Rabbit - almost £0. Cage/hutch - £ too much. Time for DIY?

Ok so I've got a rabbit and now missus wants a 2nd one for it to have some company. Fair enough, they are only £10 or £20. But the cage is only 100cm by 60cm which is too small for 2 rabbits, although 2nd one is probably gonna be a dwarf rabbit.
So I need something like a Ferplast 140cm or Trixie 150cm, but they are AT LEAST £60, more like £80+. Is it just me or is that an extraordinary amount of money for a piece of plastic with some chicken wire on top, and an added hatch. :evil:
To be honest, I think £30 is a lot, but after looking everywhere it seems like I'd have to do a DIY job to get anywhere that amount.
I mean, £80 is what I paid for my (2nd hand) 32" TV to put things in perspective.

Has anyone got any ideas regarding a DIY cage. A hutch seems like a heavy project for an office geek like me, but if it was straight forward I might consider it. I've got a Wickes, Wilkensons and Homebase virtually next to my place so materials should be easy to get hold of.

The cage you have is really even too small for one rabbit.

Have a look here for nic cube setups for indoor buns....im presuming that what you have since you have a cage at the moment?

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=161522&highlight=setups

Hi, yes you most definately need a bigger cage. Do a search on here for NIC cubes and dog crates for more info - lots of suppliers and photos of people's set up - but thats the way i would go.

A 48" dog crate (minimum size generally recommended) can be as little as £20 on eBay and you can add shelves (using your DIY skills!) to make it more interesting. NIC cubes can be bought from B&Q and Screwfix, not sure about other places. They are about £24 for a pack and 2 packs makes a massive enclosure. This has the advantage of being able to fit into different spaces, be adapted and changed and is kind of all-inone - basic frame, shelves etc all in the same pack. You will need lots of cable ties though!

Hope that helps!

I take it its an indoor bun?
Why not a 48 inch dog crate with attached puppy pen?

Most hutches in pet shops are way too small for one rabbit, let alone two and they are very expensive as well. Is your bun inside or outside? If your bun is outside then you may be better off buying a childrens wendy house or shed off ebay and adding different levels using your D.I.Y. There are so many pics on here of peoples rabbit set ups to give you an idea.

Hi there:wave: i bought this playhouse off ebay for £50 and have converted it for guinea pigs you could do the same for rabbits very cheaply. you would need to put an internal mesh door on to let light in in the day you could even attach a run on the side. Inside you could put a couple of shelves for them to hop onto! There are lots of pics on here in the housing section if you need some inpiration! and the rabbits would be much happier with more room to run about!

Also check your local freecycle as sometimes people give away playhouses they no longer need!

heres a pic of my bargin playhouse!
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=155492

I agree go for the wire cubes which are ment to make storage! 2 pack come to £44 and will make a huge pen.Go to b&q to get them

wow....thanks for all the quick replys.


Actually I was just looking through the forum and spotted the NIC cubes.

I also have an Argos and B&Q nearby so looks like I might go for that.

I've only seen this so far and I'm not sure those cubes are a good size for me. I pretty much only have a space available which is something like 155cm x 75cm.
Oh, the joy of living in a flat. :roll:
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/n...refview=search&ts=1210206682542&isSearch=true

Any other links?

I'll read the rest of the replies a bit more thoroughly later. It's just a bit manic at work here now.

Hi, If you haven't got room for a big cage you can consider keeping the door open all of the time, so that the buns can use their cage as a base and be freerange most of the time. Or you could have completely free range buns!

I have a flat and I didnt really want a massive cage somewhere, so I started TeddyPatches off in a small area (the bathroom) then gradually increased his space. Now he's allowed the run of the whole place when i'm at home, and when i'm at work he has the bathroom and the hallway which is way bigger than any indoor cages i've seen and doesn't require any additional space. You do get the odd accident and you need to make sure everything is safe and wires are kept well out of bunny's reach, but it's well worth it, I love how teddy runs to see me when I get home at night

Just another quick reply hehe

Yes, it's the cage is open all the time apart from the night so the bunny can run around in the kitchen as much as it likes. Not a huge kitchen, probably 8-9 foot by 5, but certainly gives it enough space I think. Don't really want it to run around in the whole flat when no one is home as I've got a serious amount of wires - too many according to the missus :lol:

Looks like the ones at Screwfix has a better size for my need and I'll only need 4 cubes (2x2). Might go for that then.
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/43900...ube-Display?cm_re=SEARCHPROMO-_-CUBE-_-43900#

Perhaps you could use a 'pen' instead. You can buy ones like these:
http://www.zooplus.com/shop/rodents/cages/pens_fencing and then put some netting over the top to stop them jumping out. You can join them together to make them bigger and make them into all sorts of shapes. If they have a nice big pen that they are allowed in 24/7 then the existing cage could just become their toilet and hidey area.

thanks for the links.

I just realised that by taking out all the middle partitions on the B&Q one, I could build 147.2 x 73.6 cm which pretty much fits the spot I use perfectly - for just £22 :thumb:.

That is ok size for 2 rabbits, right?

if they arent shut in it yes that would be ok.. how about considering a rescue rabbit as afreind for your bunny as bonding rabbits is hard work!!!(they need 48 hours constant supervision in a completly neutral area to be introduced and you nee dto know what is normal and not for when they are getting together rabbit rehome will have lots of rescues in your area to help you out...adn yup the rescues have all ages adn breeds everything from 8weeks till 11years and if you want a small bunny get a netherland dwarf or a mini lop or a lionhead(or cross of these) as a dwarf lop is not teh small rabbit people think but a large rabbit.. .tis jsut smaller than a french lop hence dwarf! x

hey bunlover.

