underside of every degree and easy-to-climb ramps.
What to Use as a Cage Flooring
Now, many of the kinds of indoor cages for rabbits that I’ve beneficial right here don’t include flooring. So, you’ll want to guard your flooring. Listed below are some choices:
- vinyl flooring that is available in rolls minimize to dimension
- splat mats
- whelping mats
- rolled linoleum flooring
- laminate flooring tiles
- floor safety sheets
- giant plastic canine kennel trays
See our rabbit bedding put up for extra concepts on what to make use of to guard the ground or backside of your rabbit’s enclosure.
What Forms of Cages to Keep away from
Now, don’t be fooled by all of the rabbit cages you see in pet shops. Lots of them are literally horrible dwelling areas for rabbits. They don’t have practically sufficient room! Right here’s what to keep away from on the subject of indoor rabbit cages.
Pet Retailer Cages
Pet retailer cages are sometimes a lot too small, even for small rabbits. There is no such thing as a room to hop round or transfer. The one occasion that this is able to be acceptable is that if used as the principle station for a free-roam rabbit.
Aquariums / Fish Tanks
Aquariums, even gigantic tanks aren’t any good for rabbits. That is generally the place pet shops use to maintain the rabbits. However right here’s the factor. Aquariums don’t have any air circulation, which inhibits your bunny’s respiration.
Wire-Backside Cages
Whereas it could appear cleaner, it’s not good to your rabbit. The wire bottoms harm their ft and pose an enormous danger of getting a toenail snagged.
Hutches
Rabbit hutches often is the prettiest choice, however positively not the perfect. Not solely are they largely not large enough to your rabbits, however they’re troublesome to scrub because the wooden soaks up the pee.
Advantages of Free Roaming As an alternative of Dwelling in a Cage
There are a plethora of advantages to free-roaming your rabbits. I don’t suppose I have to let you know that having room to run round will at all times be higher than being cooped up in a small cage.
Makes a Happier Rabbit
Rabbits which have all of the room to run round are typically happier than ones caught in a cage. Identical to people, rabbits want train and motion to launch endorphins like dopamine. In any other case, your rabbits may grow to be depressed.
Prevents Joint, Muscle, and Bone Points
Apart out of your psychological well being, common train helps rabbits to remain cell for longer. Rabbits saved in cages for his or her lives are more likely to develop mobility points and joint ache. Staying energetic prevents these points from occurring.
Retaining Your Rabbit Match
Clearly, not being energetic drives the chance of weight problems up to your rabbit. You need to transfer to have the ability to keep match. Rabbits that don’t have anyplace to train will take up consuming to stop boredom, which, in flip, will trigger them to achieve weight.
Find out how to Free Roam Your Rabbits
Free roaming your rabbit may be tough, given that each rabbit is totally different. Some rabbits get the memo instantly. Others will take weeks to regulate. An important factor is to make them really feel secure and comfy out within the open, particularly in the event that they’re not used to being exterior of a cage.
After that, you solely want to fret about three issues:
In any other case, you WILL be dwelling in squalor.
Making a Essential Station
Your rabbit’s fundamental station doesn’t need to be a cage. It may be a nook in the principle room of your own home. Go together with no matter your rabbits are snug with.
I nonetheless use my rabbit’s cage as his fundamental station. I did attempt to take away it, however I believe he likes the security of it when he’s sleeping and consuming. However, my older rabbit didn’t want a cage in any respect.
In the principle station you’ll want:
- a mattress,
- meals and water dishes,
- a litter field,
- a hay feeder.
Litter Coaching Your Rabbits
Normally, litter coaching rabbits is comparatively straightforward. Rabbits are inherently clear animals. Particularly, when you begin them younger, they’ll take to it a lot faster. Older rabbits could take a bit extra time.
Begin by inserting the litter field the place your rabbits are already doing their enterprise. To entice them additional, scoop a few of their poops or dirty bedding into the litter field. The scent will sign to your rabbits that that is the place to go.
You may also entice them to make use of the litter field by inserting a hay feeder beside the field to allow them to graze. Nevertheless, in my expertise, this may additionally make your rabbits by no means need to depart their litter field!
Closing Ideas
As you may see, the perfect cages for rabbits usually are not cages in any respect! Completely different fencing akin to pet playpens, C&C storage grids, and canine crates all make a significantly better residence to your bunny than the small rabbit cages bought in pet shops.
As an alternative of maintaining rabbits confined in small cages most of their life, they need to have ample room to maneuver, run round and expend their power. Rabbits are extraordinarily energetic animals that don’t belong in small cages.
Ideally, a rabbit would have the ability to free-roam across the bunny-proofed residence more often than not. If free-roaming will not be an choice for you, then a big playpen with each day supervised train time exterior of their enclosure can also be answer.
