dog crate shelf and lots of questions lol

just been reading the very good 'how to' about dog crate shelves and had a couple of questions about it:

1. are they easy to make (i am useless at DIY but might be able to get the majority of wood precut) or should i ask carpenter friend to build it?

2. how easy is it to adapt that plan for different size cage?

3. how much space does it actually add (e.g is it just a ledge for the rabbits to perch on or can they sleep/eat etc up there?

4.can you still get access to all of the lower level


5. in the picture the shelf is 'L' shaped is the door on this crate in the middle or to one side? would there be problems with a 'U' shaped shelf?

6. does it have to be MDF (doesn't that absorb liquid?) can it be that plastic coated stuff??

Sorry for all the questions but just want to make sure everything is jsut right before i spend my money lol.

Thanks in advance
abi and teegra
p.s for all those with dog crates what do you use to line the floor? atm i use either dust extracted shavings, megazorb or russel rabbit chapped straw stuff but could you use vetbed or blankets etc, how often would you have to wash them?

hello

I would think the answer would to your first few questions would just be to adapt the plans to suit your bunn and cage- just measure the internal measurments.

I use a fleecy blanket on audreys dog crate which I change 2 times a week, but it is never really dirty. She has stopped actually weeing on it now and manages to do it in her tray!

ok thanks that is great will do some measuring this weekend!

why didnt i think about fleecy blanket? d'oh i can get big soft fleece blankets in town for £1.99 so could get e few lol. Teegra is very good with his litter training and always goes in his tray (although i really must get him a bigger one as he sometimes goes over the side of his :shock:

thanks for all your help

abi and teegra

In answer to your questions, and the instructions you saw were probably mine........

Yes its easy, we're rubbish at DIY too.

We've recently done a new shelf, different shape, same principle. We've attached the ramp by screwing to a cross member and its much safer, and no longer have beading on the ramp - its covered in rubber gripping instead.

It adds loads of extra space, my buns spend more time upstairs than down, its their fave place to hang out even when the door is open.

Yes you can access all of the lower level for cleaning.

My crate has a door on the side and one on the front, we decided not to make the shelf so it want across the door as it would make access to the lower floor v difficult for cleaning.

It doens't have to be mdf but we didn't want wood that would splinter, or be over absorbant (soft wood) or too slippery (melamine). We've actually treated the latest shelf with poly urethane varnish. (my dad is a carpenter so we took his advice - once its dry its perfectly safe for the buns.) People also often say mdf is poisonous etc - yes the dust is when you cut it, its carcenogenic if you breath it in, but otherwise its fine. My buns don't chew the shelf so I haven't really thought any further on this. I personally wouldn't use th eplastic coated stuff (I assume you mean melamine), we worry that the mdf is too slippery for them and the melamine would be worse.

Lots of people have done shelves in lots of different way, just have a go, see how your buns get on and refine it to their liking with the next version.

Good luck.

Oh and I line my dog crate with paper and a litter tray - they like to shred the paper. :?

thanks ever so much thats great i hadnt thought about treating the mdf d'oh. what rubber gripping have you got? would you be able to cover the shelf with it as well or would that be hard to clean?
will go down to focus to have a browse at what they have got

will also be getting in te cage tomorrow to get the measurements!!

abi and teegra