Rabbit Cages Buying Tips and Guidelines

Cages provide a sense of protection for domestic rabbits as the warrens or deep burrows provided in the wild. Warrens in the wild are interconnected series of tunnels or small caves that rabbits used to hide in to protect them from other predator animals. That may be the reason for the domestic rabbits to show no rebel to stay in the cage unlike dogs and other pets. They usually head towards their cage in stressful situations. Cages are like a safe haven providing protective atmosphere to the rabbits.

So buying a large cage provides a sense of security for a new rabbit to accommodate to its new environment, your home. Over time they explore outside the cage and sense no threat around and roam around freely. Moreover they are basically not sedentary by nature, so they would love to run and jump around. They are very joyful animals and love to play around with other rabbits and amuse the owners with binkying, a peculiar jump and twist and flicking of their heads to exhibit its joy.

The ideal size of a rabbit cage would be more than six times their size so that they could accommodate binkying movement inside their cage. If your house cannot accommodate wide cage, there are options for two or more storied cages which provides them options to hop around and exercise against gravity. A smaller cage encourages them to be sedentary and gradually rabbits become obese and even depressed and stressful. Being an exploratory animal they thrive on looking around. Rabbits need to benefit from freedom and require some exercises to keep them healthy and happy.

Some rabbit cage designs that are popularly available with wire mesh facilitate easy cleaning. But that is never a comfort solution for the rabbit to rest. They produce sores on the pads and hocks of pet rabbits. Hocks are the ankle bone area and pads are foot and these are the areas where a rabbit rests its weight. Those areas are exposed to severe pressure and blocked blood supply when the floor of the cage is meshed with wire.

The resulting sores are quite painful for the rabbits and moreover the rabbits tend to chew the infected sore just like dogs do. That leads to further health complication when the infection is ingested or the sores get worse. Unfortunately it is difficult to put a chewing prevention collar on a rabbit. And since it is impossible to keep the rabbits from chewing itself, there is no benefit in using gauze or vet wrap to treat the sores. To avoid these complications, it is better to avoid cages with wire mesh in the first place.

The cages should be cleaned frequently since the rabbits are by nature clean animals. Try to get a cage that is big enough to accommodate sufficient movement, a litter box and a sleeping or resting corner. Ensure the cage is not exposed to sunlight constantly but once in a while it is fine. The flooring of the cage should be flat and firm to avoid discomfort and sores. You can also stock them with chewable toys that makes the rabbits feel at home in their cages and spread happiness around.

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