Sorry, why exactly would a rescue rabbit be better ? You mean, you can bring it back if bonding doesn't work and you haven't lost any money?
Sounds like you have to find a soul mate for a rabbit. :shock:

ps. I'm not far from you actually - in Hayes :wave:

Arcana said:

hey bunlover.

Sorry, why exactly would a rescue rabbit be better ? You mean, you can bring it back if bonding doesn't work and you haven't lost any money?
Sounds like you have to find a soul mate for a rabbit. :shock:

ps. I'm not far from you actually - in Hayes :wave:

Click to expand...

well for starters a rescue would bond for you to save you the trauma..arc in twickenham are really good near us. and secondly it saves umoney as the rabbits are already neuterd and vacinated and you will know exactly what you are gettin!!! bonding a pair is best if you have 2 buns of opposite sex and meet in a nuetral area and are both neuterd to prevent hormonal issues and babies! good luck in finding the right bun... we are lucky we have several resccues including rspca and arc and bobtails in surrey near us! plus you will be helping an unwanted bun.
i know hayes well. i have 3 buns here myself and 2 that live with my mum in gloucester... xx
http://www.animalrescueandcare.org.uk/rabbits.asp
http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/sear...RabNeut=on&County=Middlesex&Submit=++Search++
http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/sear...=%&RabNeut=on&County=London&Submit=++Search++

Bonding is scary, I wish I had someone near to do mine!! Bunny lover is right though. Charlie, Autumn and Sophie cost me a bomb to neuter and vac. at least 120 for each bun, and that is without buying them! they all came to me 'free'. My latest rabbit is a rescue, he cost 45 pounds (which is a donation, no one has profited, infact the rescues make a loss,but the rabbits get happy homes).

I have to say bonding rabbits with lower hormones is better too. I bonded Charlie and Autumn,charlie neutered, Autumn not. Bonding was long, noisey and violent, although no blood drawn. All she did was go around asserting her dominance (humping). He couldn't move an inch without her humping him. Then she had a phantom pregnancy ugh! Then she was neutered!

bunlover said:

well for starters a rescue would bond for you to save you the trauma..arc in twickenham are really good near us. and secondly it saves umoney as the rabbits are already neuterd and vacinated and you will know exactly what you are gettin!!! bonding a pair is best if you have 2 buns of opposite sex and meet in a nuetral area and are both neuterd to prevent hormonal issues and babies! good luck in finding the right bun... we are lucky we have several resccues including rspca and arc and bobtails in surrey near us! plus you will be helping an unwanted bun.
i know hayes well. i have 3 buns here myself and 2 that live with my mum in gloucester... xx
http://www.animalrescueandcare.org.uk/rabbits.asp
http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/sear...RabNeut=on&County=Middlesex&Submit=++Search++
http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/sear...=%&RabNeut=on&County=London&Submit=++Search++

Click to expand...

Thanks for the links. I haven't had time to read them thoroughly yet.

So the rescue would do the bonding. So, I'd bring my own rabbit and leave it there for a few days or what? Hmm.... not having a car I'd just prefer the smallest amount of journeys possible with the rabbits, and ideally that my rabbit stays where it is. The missus is not too keen on the whole rescue thing. Aren't those rabbits already traumatised having been in abusive homes?

I can't believe bonding is so hard. If I was on a desert island I'd almost welcome anyone, well maybe not Russell Brand or Liam Gallagher, but almost everyone :lol:

Not all rescue rabbits have been abused. Some have been found lost and wandering and have remained unclaimed, some have been given up because the owners can't afford them, or have got bored of them, or are moving somewhere where they can'rt have pets, etc. I have got two adopted rescue bunnies and two resuce fosters. Candyfloss shows echoes of her past, which mainly shows in her need to eat everything very quickly, but she is very friendly and loves people. Summer has been overloved and is quite simply a delightful bunny. She seeks out people, will lie with you, loves her bunny friends, she is just the perfect bun (aside from the fact she is terminally ill, but can happen with any rabbit). My fosters are Tilly and Roger. Roger was found running wild with a warren of wild buns. He is very handshy but the more I work with him, the better he gets. Tilly was seized as a cruelty case and she is lovely. She is feisty and has a real character. She likes people, she likes rabbits, she likes food. The only thing she doesn't like is handling, but she has head tilt, so that's not surprising.

If you choose not to get a rescue, then make sure you buy from a reputable breeder. If you buy from a pet shop those are normally backyard breeders and those rabbits often don't live as long, have a higher chance of medical problems, etc.

Unless you get them bonded for you, you will have to have two separate areas of accommodation until both rabbits are neutered and spayed and then you will have to bond them yourself.

Rescue bunnies are not traumatised. They will usually have been looked after much better than those who end up in pet shops through breeders. If you only want a young bunny then you can get plenty in rescues who, without people like you, will spend the rest of their lives there. You in a lucky situation- able to take on another bunny- there are many people on here who would love to have the space, resources to take on another and they cant.

Why not pop along to your local rescue and just have a look round. Meet some of the bunnies. You could even take your bunny and let him/her pick out a mate for himself. That way if bonding doesnt work your not left with two bunnies that need to live separately as it sounds like you wont have room for two separate cages.