Minimum size temporary housing??

[tigerbabe]

To cut a very long story short it's possible that I'm going to have to take my rats and rabbits to stay with my cousin between moving out of this house and into the next one.

So what I need to know is what the absolute minimum housing size is for a pair of rabbits?? It should be for about 4 weeks but there probably won't be anyway they can really come out for a run about. They live in a 10x8 shed but I bought a happyhutch hutch and run combo - the 6ft one, for them to go into once we move til I could get a shed etc sorted... but theres no way to get it up there.

So I'm looking into buying something just to use while we're there... but I need some opinons on size please :)

[buttons&thumper]

any chance of converting the bathroom if its just for 4 weeks? :?

[tigerbabe]

No chance... they're doing me a favour letting us all stay for a month as it is so I really can't take liberties.

[Tamsin]

Have a look at the metal/wood folding runs. That with a small hutch/sleeping box for shelter would probably give most room/transportability. Think about overall floor space rather than worrying about hutch size.

Tam

[buttons&thumper]

or you could maybe buy a dog crate and put a shelf in, that will give double the floor space.

[tigerbabe]

or you could maybe buy a dog crate and put a shelf in, that will give double the floor space.


I quite like that idea but it wouldn't be big enough if they weren't coming out... would it??
The rats are going in the summerhouse - we've done that before when I've gone up to dog sit and it works well. So if a dog crate would work it could possibly go in there too.

I've always kept rabbits on paving so I've never had to worry about them digging out or anything else digging in but they'll have to be on grass at my cousins, which is why I was focusing more on the hutch side rather than the run.

All ideas are very much appreciated! :D

[buttons&thumper]

depends how big the crate is. obviously the bigger they get the more expensive, but you could always resell it on ebay. i have a lightweight one for my pup as i did not fancy dragging a full weight one up and down the stairs at work and it was cheaper too. how big are the buns? if they were in the summerhouse could they have a bit of free range in there? what type of summerhouse is it? your other option is to look for a temp foster home for them for the month, someone on here might be able to help you out.

[TheGaffer]

How much space have they got? What about a couple of dog crates attached together or a dog crate and a pen?

Nicola

[duracell]

I have found that puppy play pens offer a really flexable space, it can be moved any where and bent into any shape, you can even add and remove pannels for more or less room and are only arround £25. I use a bit of lino under it ( off cut from walter wall's) and wire mesh over it and it really is fantastic.

[XMissySJx]

why dont you get a puppy crate, and then connect a mesh playpen to it, so they have a little extra room? Otherwise i would suggest boarding them for a month, the ammount you will pay to buy allt his new stuff, its probably around the same. I board pets and i had someone leave their guine apigs here for a month while they moved and sorted everything out. xxx

[FurryBeasties]

We use our foldable rabbit run when we take the rabbits to stay at a freinds or my parents. We built the run ourselves and it was pretty easy (i can do you a sketch if you want but you can probably buy one similar). But the trick was we got some marine ply and cut it to fit just inside the run meaning the bunnys couldn't dig if they were on soft soil. We had to get two bits as it only came in 4ft lengths but it seems to work fine. We also made a roof out of perspex, just drilled 4 holes in it (in each corner) popped in a couple of eyelet bolt thingys with big washers so it didn't crack the perspex and tied it down to hooks on the side of the run (making a kind of perspex tent). It keeps the rain out nicely. Then we pop in there carrier (on bricks if it's particularly cold to keep the frost away) and they've got a nice temporary hutch

Our run is only 5x2x2ft which is probably a little small but at most they stay in it for 2 weeks. We do intend to make a 6ft one this year as it will eb ebtter but as they get a lot of running around at my parents i don't worry too much.

Hope your rats get on well too, i'm in the same situation, taking my bunnys and rats to my parents in a couple of weeks time, luckily my parents love both and see them as virtual grandchildren (probably the closest they'll get) so i don't worry much.

Jemma

[Denny]

Are they being housed outside at your cousins'? Not sure a dogcrate would be an ideal solution to accomodation for the outdoors really as you would need to protect the buns from the weather elements etc.

Where abouts does your cousin live? what about contacting a local rescue your cousins end to see if they have hutches and runs for sale or even better, they may let you hire them for the duration of the month ;) :D

[tigerbabe]

Denny - don't worry the dog crate would only have been an option if there was space for it in the summer house.

Thank you for all the suggestons.
I'm afraid my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer toady so the move is now off.

[elve]

Denny - don't worry the dog crate would only have been an option if there was space for it in the summer house.

Thank you for all the suggestons.
I'm afraid my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer toady so the move is now off.

How awful :( sorry to hear your mum's not well and I hope she'll be OK soon.

[Pringle]

Aww im very sorry to hear about that. xxx

[Rosie Rabbit]

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear about your mum :(

[Denny]

Denny - don't worry the dog crate would only have been an option if there was space for it in the summer house.

Thank you for all the suggestons.
I'm afraid my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer toady so the move is now off.

Oh No, so sorry to hear about your mum:( A friend of mine went through it, the shock was hard to digest as are many illness's but us women think it can never happen to us and we should check ourselves more:( healing vibes to you and your mum Tigerbabe, hope all goes well.

ps: sorry, should of read it properly, didn't realise the dogcrate would be in a shed:oops: