Advice on how to best setup this area, please

[White Rabbit]

Thanks for all the info!! Do you think I just need the vinyl flooring down until they’re litter trained, or would you suggest the water-proof floor covering over the wood anyway? (My bunnies do pretty well with their litter box now in their pen (but definitely have some urine spray around); but I’m hoping once they’re fixed (July 1st) they’ll be able to be completely litter trained )

Yes seal the wood. Ill link a homedepot link, use pretty much any of the wood sealers. Ill show you what happens if you don't.
home depot wood sealer link
This is my hutches drawer set up. Notice the darker and lighter wood especially on the inside of the drawers. Notice how the top is darker, and the hutch itself is even darker. The darker wood is sealed, where the lighter wood is not. Sealing the wood creates a dark hue, as the sealer coats the wood(different woods make different hues of color) and locks out moisture. It does wear off after awhile(some brands are better then others, and depending how many coats you use) as you can see lighter parts of my wood that needs to be resealed on the drawers since i didn't put enough layers. It should last 2-3 years before having to do it again if done right.


If not sealed it will turn out looking like this, you will see all the white amonia and other chemicals, which then will start smelling.
Always seal wood that gets wet. - Coming from someone who works in the movie industry.

 

[BrownieAndBunbun]

Oh wow - good advice - thank you!!

 

[White Rabbit]

Oh wow - good advice - thank you!!

Anytime, glad to help out a fellow So-Cal friend. Hope it all goes well, nice build. Only thing i'd remark about it is the ramp, might be too steep for your bun(s) as my ramp on my hutch was already almost to steep for mine, the box idea might be a better one, but who knows yours might be a stair master haha.

 

[BrownieAndBunbun]

Anytime, glad to help out a fellow So-Cal friend. Hope it all goes well, nice build. Only thing i'd remark about it is the ramp, might be too steep for your bun(s) as my ramp on my hutch was already almost to steep for mine, the box idea might be a better one, but who knows yours might be a stair master haha.

Yeah, seems like everyone thinks the ramp will be too steep, so I’ll change that… Yay, SoCal! Lmk if you have any local Bunny recommendations

 

[White Rabbit]

Yeah, seems like everyone thinks the ramp will be too steep, so I’ll change that… Yay, SoCal! Lmk if you have any local Bunny recommendations ☀

Don't know where in LA you live but if you can find a red barn, shop there, so much cheaper then pet stores. Less common around us is Tractor supply, but they also have great deals if you are near one. Other then that im still learning myself. Still trying to find a cheap enough vet to get my bun i rescued spayed. Never thought it would cost around 300 bucks for a rabbit haha.

 

[BrownieAndBunbun]

Don't know where in LA you live but if you can find a red barn, shop there, so much cheaper then pet stores. Less common around us is Tractor supply, but they also have great deals if you are near one. Other then that im still learning myself. Still trying to find a cheap enough vet to get my bun i rescued spayed. Never thought it would cost around 300 bucks for a rabbit haha.

We live in Topanga Canyon - I just discovered a Red Barn in the valley! I took my bunnies to Ventura Animal Hospital in Thousand Oaks - they quoted me $700 (!!!) per bunny to get spayed

 

[White Rabbit]

We live in Topanga Canyon - I just discovered a Red Barn in the valley! I took my bunnies to Ventura Animal Hospital in Thousand Oaks - they quoted me $700 (!!!) per bunny to get spayed

Since we live close you might want to check all animals vet or all pets vet forgot which one but was quoted close to 300, it's just crazy. My dogs cost less lol. Red barn is great, a lot of stuff for "exotic" animals

 

[JBun]

Since we live close you might want to check all animals vet or all pets vet forgot which one but was quoted close to 300, it's just crazy. My dogs cost less lol. Red barn is great, a lot of stuff for "exotic" animals

Part of the reason why rabbit spays/neuters will usually cost more, is because of rabbits sensitivity to anesthesia and the problems that can go wrong if not done precisely and correctly. So more needs to be done to protect the rabbit and prevent problems arising as much as is possible. Dog and cats aren't usually as sensitive to anesthesia. The surgery and anesthesia is less apt to go wrong, so spay/neuters can be more basic and thus cost less.

