Tasmanian Devil and Ruby!

[whitelop]

If the hole is in the side and not the top, then I don't think so. Like get a strong box, put some weight on it; cut a hole in the side and put some weight on it and see how it does. Think about how much they weigh, basically nothing! hahaha.

Foo has a box, its a diaper box. BUT, she doesn't chew on cardboard. The ONLY reason she has a diaper box with all the logos and ink on it is because she DOESN'T chew on the box. I've watched her carefully. That is good strong box though, if you could find something like that, it would be good. Or if you could find like a plastic storage bin that was the right height, you could use that too.

Someone might know more about cardboard boxes as caves/steps.

 

[Hyatt101]

I would use a box like that, but I'm sure my bunnies would chew it with the ink I'll try to find a sturdy box and cut a hole in the side for a cave, so it can serve as a hideout, and a step Yeah, I have really small bunnies, so they don't weigh a lot at all.

 

[Imbrium]

my bunnies got their NIC cage at 11-12 weeks old (basically as soon as I was confident Nala couldn't get her head stuck in the grids any more)... looks like they would've weighed about 22-26 oz at the time. Nala took to the levels like a fish to water; Gaz was reluctant at first, but Nala and I showed her how to get up and down the levels and I started putting a pellet bowl up there and suddenly Gaz was hopping up and down the levels like a pro. I don't remember Ruby's age/breed, but considering my rabbits were quite young when they got the condo and are very small breeds, my guess is that Ruby really doesn't need an extra step or ramp if the levels are one grid up - she'll use them more as she gets used to them (putting some veggies or her pellets or something up there would get her using the levels more). Taz could probably benefit from a half-step, though, just because of the break in her leg when she was younger.

if you use a litter box grid, putting the litter box below the level would lessen the gap they have to jump up by a few inches if they get in the box first and then jump up.

 

[Hyatt101]

Thanks Jennifer! Ruby is around 3 1/2 months old, and she is a netherland dwarf. Taz is a lionhead like Nala, and she's around 4 months old. I think I'll try the step for Taz definitely, because she has this little grass cave and she loves to get on top of it, which assures me she will probably do the same to the box. Ruby may or may not need the step, but if at that age Nala was able to jump up, I'm sure Ruby could too, if I just help her a little. If i put her food up there for awhile (not the whole day, so she won't be too hungry, but in the morning, when she's hungry enough) do you think she'll want it so much that she'll jump up?

 

[Hyatt101]

So, not much new to report. Ruby continues to jump up onto the second level without step or ramp, but has not yet shown me that she can get down...? Also, she's looking a little plump around her neck area. Could it be a dewlap!?!?! :shock: I took several pic and am working on finding that cord!

Taz is as usual, slowly improving with her litterbox habits, but she has a way of being so NOISY when she hops around, spilling anything in her path (hence the name "Tasmanian Devil, you know, the character who spins around and knocks everything down in his path!) She'll run right over her bowls, making a super loud clang that jumps me every time! I also bought her a hay roller thing, and she LOVES it! She just loves hay, more so than Ruby, although Ruby likes her hay too.

My outdoor buns: They're doing great, staying warm, and I give them a little extra food so they can plump up a little for winter! They really don't eat a lot of hay, i've noticed. Is this normal? They don't eat nearly so much as my indoor buns, even though they're given the same amount. Thankfully, it's been slightly warmer here, so the bottles haven't frozen in a few days, though we change them each day.

Oops, scratch that part about Ruby not being able to get down, I just saw her jump down!

 

[whitelop]

bhahaha. I'm glad she can jump down! I would be worried about that too, and I would probably sit and watch her until she jumped down.

The outside rabbits I'm sure eat a lot of hay still, they just probably trample it down and its hard to tell when its gone; unless its ALL gone. Foo does that too sometimes when she sits in her box a lot.

I don't know if that chubbiness around Ruby's neck is her dewlap or not. I hope so! I love dewlaps! They're adorable.
I'm glad to hear that everybun is doing so well!

 

[Hyatt101]

Thanks Morgan! I think a dewlap would be cute on little Ruby!

 

[Imbrium]

I'm glad ruby can get down . Gazzles took a long time to be as comfortable with getting down as going up, I dunno if the color of the fleece and then the coroplast (once I had to take away the fleece) threw off her depth perception or what - she was quick to jump down out of the condo, but not so much with the inside jumps.

 

[Hyatt101]

I now have reason to believe that Tazzie jumped up too, because I saw a few little poops on her level, and the grass cave is up there too, and it was chewed more. Crazy buns....

 

[whitelop]

hahaha. Buns are crazy! Sometimes they're very surprising.

 

[Hyatt101]

Well said morgan
I think Ruby MIGHT be forming a dewlap.. not sure though! One thing I wanted to ask you guys: how do you clean your NIC cage? Bear in mind my buns aren't 100% litter trained either. As for smell, I know it's one of those things you have to deal with when you own rabbits, but I want to dilute it somehow!

 

[whitelop]

I don't have a NIC cage, but my cage still has a plastic bottom and no bedding.

What I do is, I scoop her litter box, every day or every other day. I sweep out her cage when I scoop her litter box. She spills hay and doesn't always poop in the box. So I sweep all that up.
Once a week, I spray the bottom out with a mix of white vinegar, water and eucalyptus oil. You don't have to have the eucalyptus oil, that just happens to be my primary multi-purpose cleaner. Anyway, I spray it out. Let it sit for a minute, the wipe it away with paper towels. I then spray my Pure Ayre animal smell defuser into her cage and let it sit for a minute, then wipe it completely dry.
Once a week, when I do her cage bottom, I also clean her litter box the same way. Then reorganize her cage, attach everything back to it and she gets to go back in.

I think you linoleum in your cage, and I'm sure you could do the same things I do. But vinegar is a great natural cleaner and tends to take the smell of rabbit away from the cage. Its good to use in the litter boxes to, for cleaning.
But basically to keep the smell down, just stay on top of it. Like when you come home from school, sweep their cages out. I got a tiny broom and dust pan for like 1.50 at walmart, its a wonder!
To keep them using the litter boxes, I would continue to put the potty mess in the litter box, so they know that its okay to go in there. So like every few days, I would clean the litter box out, but maybe leave a little tiny bit of pee and a few poops; just get the majority.

I just rambled all that out. Sorry, I'm watching the news.

 

[whitelop]

Oh and the grass mats, I would shake them out frequently. Get the fur and whatever poop you've missed. Unfortunately you probably can't clean those things properly. You could probably google to see if you can wash those mats. You could find something else to use, that is washable and you could wash it frequently.

 

[Hyatt101]

Thanks Morgan!

 

[JBun]

Sounds like your buns like their new home and are getting more used to it Do they lay by each other next to the divider, or try and groom each other?

 

[Hyatt101]

Jenny: They will sniff each other and try to groom each other

 

[whitelop]

Awww. I bet that is ADORABLE! Do you still let them play together?

 

[Hyatt101]

It is cute From time to time I let them play, but after the little "dispute" they had (they kinda chased each other around, but thankfully no fur was pulled or bites or scratches!) So I'm a little hesitant. Should I keep letting them play together?

 

[Imbrium]

if they're getting into tiffs, I'd hold off on the play time.

a whisk broom or small wet/dry vac works wonders... I also use this product called "noodor" that I got from the pet section of walmart that does a great job of making smells go away - I just spritz it on the flooring and then wipe it up with paper towels.

 

[Hyatt101]

Thanks jennifer! We'll look for noodor!