Dog Crates for Larger Buns?

[Jess_sully]

Hello again! How is everyone doing tonight?

Okay, well since I've definitely made up my mind to get a Satin... he's going to get pretty big (8-11 pounds)... so the cage I was planning on for the Mini Rex just doesn't seem right to me anymore. I was planning on getting the Super Pet My First Home X-Tra Large (40"x18"x20"), but now I'm just not sure if the 18" width is wide enough for a big bun, andit has a small door and flimsier build, too.

So, I was thinking about just getting a large 36"x24"x27" dog crate from Wal*Mart for $60.00, the same price as the Super Pet Cage. The dog crate is definitely better quality and I like the big door better, too. The bun's going to have free-range of a hallway and room of my house when I'm home, and he'll be allowed into the other rooms if I'm right there with him. However, he has to stay in his cage while I'm at school for six hours every day... which is when buns usually nap anyways.

Do you think the dog crate will be a big enough base? I don't want him to be cramped, but NIC's are out of the question because my dad doesn't like them, andthey're not sturdy enough for a big bun. I don't want to get a pen because it'll be really messy before he's littertrained, and I don't like the lack of door or lid. So, it looks like I'm stuck to a dog crate. There's a slightly larger dog crate that is 42"x28"x31", too... and it's $80.00 I think?I hate all the extra height on the crates though, it looks awkward with the bunny in there. Then again, I've never seen a picture of a big bunny in a dog crate, either!

Does anyone out there have a large bunny in a dog crate? If so, do you have pictures?

 

[Bramble Briar86]

I've definitly heard about people using dog crates. It's sounds like a good idea since your bun will be in the medium size category. If you get the taller crate you could look in to building a second level with a ramp.

Ellie

 

[Bassetluv]

My two stay in dog crates in the wintertime (in spring, summer and fall they live in outdoor hutches). Raph is the bigger of my two bunnies; he's an English lop and probably weighs around 10 lbs or so. The cages that I have right now are a bit small for them - I think they measure 24" x 36". They have enough room to move about, but it's really not enough for them toexercise. So they will be getting new cages before this winter. I love the crates because the doors are huge, allowing easy access to retrieve the rabbits and to clean the cages. The only thing I would suggest is, if you are getting a dog crate and your bunny is small (or still young), make sure the bars aren't spaced wide enough apart so that his head might get caught. If in doubt, put some temporary wire around the sides until the rabbit has grown. Anyway, I do like dog crates for the sturdiness, size and easy accessibility...but they can be pricey (I was checking some out the other day...48" ones...and the cheapest was $179.00!!). However, some people here are quite creative and have made their own cages out of NIC cubes...you might want to check that out first, as I've heard they are very economical.

 

[Snuggys Mom]

I am using the $60 Walmart dog crate for a four-pound lop and I wish it was bigger.

I was in a pinch because I rescued him from a neighbor and had to have something right away.

It's okay, but the tray in the bottom lets all the poop and hay out the sides, so it makes a mess. I'm going to replace it with Coroplast so the sides will be higher.

 

[JimD]

Greeting Jess_sully!

I know several owners that use dog crates for their bunnies. First one to mind is Carolyn's giant Flemish, Cali. Buck Jones also used some crates, modifying them with wheels and drop pans.

When we got Tootsie, a 10 pound black New Zealand, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. The biggest cage I had at the time was 36Lx24Wx18H and I was sure she couldn't live in there all of the time. I ended up connecting the exercise pen to the cage. So she has a 4'x6' pen area and her cage. In her cage are her litter pan and her hay rack, and those are the only reasons she goes in her cage. Most of the time she hangs out in the pen area. Eventually, I plan on taking the cage out and I'll attach her hay rack to the pen and put a larger litter pan under it for her. She loves to eat hay while she sits in her litter pan, but the corner pan she has now is a bit too cozy to move around in too much.

~Jim

 

[Nes]

Look around in your local classifieds or you are going to be soar about buying that kennel! After puppies are house-trained most people toss/sell their kennels and there are always TONS around here for REALLY cheap. They do make good bunny cages but I suggest adding a urine guard (just a little metal plate around the inside bottom of the cage) so you don't get such a mess

Nes.

