How to prepare a rabbit cage

Content

Steps
Part 1 of 4: Choosing the Right Cage
Part 2 of 4: Additional arrangement of the cage
Part 3 of 4: Providing your pet with food, water, and toys
Part 4 of 4: Keeping a rabbit cage
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

If you are considering adopting a rabbit as a pet, the first step is to provide it with comfortable living conditions. The cage will be the home for the rabbit, where it will be constantly (except for the time when the pet will rest on your lap or walk, running around the house with you). Therefore, it is important to purchase a spacious and sturdy cage for him, in which there will be enough space for physical activity.Food bowls and drinkers should be placed in the cage, and the bottom should be covered with safe bedding. Finally, the rabbit needs to be provided with toys and treats so that it has the opportunity to have fun and live a happy life even when you are not around.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Choosing the Right Cage

1 Get a cage that is large enough to keep your rabbit comfortable. There should be enough room in the cage for the rabbit to move freely without any difficulty. It is generally recommended that the height of the cage allows the rabbit to stand upright on its hind legs without touching the ceiling with its ears. A cage of about 3 m² is usually large enough to accommodate a medium sized rabbit.
- Larger breeds of rabbits such as English Sheep or Flanders may require even larger cages of approximately 4 m². A cage of about 1 m² is also suitable for dwarf rabbits.
- If you plan on keeping more than two rabbits in a cage, try to get them the largest cage you can afford.
2 Consider purchasing a cage with separate compartments or multiple levels. Rabbits instinctively choose darker, enclosed spaces. If you are willing to spend a little more money on a crate, you can purchase a cage with multiple compartments or levels that will allow your pet to enjoy the extra privacy. This way, the rabbit will always have its own quiet and peaceful resting place.
- A cage with internal compartments or levels is significantly more expensive than a standard cage, but the additional cost is justified by the increased internal area.
- Regardless of the size of the cage you choose, each of your bunnies should have their own shelter in which they can hide. A secluded, personal space allows your rabbit to deal with stress in a healthy way.
3 Choose a cage with a sturdy plastic bottom. In open mesh-bottomed cages, rabbits' feet can get stuck between the wire rods and suffer from painful calluses. In addition, solid bottom cages have the added benefit of being easier to bedding and cleaning.
- If you already have a mesh bottom cage, place a piece of cardboard or plywood on the bottom to make your rabbit's paws more comfortable.
4 Opt for a cage with a large door. The crate should be equipped with a door large enough to easily carry all additional cage accessories, including a food bowl, drinker, litter box, bedding and toys for your pet to play with. And, of course, the door should allow the rabbit to pass freely through it!
- Some cages are equipped with several doors at once, for example, an additional enlarged door can be present on the side or on top, which makes it easier to install and remove various items from the cage.
5 Make sure there is enough room in the cage for the rabbit to be active. Rabbits are very energetic and do not like to sit just like that for a long time. For this reason, most of the cage space should allow the rabbit to play and explore. Ideally, the cage should allow the rabbit to make 3-4 jumps from one wall to the other. The ability to move freely will make your rabbit happy and healthy.
- In a 3 m² cage, only about 0.7 m² can be reserved for eating and sleeping.
- Place some simple physical activity accessories in the cage, such as balls and boxes, which are interesting running obstacles.

Part 2 of 4: Additional arrangement of the cage

1 Choose a bed that is safe for the rabbit. Look for a bedding specifically designed for rabbit cages or safe for rabbits.Hay is the best bedding material as it is edible and provides warmth in cooler conditions. Pregnant rabbits and young rabbits should be given alfalfa hay, while timothy hay is suitable for adult rabbits.
- Another option for bedding is compressed sawdust and recycled paper.
- Do not use pine and cedar sawdust as they are toxic to rabbits.
2 Place bedding on the bottom of the cage. The litter layer should be at least 5–7 cm and should lie evenly over the entire area of the cage. If you are using hay, add more to the side of the cage to make it easier for your rabbit to chew and have more room to play and sleep in the center of the cage.
- Consider placing a pair of absorbent puppy diapers or a layer of newspaper underneath the mat to facilitate subsequent cleaning of the cage and to provide additional protection against leaks.
- Give your rabbit a thick layer of bedding to prevent the development of calluses (pododermatitis) on its feet. This is a very painful and fairly common problem in rabbits when they have to spend a lot of time on a hard and damp surface. A thick layer of litter is soft enough to lift your pet out of damp, dirty areas.
3 Provide a place for a couch. Although rabbits can sleep directly on soft bedding without any problems, a separate bed can be a useful and pleasant addition to a well-equipped cage. Place it in a corner or wall to give your pet plenty of room to feed, play and warm up.
- The bunny's bunk can be a wicker rug, a small hammock, or soft bedding similar to those made for dogs.
4 Place a litter box in the cage. Littering your rabbit will keep your crate cleaner and more hygienic. Find a commercially available litter box that fits your rabbit and fill it with paper-based litter. You can also use a mixture of shredded newspapers and hay if you have a supply of these materials.
- Avoid using clumping litter. It can be dangerous to the rabbit if it decides to eat it.