When a rabbits spay/neuter is done right by an experienced rabbit vet, the rabbit will be closely monitored during and after the surgery. Sometimes they'll intubate for the surgery to secure the airway, adding to the cost(should only be done by a very experienced rabbit vet). An IV cath may be done to quickly administer life saving drugs in case the rabbit isn't responding well, increasing the cost. And they may be placed in an incubator to keep them warm following surgery(rabbits are prone to hypothermia following anesthesia) and possibly put on oxygen(also increasing cost). Then if presurgical bloodwork is done(which is a good thing to have done, particularly in older rabbits), this also increases the overall price. All of these things require more of the vets time and more techs assisting, so costs more.

I tried one of those cheaper spay and neuter clinics, which I had had other rabbits spayed and neutered previously without issue, so thought was safe. But one of my last rabbits nearly died going into cardiac arrest(and thankfully was revived). I was scared to try again thinking something made him high risk. So I waited a year, then took him to the best rabbit vet in my area. Cost about $300-$400, with presurgery blood work, and IV and intubation done during the surgery, and there were absolutely no problems this time with the neuter. So I had to conclude that his previous cardiac arrest was due to the cheaper procedures done by the low cost clinic, and/or the less experienced vet, and that this caused him going into arrest.

Certainly more expensive doesn't always mean better and safer care, but that's something you need to research and check out when deciding on the place and vet you want doing the surgery. A good rabbit vet can make all of the difference in whether or not your rabbit comes through the surgery with as minimal risk as possible. For this one rabbit of mine, it was what made the difference.

 

[White Rabbit]

Part of the reason why rabbit spays/neuters will usually cost more, is because of rabbits sensitivity to anesthesia and the problems that can go wrong if not done precisely and correctly. So more needs to be done to protect the rabbit and prevent problems arising as much as is possible. Dog and cats aren't usually as sensitive to anesthesia. The surgery and anesthesia is less apt to go wrong, so spay/neuters can be more basic and thus cost less.

When a rabbits spay/neuter is done right by an experienced rabbit vet, the rabbit will be closely monitored during and after the surgery. Sometimes they'll intubate for the surgery to secure the airway, adding to the cost(should only be done by a very experienced rabbit vet). An IV cath may be done to quickly administer life saving drugs in case the rabbit isn't responding well, increasing the cost. And they may be placed in an incubator to keep them warm following surgery(rabbits are prone to hypothermia following anesthesia) and possibly put on oxygen(also increasing cost). Then if presurgical bloodwork is done(which is a good thing to have done, particularly in older rabbits), this also increases the overall price. All of these things require more of the vets time and more techs assisting, so costs more.

I tried one of those cheaper spay and neuter clinics, which I had had other rabbits spayed and neutered previously without issue, so thought was safe. But one of my last rabbits nearly died going into cardiac arrest(and thankfully was revived). I was scared to try again thinking something made him high risk. So I waited a year, then took him to the best rabbit vet in my area. Cost about $300-$400, with presurgery blood work, and IV and intubation done during the surgery, and there were absolutely no problems this time with the neuter. So I had to conclude that his previous cardiac arrest was due to the cheaper procedures done by the low cost clinic, and/or the less experienced vet, and that this caused him going into arrest.

Certainly more expensive doesn't always mean better and safer care, but that's something you need to research and check out when deciding on the place and vet you want doing the surgery. A good rabbit vet can make all of the difference in whether or not your rabbit comes through the surgery with as minimal risk as possible. For this one rabbit of mine, it was what made the difference.

Im glad to hear your bun survived that must have been a terrible ordeal. I just find it hard to justify. Problems can arise for any animal. I personally feel they know they have a niche market and capitalize on it. Cats for example can be spayed from 8 weeks onward and are the size of a small rabbit and still cost less. Similar size and body weight, if anything they are smaller then when you can spay a rabbit and need more care do their their younger age and less developed systems, but they are cheaper. There are less "exotic" vets around leading them to be able to charge more since they have less competition, where as normal vets who only see cats and dogs have much more competition leading to cheaper prices, not to mention much more experience working on more "common" animals. They even have the vans that go to dog parks that do spay/neuters for free/low cost for cats/dogs. It's just a big difference in market. Dogs for example should be more expensive. They need more anesthesia, take longer, need more stitching, have more biowaste, take up a larger office space, they also need blood work, they also need an intubation tube, and aftercare. Yet are still cheaper. Ive gone through it with 3 dogs and 1 cat. I don't know if you have seen a dogs spay, it's pretty gnarly. Ill post a picture below. The places I listed above both have a 4.5+ star rating. I just can't recall which one quoted me the cheaper price for OP above. OP doesn't have to use them and are free to go any route they want. Just because one place will save them 100 dollars doesn't mean they are out to harm your rabbit, it's not like im giving him some back alley rabbit spay shop lol But difference of opinion, we all have 'em I do understand where you are coming from though.

