Perfect Housing (for me)

[Jess_sully]

[align=left]The two main things that I want in rabbit housing is something that is 1) easily folds down for transportation, and 2) has enough space for a larger bunny. Exercise pens have the problem of height/escaping, as well as size... the most I have room for (it has to be in my bedroom) is 48" x 24", so that involves overlapping, covering the door. They are also on the expensive side. Then, I thought perhaps a NIC pen, but there were issues with that including portability and, again, height. Otherwise, I'd have to make a 2-grid high NICcage with no shelf, which just looks funny, and complicated to travel with. Dog crates werevery overpriced, heavy, andI'm faced again with the awkwardheight issue. And pet store cages? Overpriced, small, and cheap.

I was discussing my problems withmy breeder, and I've finally found what I want! I think it would be good for a lot of other people on the board who are struggling for housing options, too. They are what I like to call miracle cages. They're the Kwik Build cages from Bass Equipment Co. They're made of sleek/durable galvanized-before metal, they're extremely easy to put together and collapse for transport, they come in a huge variety of sizes, and best of all, they're CHEAP!

A 48" x 30" kwik build cage is only $57.75 with shipping and handling. That, my friends, is incredible. Pans are outrageously overpriced, but the cages come with regular wire floors, so I'll cut a peice of vinyl/lineoleum flooring to cover it, and voila! Towels and straw mats willeliminate the slipping issue.The only problem I can see is the swing in door, but that will be easily fixed by removing it and then reattatching it using zip ties as hinges on the side, so it swings to the side instead of in.

http://bassequipment.com/
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[Haley]

Hey Jess:

I dont know if you purchased your cage already, but heres another fairly good one for portability. Although, it is a bit small compared to NIC condos (this is what I used for my rabbits before I built the NIC). It folds down very nicely and even has a slide out pan for easy cleanup. Its 37 x 19 x 20 and only costs like $40.00. I got mine at Pet Supplies Plus here in MI. http://www.futurepets.com/Wabbitat.htm



Its a really good cage and could easily be expanded a bit by removing the side panel and adding nic cubes etc.

Just thought I'd give you some more options...Good Luck!

-Haley

 

[Jess_sully]

Thanks for theidea I was considering that one, but the 19" width seems kind of small. Hmmm. I'll ask the breeder what she thinks

 

[Haley]

yeah, if youre getting a bigger bun, it would be small.

My two dutches fit in there, but I wouldnt leave them in there for more than an hour or so..just too cramped.With how cheap they are, you could get two and cable tie them together...the litter pan comes out the front, so no problem there.

just a thought..

-Haley

 

[Jess_sully]

Putting two together is a pretty good idea. I could always zip tie them. Hmmm. It would still be a lot cheaper just to get the bass cage though... our petsmart sells the Large Wabbitat for $55.00, and it's an hour drive to get there, so add that on and times it by two, that already equals $110.00. The bass cage will work out really well for me I think because the roof can be one huge hinged door if you don't attatch it at the front, and the cages are just plain BIG. They go from 18 x 18 all the way up to 96 x 30! Wow. Now that is a huge cage, lol. I think the 48" x 30" will be plenty enough space, though. He won't be in there for that long, anyways.

 

[Haley]

Yeah, when you add gas prices thats a bit expensive!

I couldnt see the cage you were getting..the link just showed a small one. Sounds big though from the measurements!

Good Luck and keep us posted on your new bun and his home!

-Haley

 

[JimD]

Originally, I was buying the smaller Wabbitat (#151, 25 L x 19 W x 20 H”), and the buns soon outgrew them so I replaced them with the #157. I bought them all through ebay and paid $30 + $8 shipping for each.
It was cheaper that the Petsmart.

When I got ready to buy the last one I decided to combine two of the smaller ones instead. It took about 20 minutes. I simply took the ends off and zip tied them together. We put Binkie in it and she's got plenty of room with the 48" length.


JimD wrote:

This picture only shows half of her cage. She's got the biggest cage of all the buns. It's actually 2 smaller cages that we modified into one to make it 4 foot long. We call it "The Hilton" and Binkie's nickname is "Paris".You can see where I zip tied it just below the "Beware..." sign.

 

[Haley]

Jim, great minds think alike!

-Haley

 

[JimD]

Haley wrote:

Jim, great minds think alike!

-Haley

 

[JimD]

Haley wrote:

Its a really good cage and could easily be expanded a bit by removing the side panel and adding nic cubes etc.


-Haley

With Binkies NIC add-on, I just attached it right to the front of the cage. Since her's is 2 cages together, she has 2 front doors. I took one door off (takes about 15 seconds and a pair of pliers). The other door I left on and made it into a shelf. The door I took off I made into a door for the NIC add-on.
For cleaning, it's easiest for me just to unclip the addon and move it out of the way.
(I've really got to take some pics)