Looking for Help Finding a Cage

[RabbitGirl101]

I took a look at the link you gave with the research. You stated regarding these links that "Studies have been done that have had rabbits in one cage with two different types of the flooring (solid and wire) and it was proven that about 70-80% of the time the rabbits chose to go on the wire even with the option of having the solid flooring." But that is not at all what those studies showed.

Those studies compared, in one case, whether rabbits preferred wire-flooring over straw-covered flooring. I don't know any indoor rabbits that are housed on straw. Straw is slippery and gets nasty quick. It is not comparable to solid flooring. So that study doesn't even apply.

Another supposed study compared wire-flooring to "deep litter." Again this is not solid flooring but deep litter. It doesn't apply.

All the other numerous studies were comparing the growth rates of young rabbits for slaughter. They compared different rearing systems for fattening rabbits for 'meat quality.' The focus was what produced the fattest rabbits the quickest for meat production.

So your statement was rather misleading.

If you like to keep your rabbits on wire flooring, that is fine by me. But let's not mislead others. There is nothing wrong or harmful with housing rabbits on solid flooring.

We apparently walk in different circles. I know no one who wants or advocates wire flooring. All the rabbit owners I know (and have known) avoid wire flooring.

Yes, we can agree to disagree. But just as you are, I'm sure, tired of people saying that wire floors always result in sorehocks (something I did not say, btw), it would be equally wrong to say that rabbits prefer wire flooring or to say that rabbits on solid flooring are unsanitary.

Misleading? I am actually quite offended you said that. Bedding and straw (which I do not personally agree with either, I used that before with my chickens and it is terrible) But the bedding is like a solid floor and can be considered a solid floor. The author of the website (not the person conducting the study, just someone merely wanting to talk about it) chose to talk about one of the rabbits in the study there was more than just one rabbit. I would prefer to not talk about the meat aspect of things as I know some users will get upset with that and for that reason we should avoid talking about it. However with that being said, being used for that should not affect the test in any way. The rabbits still chose the wire.

I personally think that solid floors are not the best option for rabbits. Once again they may work well for you but I know to many horror stories about rabbits on solid floors. (yes you hear about wire floor horror stories too-and I am very ashamed that people chose to keep a rabbit untreated when help was needed)
This is a picture of someone I know, rabbits cage (which I got courtesy of Facebook - and result in a dreadfully long conversation about how unsanitary her cages are and how bad it is for her rabbits -the main argument she presented was that the rabbits were housed in a solid bottom and its good for them)

So yes I understand that not all solid floors are bad and they work for some owners but when I see things like this it makes me cry,(note: same goes for wire floors) I am sorry to have brought things up but I just wanted to show you why I am so against the solid floors. I don't mind seeing them when you can actually see the floor.


Haha thats true, we do have different groupings of people we talk too, it is nice to talk to different people once in a while haha one of my best friends is from Germany and her rabbits have her entire backyard and her house to run around. Her entire set up is awesome (and safe) its just wicked awesome!

 

[Blue eyes]

Solid floor means solid floor to me. It does not mean a floor covered with straw and it does not mean a floor covered with "deep litter." Of course no rabbit would want to go on those. The pictures you showed are perfect examples of what the studies showed. Any rabbit would choose wire flooring over those nasty photos. (Those are what the study was comparing. -- wire floor to those 2 options). If that is what you picture in your mind when you say 'solid flooring' then no wonder you are opposed. (I am too!)

But those of us (many on this forum) who house indoors have a totally and completely different idea of what solid flooring is. They are picturing indoor NIC cages or puppy pens or crates with a visible solid floor, with a litter box and perhaps fleece. So when you said that studies show that rabbits prefer wire over 'solid flooring', I found that quite misleading. The studies have nothing to do with these types of 'solid flooring' - just those nasty outdoor examples. I didn't mean to offend, but indoor rabbit keepers would never consider the above 2 alternatives (straw/deep litter) to be "solid flooring."

In my rabbit world, the indoor set-ups seen on this site are what I picture in my mind when I hear "solid floor." I can't even imagine a rabbit choosing wire over these types of floorings. The indoor set-ups I see on this forum are mostly all great. These are the solid floors that most picture (unless, apparently, they are in your circle of outdoor keepers with photos you showed).

The solid flooring cages that many on this forum picture are seen on this thread:
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f69/2013-cages-youve-made-73877/

For contrast, these are what I picture as "solid floor."

 

[Watermelons]

Enough has been said on this topic.
The OP seems to have 1 thought in their mind about what they want.
Arguments to change that opinion have been made. Enough is enough.
Topic CLOSED.