 

[BrownieAndBunbun]

Part of the reason why rabbit spays/neuters will usually cost more, is because of rabbits sensitivity to anesthesia and the problems that can go wrong if not done precisely and correctly. So more needs to be done to protect the rabbit and prevent problems arising as much as is possible. Dog and cats aren't usually as sensitive to anesthesia. The surgery and anesthesia is less apt to go wrong, so spay/neuters can be more basic and thus cost less.

When a rabbits spay/neuter is done right by an experienced rabbit vet, the rabbit will be closely monitored during and after the surgery. Sometimes they'll intubate for the surgery to secure the airway, adding to the cost(should only be done by a very experienced rabbit vet). An IV cath may be done to quickly administer life saving drugs in case the rabbit isn't responding well, increasing the cost. And they may be placed in an incubator to keep them warm following surgery(rabbits are prone to hypothermia following anesthesia) and possibly put on oxygen(also increasing cost). Then if presurgical bloodwork is done(which is a good thing to have done, particularly in older rabbits), this also increases the overall price. All of these things require more of the vets time and more techs assisting, so costs more.

I tried one of those cheaper spay and neuter clinics, which I had had other rabbits spayed and neutered previously without issue, so thought was safe. But one of my last rabbits nearly died going into cardiac arrest(and thankfully was revived). I was scared to try again thinking something made him high risk. So I waited a year, then took him to the best rabbit vet in my area. Cost about $300-$400, with presurgery blood work, and IV and intubation done during the surgery, and there were absolutely no problems this time with the neuter. So I had to conclude that his previous cardiac arrest was due to the cheaper procedures done by the low cost clinic, and/or the less experienced vet, and that this caused him going into arrest.

Certainly more expensive doesn't always mean better and safer care, but that's something you need to research and check out when deciding on the place and vet you want doing the surgery. A good rabbit vet can make all of the difference in whether or not your rabbit comes through the surgery with as minimal risk as possible. For this one rabbit of mine, it was what made the difference.

Yeah, I was surprised to learn about all of the extra care needed in order to perform surgery on a bunny (and the fact that only a small percentage of vets actually perform surgery on “exotics” makes the demand higher). The vet I went to specializes in exotics and has all the bells and whistles… and they keep the bunnies overnight to monitor them… definitely seems like top-notch care. But I was surprised at the $700 per bunny cost. I’ll only go to a vet I feel comfortable with, but I might check out a few other places to see if I feel as comfortable for a more reasonable cost.

 

[BrownieAndBunbun]

Since we live close you might want to check all animals vet or all pets vet forgot which one but was quoted close to 300, it's just crazy. My dogs cost less lol. Red barn is great, a lot of stuff for "exotic" animals

Thanks! I’ll check out All Animals Vet in Calabasas. They’re closed today, but I’ll call tomorrow.

 

[White Rabbit]

Thanks! I’ll check out All Animals Vet in Calabasas. They’re closed today, but I’ll call tomorrow.

Hope all goes well. I thought you meant 700 for both not each, that Is straight up robbery.

 

[Orrin]

Your construction is very solid and should last forever. Good job.

If you seal the wood you should use something that is rabbit safe. I would think that linseed oil would be.

Two of our bunny "apartments" have balconies and they are the rabbits' favorite places. Being a bit paranoid, I made them so the buns cannot either fall or jump out.

 

[BrownieAndBunbun]

Your construction is very solid and should last forever. Good job.

If you seal the wood you should use something that is rabbit safe. I would think that linseed oil would be.

Two of our bunny "apartments" have balconies and they are the rabbits' favorite places. Being a bit paranoid, I made them so the buns cannot either fall or jump out.

Good idea - I’ll look into linseed oil… the reason I didn’t paint or seal was that I thought the bunnies might chew the wood; I wasn’t thinking that they might urinate on it (high hopes for successful liter training over here - ha!). Linseed oil sounds like a win-win option