New Cage possibbly??????

[ldoerr]

I currently have 1 Jersey wooly doe. She is in a cage that is 31"x21"x18" (LxWxH). I am getting a new bunnie this weekend. She is a Mini Red doe. I am wondering if I need to make a new cage or if they can both be good in that cage? The space that I have available at the absolute MAX is 52" by 3ft. If I built a new cage how big would it need to be? How many panels is that length x width? Also how many levels would it need to be?

 

[littl3red]

That cage is hardly enough space for one rabbit, let alone two. I admit that the cage I got for my rabbit is too small, but I am switching her to an x-pen soon, which is a very good option and what I should have gone with originally. It costs about the same as the cage I have now but is much larger. I would say, in this and any situation, give the rabbits as much space as possible. Also, you might want to wait putting the rabbits together until you know they get along, you don't want anyone getting hurt.

 

[ldoerr]

The reason why I do not want to use an xpen is because I have a dog that does not like rabbits. The cage that Beauty is in now is up off the ground. Do you have any sugestions on the NIC cage I should build or on introducing rabbits?

 

[littl3red]

Okay, I didn't understand that you were building a NIC cage. It sounds like the largest you could do is 3x2 14" panels, or 4x3 12" panels, I'm not sure exactly what brand you have or how large they are. Either way, I would make it at least 2 panels high if you are putting a top on it, and maybe 3 if you aren't, it depends on if you think your rabbits will jump out or not.

As for introducing the rabbits, I can't help much with that, as I have never done it. I'm sure someone else on the forum can though.

 

[Blue eyes]

This NIC cage would be an appropriate size for 2 bunnies and should fit in your available space. However, you cannot just put the 2 in there without first going through the bonding process. Bunnies bond best when spayed. Your girls should be spayed for their health anyway to avoid cancer.

Are your girls spayed yet?

 

[littl3red]

I second Blue Eyes, that is a very good cage, but if you have multiple levels MAKE SURE to cover the floor with something, don't leave them right on the wire.

 

[ldoerr]

Neither one is spayed and I will most likely not be able to get them spayed. My parents are very against taking any animal besides a dog or cat to the vet. I do not have a job so can not afford to take them in myself. I will talk to my parents about getting them spayed when they are in a good mood. (last I talked to them they were stressed because my brother was stranded in the middle of nowhere with a broken down car).

I have a question, Where do you get the panels to make those cages? Everywhere online that I have looked only sells them in packs to make 4 cubes. The places that sell them in packs to make 6 cubes cost WAY too much (like $50-$60+). I would like to build this as cheeply as posible because we are on a budget right now. Getting Shinny Things was a little bit unexpected. (long story, see other post in main forum).

 

[ldoerr]

Also neither one of the rabbits is litter box trained yet. How do you keep that cage clean and get the rabbits out? One last question. How many panels do you need to build that cage?

 

[MiserySmith]

I suggest that you DO NOT get a second rabbit. You have no money for a spay never mind vet care. It's cruel to keep animals with no intentions of getting them the care they need, not to mention you said it yourself.. you just don't have the space. Even being around each other unspayed can cause hormonal issues, you never know.
You're way better off spoiling the one you have, until a time when you can convince your parents to get her spayed and vet care.
Seriously reconsider, wait until your current bunny is fixed and can be vetted if necessary. Sometimes intros do not go well at all and fights can lead to injuries- where they'd have to see a vet.

 

[ldoerr]

I have been waiting to get this rabbit since March. I have had to pull a lot of strings and a lot of people have helped me to get the rabbit. I was a breeder for 4 years. All of my rabbits lived next to eachother. None of them are fixed. Until I joined this forum I did not even know that you could get a rabbit fixed. Getting a rabbit fixed is NOT the norm. Also VERY few people take rabbits to the vet. I will be watching the intro closely. Beauty my current rabbit is very laid back and sweet. If I can remember corectly the new rabbit Shiny Things is also very sweet and laid back. She is one of the rabbits that I breed in 2010. I checked my pedigree program yesterday and Shiny Thinks is 2 years and 2 moths old TODAY. Beauty was born I beleave January 11th 2011. They are both old enough to get along. They will be cared for the best that is posibel. I am sure that is one of them gets injured my parents will let me take it to the vet. To a breeder a fixed rabbit is a worthless rabbit. They can not show, or breed. All they can be used for is for pets and that makes them basically worthless.

If you would go and read my post in the main forum then it would explain everything. Sorry if I am sounding rude but I do take very good care of my animals.

 

[littl3red]

So pet rabbits are "basically worthless" now? I'm sorry, but I think you may be in the wrong place. NO animal, whether a breeder, pet, food animal, NO animal is worthless, and CERTAINLY not a pet. And no, many people do not take rabbits to the vet, and that is a shame, because they are NOT "throw away" pets. You don't only sound rude, you sound cruel and heartless.

 

[Blue eyes]

ldoerr wrote:

Until I joined this forum I did not even know that you could get a rabbit fixed. Getting a rabbit fixed is NOT the norm. Also VERY few people take rabbits to the vet. They are both old enough to get along. They will be cared for the best that is posibel. I am sure that is one of them gets injured my parents will let me take it to the vet. To a breeder a fixed rabbit is a worthless rabbit. They can not show, or breed. All they can be used for is for pets and that makes them basically worthless.

