Is this a good size?

I'm planning on adopting 2 Polish Dwarf x Holland Lop rabbits and am trying to find a suitable cage. I've only ever owned cats so this is new to me. Would this cage be a good size? They would likely be in it most hours of the day, probably 2-6 hours a day roam time in the house and some time in an outdoor pen every once in a while. Should the cage be bigger? Smaller?
http://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/s...evel-small-animal-cage-21573.html?cgid=600022

Welcome to the forum! :wave:

Unfortunately the cage you're thinking of is not suitable for rabbits. Rabbits do best in very large horizontal areas as opposed to vertical and require a lot of exercise.
Cages should really just be considered as a 'safe place' for our buns to go should they feel the need to - the recommended overall area for rabbits is 10ft X 6ft.

This housing sticky may prove helpful to you: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?304613-Indoor-Housing-Tips-amp-Examples

I assume you are in the US? If so, NIC panel cages would be an affordable option. I have also heard of people using the Midwest Guinea Pig Habitat as a base.

A great website for rabbit care in general is the RWAF (Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund) website, rabbits are a lot more complex than a lot of people think so it might be a good idea to double check your knowledge: http://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/new-to-rabbits/

Thank you so much! I live in Canada, not the US, but will look into the NIC panel cages. I'm not a very good DIY person, but it is possible the bunnies could have constant free roam in my bedroom. My only concern is that I have 2 cats. What are your thoughts?

kittensmeow10 said:

Thank you so much! I live in Canada, not the US, but will look into the NIC panel cages. I'm not a very good DIY person, but it is possible the bunnies could have constant free roam in my bedroom. My only concern is that I have 2 cats. What are your thoughts?

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No problem - free roam in your bedroom would be brilliant!

Would it be possible to close off your bedroom to your cats? As long as the cats and rabbits aren't with each other unsupervised and are separated (e.g. rabbits are closed in their cage for a little while whilst the cats come in your room) then it really shouldn't be a problem.

My bridge bun, Kirsty, and my cat actually used to get on like a house on fire - they loved chilling out together and watching the world go by! This was quite a unique scenario though, so wouldn't recommend mixing the two - just to be on the safe side.

I have that cage for my rats. Brilliant cage for rats, but not for rabbits.

I have C&C cages (aka NIC panel) for my rabbits and allow them free range time. C&C cages are a good base imo even for rabbits that are free range 100% of the time. They help to keep the hay contained etc.

I have cats too but I'm not a fan of mixing the two without supervision so I'd see if you can close your bedroom off from the cats as Lagomorph has suggested. It depends on the cats, some are absolutely fine with rabbits but rabbits have delicate skin and they could easily get a badly infected wound or abscess from all the bacteria in cat claws/teeth if the cats were to scratch or bite for whatever reason. Some cats are curious towards rabbits, or playful, or aggressive, or nervy - all of which could lead to a scratch or bite. So it's just a bit risky.

As well as William's advice about protecting rabbits from cats, I have had rabbits go for cats. It's very funny to watch a rabbit clearing all the neighbourhood cats out of the garden, but not so good if the cat gets bitten by a rabbit. Plus it could be a bit embarrassing at the vets - any bite would need treatment.

Hi
You could use a shop bought cage with a litter tray/hay water bowl and hide to temporarily shut the buns away when necessary; but having your bunnies free roam your room could be really cool.

ClementineANDElsta said:

Hi
You could use a shop bought cage with a litter tray/hay water bowl and hide to temporarily shut the buns away when necessary; but having your bunnies free roam your room could be really cool.

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I would have to disagree with this idea...

many shop brought cages are NOT big enough at all; I would only ever use one of those if the rabbit was constant free roam. so many people buy these 100 or 120cm cages thinking that its fine as they come out for 4 hours, when it really isn't. shop brought cages are not big enough for one rabbit, never mind two. I am yet to see a store stock a big enough cage for one rabbit of 140cm+.

for two rabbits I'd expect at least 140cm cage if that's what you wanted to buy, as even if they're only shut away for the night, a night in a small cage is enough to break out a fight.

it would also be probably cheaper to make your own rather than buy a big enough sized cage.

just my two cents.

Shimmer said:

As well as William's advice about protecting rabbits from cats, I have had rabbits go for cats. It's very funny to watch a rabbit clearing all the neighbourhood cats out of the garden, but not so good if the cat gets bitten by a rabbit. Plus it could be a bit embarrassing at the vets - any bite would need treatment.

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I thought it was just my childhood rabbit who did this! He was a rescue rabbit and extremely bad tempered - he bit anything that moved, just in case. We once had to break up a fight between him and the toughest cat in the neighbourhood, which he was definitely winning, and occasionally he'd get out and we'd find him by the neighbour's shed terrorising the wild rats that lived under it. Rabbits who are defensive definitely aren't creatures to mess with!

Another option to the C&C grids is to get a large (4') dog crate as a base and extend it with either puppy pen panels or C&C grids. You can fix a shelf across the full width of the crate and about half the length to increase the floor area. My rabbits liked to sit on the shelf and watch the world go by. This leaves more room for a large tray (eg underbed storage box with no lid) for hay / toilet area.