Part 3 of 4: Providing your pet with food, water, and toys

1 Install a drinker. The drinking bowl will provide your rabbit with clean and fresh water throughout the day. Attach the drinker to the cage wall using the provided hooks or other attachment. Make sure the spout is low enough for your rabbit to reach without too much effort.
- A 600 ml drinker will provide one rabbit with water for two days or a couple of rabbits for a day. It is best to have a drinker for each of your pet, as this will avoid conflicts.
- The rabbit may prefer to drink water from a bowl. However, the bowl is easy to turn over and is more likely to get contaminated with food, bedding and faeces, which requires regular water changes.
2 Place a food bowl in the cage. The bowl should be large enough for the rabbit to eat, but not too large for the bowl to slide through the cage door without difficulty. Place the bowl of food at some distance from the drinker or bowl of water to prevent the food from getting wet.
- If you want to provide your rabbit with a more balanced diet, consider two separate bowls, one for pellets and one for fruits and vegetables.
- If you'd rather just pour the food into the bottom, then you don't need a bowl. If this is the case, scatter a handful of food and herbs over the bottom of the rabbit cage once a day. This way of feeding helps to maintain the rabbit's innate instinct to seek food for itself and provides it with some kind of occupation.
3 Fill a bowl with balanced dry rabbit food. The most common type of rabbit feed is pellet feed, but dry organic rabbit feed is also nutritious enough. Dry food is usually highly concentrated, and the rabbit only needs a handful for the whole day. But the pet must always have hay in unlimited quantities so that he can have a snack with him if he gets hungry.
- Additionally, you can feed your rabbit slices of carrots, celery, or green leafy vegetables a couple of times a day to pamper your pet with a treat and diversify its diet.
- To provide your rabbit with a nutritious diet, fill the hay feeder daily. In nature, the best food for rabbits is grass, so at home, hay is the closest to a natural diet.
4 Provide your rabbit with a variety of toys to keep you entertained. Rabbits can quickly gnaw through thin plastic, so the stronger the toys, the better. Many pet stores sell wood blocks that are perfect for gnawing. Cardboard, rope and fabric trimmings, and PVC tunnels will keep the energetic bunnies busy with their playtime.
- Rabbits need toys that can be chewed not only for fun, but also for grinding their teeth. If the teeth grow too long, the rabbit will be uncomfortable to feed.
- Avoid giving your rabbit softwood toys that can split or choke on the wood chips.

Part 4 of 4: Keeping a rabbit cage

1 Change the litter when the layer becomes thinner than 5–7 cm. The litter of hay or straw begins to thin out after a few days, as the rabbit occasionally bites on it. When this happens, simply add a new handful of litter (or even two) to fill in the sagging areas. Recycled bedding (sawdust or paper) does not need to be changed as regularly, but should be replaced when it gets wet or starts to give off an unpleasant odor.
- Remember to always have enough bedding in the cage to keep your rabbit comfortable.
2 Clean the food bowl and drinker periodically. Rinse the bowl and drinker thoroughly once a month in warm, soapy water. Be sure to rinse the containers well after washing, as residual soap residues can make your rabbit unwell.
- If you purchased a ceramic bowl or drinker for your rabbit, these dishes can be washed in the dishwasher to save their own strength and energy.
- The bowl and drinker may need to be washed more frequently if the containers become dirty and contaminated with urine or feces.
3 Empty the litter box daily. Make it a habit to replace soiled litter in the litter box every day to keep your rabbit healthy. Having clean litter in the litter box will reduce the likelihood that the rabbit will choose to lavatory other areas of the cage.
- When cleaning the cage, be sure to wear rubber gloves and use a plastic bag that you can seal or tie to discard rabbit droppings.
- You can use a spray bottle with white wine vinegar or chlorine bleach to neutralize odors and bacteria.
4 Disinfect the cage completely once a week. Transplant the rabbit to a safe place in your home, then clean the cage, take it outside if possible, and treat it with an aqueous solution of chlorine bleach at a ratio of 10 parts water to 1 part bleach. Let the solution sit for 15–20 minutes and then rinse the cage inside and out (you can hose it outdoors). Let the cage dry completely and then refill it with fresh bedding.
- Periodic disinfection removes odors and kills harmful bacteria that can make your rabbit sick.
- Make sure any residual chlorine has evaporated before putting your rabbit back in the crate.
5 Keep an eye on your rabbit, even if it is in the cage. Check it about once an hour to make sure it is happy, comfortable, and safe. If left unattended, he may get hurt or be left without food or water, and you won't even guess about it.
- Rabbits are social animals and do not do very well in prolonged solitary confinement. Be sure to let your rabbit walk outside the cage for a couple of hours a day so that he has more opportunities to play, explore, and cuddle with you.

Tips

A dog cage can be easily converted into a luxurious cage for an active or large rabbit.
If you are keeping many rabbits, limit yourself to two animals per cage. Otherwise, rabbits may not have enough water, food, or space to live a healthy and happy life.
Rabbits are best suited as pets in homes where there are no cats, dogs, or other large territorial animals to harm the rabbit.

Warnings

Never use a poultry net to make a rabbit cage. Rabbits' teeth are noticeably stronger than flimsy wire, and your pet can be injured if they chew on such a mesh.