 

[Jess_sully]

Thanks for all of the replies. I've been doing a lot of research online, but I still haven't quite decided what I'll end up doing. I'll probably get the bigger 42"x28" crate... even though it's expensive. I've been checking ads and garage sales for a couple weeks, no dog crates as of yet

 

[Nes]

Jess_sully wrote:

I've been checking ads and garage sales for a couple weeks, no dog crates as of yet

Wait till you buy one - there will be three!

Have you triedin an animal section of online classifed ads? That's where I see them most often because the ads are free

Nes.

 

[Jess_sully]

Nes wrote:

Wait till you buy one - there will be three!

Have you triedin an animal section of online classifed ads? That's where I see them most often because the ads are free

Nes.

I'm sure that would be just my luck that I'd find one LATER, hmph. I haven't tried online ads very much though, but I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the tip

 

[canela_2004]

I just switched Kahlua (standard rex) to a large dog crate. It was one of 2 that belong to my labrador. It is the 42" inch long one, ad cost us $70 at Walmart. It is a nice size for her, her litter box doesnt take up mch room in it and she can hop around it easily. She does get floor time, about an hour or two a day. We put wire (like chicken wire, but much smaller squares) around the sides to prevent her from kicking out litter onto the carpet. I think the dog crate is a nice idea for a meidum or large rabbit.

 

[Jess_sully]

Thanks for the input! By the way, I love standard rexes! However, there are no breeders (or rescues) near me that have them

 

[caro678]

I have a mini- lop (Cheeseburger) that I keep in a medium sides crate, It works nice because he can get in and out of the front door easily, howeverwhen Cheese gets anxious he is able to jump out of the larger holes on the top, so I had to add another grate to the top of the cage to prevent him from getting out!! good luck!

 

[katt]

herman is in a dog create, my only issue: he isn't 100% litter trained so he doesn't get a towel/sheet layed over the textured plastic of the tray yet, so at night when he wants out, or is just moving around alot he tends to make a lot of noise with his nails. . .but i have gotten use to it.

herman is an english lop, he is 8 pounds currently and the cage does seem a bit small for him (but that is compared to winnie- a 6 pound mini lop- who lives in a 2 foot by 6 foot puppy playpen) when they are bonded they will both be in the pen, this is just were herman lives for now.



you can come up with some cool ways to add levels to a dog kennel and i think they are high quality then the rabbit cages you buy.

 

[Jess_sully]

English lops are closein size to Satins. My main concern is still space. I don't want him to be cramped, because he'll have to be in the crate/cage for a large portion of the day due to my classes, even though he'll have about six hours of free-range time, too. Maybe I'll have to settle for an expensive, super large crate.

 

[flemishr2cool]

hey Jess, if someone sends you a really nice picture of a cage set up using a dog crate please send their email my way, I wanted a picture of one to use on my website on my Flemish Giant housing page, lol, which would of helped you out considerably

 

[Jess_sully]

flemishr2cool wrote:

hey Jess, if someone sends you a really nice picture of a cage set up using a dog crate please send their email my way, I wanted a picture of one to use on my website on my Flemish Giant housing page, lol, which would of helped you out considerably

I'll be sure to send it along What's your website address, I'll check it out

 

[Jenni]

Gretchen has a dog crate as her cage. The height allows for a shelf/llookout. I really like it beause of its appearance and the tray easily slides out for cleaning. I would highly recommend it.

 

[Jess_sully]

Great example, thanks! I think I saw a picture of her crate in the "Cages Only" thread, but I wasn't sure how big Gretchen is. Care to share? Also, what did you support the shelf with?

 

[Jenni]

She's probably about 6 lbs. She's young and I haven't weighed her in about a month. She's a mini-rex/Dutch mix and will be a medium size bun when she stops growing. I don't expect her to get much bigger.

I've though of adding another shelf in the opposite corner and using a concrete tube to connect the two shelves. I thought she might like that.

The height of the dog crates give you a lot of options.

Also, it folds down for traveling. When Gretchen had to stay with my parents for 2 weeks while I was on vacation, I just folded the crate up and transported everything to their house.

I really like it. And although the NIC condos are great for more than 1 bun or for larger buns, I think this works great for Gretchen. I really like the way the floor works. I wouldn't get that in an NIC condo.

 

[Jenni]

I made the shelf myself. My husband cut the wood and I used a drill and drilled three holes on each end of the shelf, evenly space. Then I used black zip ties and just cinch it to the horzontal braces on the cage.

By the way...Gretchen stays in it while I am work and sleeping.