How to Build a Rabbit Cage

Pet rabbits require cage to feel protected at your home. A rabbit cage must be ideally six times more of its size and in addition to that there should be sufficient space to place the litter box. That means roughly about two feet by three feet, and separate space for the litter box. Providing the rabbit with larger cage helps to move around freely. However such large commercial rabbit cages are quite expensive. Though lot of varieties and innovative designs are available at pet shots, they may be beyond your budget. It is easy to make a cage yourself if you have a willingness to try.

Before starting to prepare, it is important to understand the comfort the rabbits require in a cage. One of the most important cautions to be observed is to avoid the wire mesh for the floor of the cage. Though wire mesh helps in easy cleaning, they are quite harmful to the rabbit. The wire mesh stresses the rabbit’s pads and hocks which eventually develops painful sores and that leads to further health hazard when they chew the sores by instinct. It is quite difficult to treat them and take longer to heal as well.

This condition can be avoided by using a solid floor that is flat and firm. Choose the right material that provides a clean surface and comfort for your rabbit. A better option is sturdy plywood with thickness of half inch or more at the base. You can cover it with plastic sheet for easy cleaning and drying. The covering can be a strip of linoleum flooring that is easily available in home supply stores for cheap rates. Within minutes they can be stuck to the plywood and lasts for years.

An alternate design is to use a large rectangular shallow container turned upside down and can be nailed to the base plywood. Nailing is preferred to gluing for lasting effort.

The bottom of the platform must be made safe for carpets where the cage is rested and should be easy to move by tacking or gluing plastic sheets on it. The sheets used to cushion kitchen cabinets can also be used for bottom padding.

You can construct the upper portion of the cage easily once the base is done perfectly. A frame measuring 1 by 4s could be glued at the edges and fixed to the flooring in drilled sockets. You can also use some L-braces to fix the frame firmer at the bottom and top. Once this is done, finishing the cage is simple. Plastic mesh fencing are inexpensive but are not recommended since the rabbits chew them sooner or later. A better option could be an ordinary chicken wire mesh. However, care should be taken to trip to required size and to wrap it around the frame so that no sharp points are exposed.

You can design 2 stores to create more options for the rabbits to play within. The second floor can be made using the same base used for the main floor of the cage. You could support them with dowels or short one by fours ensuring perfect resting with the use of L-braces. You can then cut a notch in the second floor and ramp made of plywood could be nailed between the two levels.

You can introduce innovative designs by providing variety like making the cage and L shape that holds the littler box in the shorter leg and keeping the upper portion unused. Another commonly used variation is the octagon cages. Some create maze designs to keep the rabbits occupied. But they are difficult to build. Such innovative designs keep the rabbit busy and stimulate them mentally and ultimately they are happy and feel secure and playful in their cages.

         

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