rabbit cage.?

Question

I've decided to purchase a rabbit in the near future, but i'm unsure of what type of cage to get. I want to get an averaged sized rabbit, but i'm not sure of how big of cage to get. also, what is a good price for a rabbit cage, I'm not made of money, but i do want somthing that he'll be comfortable in.

Answer 1

Inside or outside?

A rabbit cage should be at least 4 times the rabbit when he/she is laying down. They need room to hop. I wouldn't go for any pet store cages because they are to small unless you get a run and attatch it.

If the cage is going to be inside see here:

http://www.gunieapigcages.com

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=15348&forum_id=21&page=1

^ These cages can be purchased at Target and are called NIC cubes or neat idea cubes. They are wonderful!

If it is going to be a hutch, I would build something. I have a hutch that is 6ft by 4 ft. An ideal size would be something around 4ft by 4ft.

It needs to be very sturdy if it is outside. I have two locks on mine. There should be a floor so they don't dig out and a roof is mandatory.

If you need any more help email me. I can answer ANY question you have about rabbits.

Answer 2

I've used a solid bottom cage, and a wire bottoms cage, and the wire one is so much better. It's much for easier to clean, and the rabbits are never sitting in their pee. If you use a wire bottom cage, make sure you have some sort of resting board for the rabbit to sit on, or else it will develop sore hocks. It's best if the wire is coated with some sort of vinyl, as this is more comfortable for them to sit on.

The prices of cages vary greatly, depending on where you get it from. I got my wired bottom cages from a breeder who was getting rid of hers for $50, but a new one would have been $100. The cages in pet stores are usually far too expensive for their low quality, so I suggest looking for someone selling them at shows. Be ready to spend at -least- $40 for a cage, and probably more.

The size of a cage depends on the size of the rabbit; ask a breeder of the breed you want to get what size cage he/she uses, and go from there.

Answer 3

I've been raising rabbits for over 25 years and have built plenty of rabbit cages myself so I can give you a ton of advice on the subject.

For most breeds, a wire floored cage is the best. A wire floored cage is much easier to clean and is much easier to keep your rabbit clean. A wire floored cage also is a good way to prevent a number of problems that you can encounter with a solid floored cage:

1.) There is less likelihood of the rabbit getting dirty
2.) There is less chance of mites or fleas due to no bedding
3.) There is less chance of coccidiosis since rabbit can't eat its poop off of the floor
4.) There is less likelihood of ear mites due to no bedding

For large breeds, wire floored cages are not recommended. If your breed has a max adult weight over 11 pounds then I would consider going to a solid floored cage. Pretty much any breed that is bigger than a New Zealand I would keep on a solid floored cage. Large breeds will get sore hocks if kept on a wire floor.

As far as putting something in the bottom of the wire cage for the rabbit to rest its feet on, I recommend not doing that unless the rabbit develops sore hocks. That board can actually increase the chances of the rabbit getting sore hocks if moisture builds up on the board. Also the poop and urine can build up on the board causing your rabbit to get dirty. The moisture can help cause sore hocks.

If your rabbit does develop sore hocks. Put about a 12"x12" piece of drywall in the cage. If the rabbit eats the drywall it won't hurt them. Drywall is absorbent and helps keep the rabbit's feet dry if they pee on it. It also gives them a place to rest their feet on. Only put drywall in though if the rabbit develops sore hocks.

There are two main things to consider when buying or building a wire rabbit cage. The first is the galvanizing method and the second is the gauge of the flooring wire.

The gauge of the flooring wire is the most important. The lower the gauge number is the thicker the floor wire is. You want as thick of a floor wire as you can get. The thicker the floor wire is, the more it supports the rabbit's feet and helps to prevent sore hocks. The squares on the floor wire should be 1" long by 1/2" wide. The side and top wire is normally made out of 2" long by 1" wide wired. Always make sure that the side of the wire with the most wires is facing towards the inside of the cage. This is especially important regarding the flooring since the flooring supports the rabbit's feet. The more wires the better the support.

The next thing to consider is the galvanizing of the wire. You want cage wire that is either:

1.) galvanized before AND after welded

or

2.) galvanized after welded

You DON'T want to get galvanized before welded wire, especially for the floor. If the wire is not galvanized after it is welded, you will see little black spots where the wires cross and were welded after the wire was galvanized. The black spots don't have any galvanized coating over them and the wire will start rusting at those black spots. You don't want rust on the flooring because the rust can be abrasive on the rabbit's feet and cause sore hocks. Cage wire that is galvanized before welding will only last 2-3 years or so. Cage wire that is galvanized after welded can last 10-12 years or more. Galvanized after welded wire costs more but it is definitely worth the extra expense.

One sidenote:

NEVER use salt blocks inside your wire cage. Rabbits get all of the salt they need in their rabbit pellets. So salt lick blocks are not needed. If you place salt lick blocks in your wire cage, all you'll end up doing is rusting out your cage where the salt block sits. So don't use them.

Now on to cage size:

A 24" wide x 24" deep x 18" high cage will work for most medium to small breeds for a single rabbit.

A 32" wide x 24" deep x 18" high cage works as a good pen size for most medium to small breeds.

Both of these sizes are standard cage sizes for rabbits in the US. Top and bottom cage wire normally comes in widths of either 24" or 30". Most cage builders will use a top and bottom width of 24". Wire cages that are 30" deep are a little harder to reach the back of the cage and that can become a problem in removing the rabbit and it can also lead to the rabbit developing a mean personality. Don't build the cage too big. If you do, the rabbit can get back in the corners where you can't reach it well and attack. Rabbits that are kept in cages that are built too large can sometimes lead to the rabbit becoming mean.

For large breeds that get kept on solid floors, you should never need a cage that is larger that 4 feet wide by 3 feet deep by about 18" tall. A cage that is built deeper than 3 feet deep for a large breed can be hard to get the rabbit out of the cage. I raised Checkered Giants for a number of years and the cages that were 3 feet deep worked well. A few of my cages were 4 feet deep and I regreted that we built the cages that deep afterwards.

If you aren't made of money, I'd suggest sticking to a rabbit breed that does not require a solid floor. Solid floors normally mean building a wooden hutch. Wooden hutches are much more expensive than wire cages to build.

If you plan on raising only one or two rabbits I suggest getting cages with a plastic tray that slides underneath the cage floor for easy cleaning.

Here are some websites for a few good rabbit supply companies:

http://www.klubertanz.com
http://www.kwcages.com
http://www.bassequipment.com

Answer 4

this place has great rabbit cages
http://www.qualitycage.com/rabbit.html