If you would go and read my post in the main forum then it would explain everything. Sorry if I am sounding rude but I do take very good care of my animals.

I don't know why you appear to be trying to ruffle feathers here on this forum. Even though you might have bred some rabbits as a child, that doesn't mean your experiences are the norm. There is a breeder section on this forum, but many of us have rabbits as pets. None of us consider our pets worthless anymore than you would consider a neutered dog to be worthless. An animal's ability to show or breed is not what gives it "worth."
It IS most definitely the NORM for pet rabbit owners to fix their bunnies. We are aware of how vicious fights can be between intact, unbonded rabbits. Many of us know this from years of experience. Hence the warnings you were being given by other members.
It is also true that unspayed females statistically die of cancer at an incredibly higher rate. Our indoor, spayed rabbits live 10+ years. Unspayed females average death by cancer at around 4-5 yrs of age.
Anyone on this forum cares for their pets. We are here to share that knowledge and experience with others and so benefit from each other. You may disagree with what others say, but that does not invalidate facts. We are all here to share and learn.
Regarding the NIC cubes, there is a list of potential purchase sources if you scroll down on the following site:
http://www.guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm

 

[ldoerr]

I am really sorry about my last post. I did not mean it. I was getting cranky because I had not eaten anything yet today. I was not trying to ruffle any feathers. I really do care about my animals. I will be talking to my mom about getting the rabbits fixed but it will most likely not happen any time soon. (maybe for a christmas/bday present they could do it for me). Beauty is already the most spoiled rabbit that I have ever had. My mom thinks that the cage that Beauty is in is WAY too big for her. She thinks that a 4lb rabbit only needs a cage that is 18"x24" (what we used to keep our rabbits in without letting them out to run ever). I am learning how to keep a pet rabbit since being on this forum. It just might take some time for me (and my mom) to get used to the idea of treating a rabbit like a dog or cat. Once again I DID NOT mean to offend anybody. If I could I woudld just deleat this whole thread and start it again. I know that I should not have said that pet rabbits are worthless. I know that they are not. I was not thinking clearly. I hope that you all can forgive me.

 

[ldoerr]

Also thank you for that link. It was very helpfull

 

[littl3red]

It's alright... I really should have been nicer in my response too. Treating a rabbit like a dog or cat can be a foreign concept to some people, but truth is, rabbits are not "cage animals." My mom was the same way when I first got my rabbit, wanted her in the cage all the time, thought she was just a fluffy poo machine. But even she is learning, if I take the time to treat my rabbit like a member of the family, she is a very entertaining and rewarding pet to keep. Rabbits are just as good as pets as dogs are, just different. Honestly though, if you are going to keep a pet rabbit, and ESPECIALLY if you are going to get another, make sure you build a bigger cage, give them PLENTY of time out (they should have at least a couple hours a day to run around and exercise, or you will have unhappy and unhealthy buns) and make sure you can provide them with veterinary care. If you must, look for a humane society in your area, sometimes they will do spays for free, but I don't recommend it unless you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT take them to a vet. Having a humane society do a spay can sometimes be dangerous.

 

[ldoerr]

I am planning on making a bigger cage this weekend when I get the rabbit (I can not get ANY of the stuff to build the NIC cages in Brenham TX). I think that the space that I have will allow me a max footprint of 3x2. What I plan to do to start is make a 3x2x2 with a devidor in the center. This way the rabbits can get to know eachother. I will have a shelf in each compartment. I have already bunny proofed my walk in closet (small walk in, only space that would be safe for them). Beauty has not been in their yet so I think that it would be a good neutral teritory for them (do not have Shiny Thing yet). I will eventually add a third story to the cage. (probably not 4th since both rabbits I beleave are very inactive).

Do you have any ideas on door for the cage? I plan on having coroplast as the base and have it come up on the outsides by about 3" to keep the mess in the cage. Neither bunny is litter box trained, so ease of cleaning is a big thing.

I hope that you are having a great day

 

[littl3red]

For the door, I think you put zip-ties along one side of the wire and use a dog-leash style clip to hold it shut (or anything that won't be chewed, really.) I was going to build a NIC cage but could not find coroplast ANYWHERE, so if that's a problem for you, I would suggest linoleum or even a shower curtain.

 

[ldoerr]

Where should the door go so that I have easy access to the whole cage for cleaning? (I clean daily). Should the whole top front row swing down? For the cage in Spring that we built last weekend the whole top front swings down and 1/2 of the top swings back. That makes it really easy to get into the cage for cleaning/picking up a stubborn bunny. I need to figure out how to post pictures and put a couple of them up to show everyone. (my mom came up with the design.)

 

[littl3red]

That does sound like a good way to make cleaning easy. I don't see any reason why that would cause any issues.

 

[ldoerr]

The only concern that I have is for when I want to add an additional level to the cage. I guess that I will figure that out latter on down the road.

I posted pictures for Beauty's weekend cage for you to see. (it is the cage that has those doors I was talking about.