Do your rabbits not jump?...aka how to keep rabbit in?

[RavenclawMama]

I have been perusing this forum and pinterest ever since we decided to bring our satin angora in the house. Super cool enclosures... but how do you keep your bun in??? In have a toddler and my house is not rabbit proof at all. The first week, we had him in a kids play yard, and within 3-4 hours, he jumped the side, so we clipped a sheet over the top. I bought the translucent plastic snap together yard and put it together yesterday. We watched him doing binkies and trying to scale the slick plastic sides and it seemed like a great solution.

1 am rolls around and I am just dozing off, when Max starts going crazy and binkying and literally bouncing off of the sides and then there is this THUD and CRASH, and I open my eyes and Max is SITTING ON MY DESK on top of my laptop.

Do I need prison fencing???

Do your rabbits not jump?

Are Satin Angoras just really bouncy???

These are burning questions.

I am in the process of fitting together cube shelving so that I can lock him up when he isnt supervised.

 

[somebunnylovesme]

Cube shelving, depending on the size of the rabbit is not always great. The bigger the bunny the stronger they are, they can move and lift the grids, if the grids are not secured to a platform or to something where they cannot lift or move them.

Other options are a cage or a dog pen that is very tall. Rabbits have very strong hind legs which makes the excellent jumpers. I've seen my rabbit do binkies that were 3 feet tall.

 

[RavenclawMama]

Uh oh. I hope this works because my hubs is about to ban be from buying any more bunny paraphernalia

 

[Blue eyes]

One can make enclosed cages out of cube shelving. Just use the zip ties and not those junky connectors that come with the shelves. The connectors can pop off, so use zip ties. I'll attach a photo of one of my old cube cages.

The x-pens used for containing a rabbit should be 30" + in height. What height have you been using?

 

[RavenclawMama]

Mine is 28", so just shy =/
I used the connectors and zip ties. I was 3 sections of shelving short, so I wound up using a sheet over the top last night.

 

[somebunnylovesme]

I like the plastic sheeting you have. I tried making a cage with the cube shelving and securing them with zip ties. I found that zip ties were coming loose. I put new one on and tried to get them as tight as I could and the same thing happened. Is there any suggestions for that.

 

[Popsicles]

Zip ties shouldn’t come loose, try buying better zip ties!

 

[RavenclawMama]

What about criss-crossing two ties like an x?

 

[somebunnylovesme]

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.8-inch-natural-cable-ties-100-pack.1000762523.html
Those are the ones I have. Which ones do you suggest?

 

[Popsicles]

That link doesn’t work for me, maybe because I’m in UK, but I don’t really know, I’ve just never had cable ties loosen.

 

[somebunnylovesme]

If you have any suggestion for better brands for zip ties. Please let me know!

 

[Blue eyes]

If you have any suggestion for better brands for zip ties. Please let me know!

Are you sure you're putting the ends through the correct way. If you loop one way, they will slide right out. If you loop the other way, they won't slide out at all.

..not sure if I'm explaining correctly. There are 2 ways to put the tip of the zip tie through the end of the zip tie-- a wrong side and a right side.

 

[Blue eyes]

Mine is 28", so just shy =/
I used the connectors and zip ties. I was 3 sections of shelving short, so I wound up using a sheet over the top last night.

Could bunny be using the box as a 'step' over the sides?

 

[somebunnylovesme]

I'm looping them the right way. Bunny didn't chew them or move them around.

 

[A & B]

Are they old zip ties? I believe they can get weaker as time goes on.

 

[RavenclawMama]

Could bunny be using the box as a 'step' over the sides?

Nope! The box was a new addition =D
I watched him jump up in the original play yard.

 

[somebunnylovesme]

When I used them they were brand new and out of the package. 6 mths later, they started to get weaker.

 

[Blue eyes]

When I used them they were brand new and out of the package. 6 mths later, they started to get weaker.

Cable ties (zip ties) should last a very long time.

I see 2 possibilities with those ties -- either you got a faulty batch or the end is being placed in the wrong way.

Just for clarity, I'm attaching a video that shows the way a tie can be incorrectly zipped.

 

[somebunnylovesme]

That is how I put them on.

 

[Blue eyes]

^ Which way? I showed both the wrong and the right on the video. (Have your sound on because you can hear the difference as well.) The first way is the wrong way. Then I show the correct way.