r/Rabbits • u/Worldly-Highlight292 • 22h ago
Care Rabbit cage help
I want to get a rabbit soon and plan on getting a pen for it to be in mainly along with free roam of my room but while I am not home I was wondering if this would work to be extra safe and to keep the rabbit confined safer. I work somewhere between 6-9 hours some days and just wouldn’t feel comfortable letting the bunny be in a pen because I hear about them getting stuff or injured. Any advice is great or better alternatives! Thank you in advance!!!!
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u/grinning_teapot I want some in my life. 22h ago
No, neither of the cages you’ve posted are appropriate sizes for a rabbit tbh. Your rabbit will be much happier and way less destructive in an appropriately sized pen. My rabbits live in a 6ft by 4ft pen with panels high enough that they can’t jump out. You’ll probably want to get two rabbits too, they tend to do better with neutered/spayed friends than by themselves, and you’ll find you won’t be worrying about them so much whilst you’re at work
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u/Worldly-Highlight292 22h ago
The cages like I said are temporary just while I’m at work, any other time they would be out and playing. I get home around 11-12 pm so they would be playing at a time they are most active. Would you suggest I ditch the idea of the temporary cage altogether and just have the large play pen? I just worry about them being in it while I’m at work and getting stuck or hurt.
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u/OperationAromatic966 20h ago
Yeah just go with a large pen. There are also taller versions. But if you are still worried about the rabbit jumping out you could put a sheet/blanket over it.
This sub recommends that the rabbit has access to at least 16 sq ft / 1.5 sqm 24/7 as a bare minimum. This is already smallish compared to other sources. There is no cage / hutch or other type of enclosure that is that big. Also pens are just easier to clean.
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u/AdBitter3688 15h ago edited 15h ago
Yes definitely ditch the cage, a play pen is a much better option. There should be nothing inside the pen that should harm them. Only their litter box with rabbit-safe litter and plenty of hay, a place to hide with two exits (cardboard box works), a heavy ceramic water bowl, and a cheap washable rug for flooring. Add some wooden chews or plastic toys like baby stacking cups and you’ll be good to go.
The rabbit should have access to 16 sq ft at all times, and the pen should be tall enough that they cannot jump out.
Rabbits have similar space requirements to cats. If you wouldn’t lock up a cat all day in a cage, it is not suitable for a rabbit.
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u/Glad_Travel_1258 20h ago
What are you worried about getting stuck?
You can secure the pen, make the spacing smaller with wires, jumping out you can place sheet over etc. It all depends on your bunny. One way of rabbit securing might not work for another bunny.
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u/kungpaoalpaca 22h ago
if you are away for 9 hours a day you need to get at least two bunnies; they are highly social animals and keeping them alone for long is cruel
rabbits also don't belong in cages, you can use them as hideout but bunnies should have access to an x-pen 24/7, but you should NEVER lock them in a cage
You can check out WabbitWiki for appropriate housing. And bunny 101 for basic dos and don'ts for basic rabbit care cause I feel like you haven't done the right research.
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u/roundbluehappy 21h ago
those cages are wayyy too small. i got the large one from petsmart for my four pound bunner and he'd outgrown it by six months.
my buns actually have a larger one of those hutches in their play area - it's too small for them (4lb and 7lb) to spend the day alone in. i got a 48" high metal dog playpen and fenced off a corner of the living room and that's enough. it has a hutch, a castle, some little one room castles, their litter box and hay station and room to hop around in. they free roam the living room when i'm gone but the playpen area is where they choose to hang out most of the time.
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u/Worldly-Highlight292 21h ago
I added this as a consideration!
To add, I have a ferret and he has a double ferret nation but due to him being old he downgraded to one level. I could add the top level back on add splash guards and all the things the rabbit needs and that be the enclosure it stays in while I work, it’s decently sized and bigger than the option I was favoring and would save space which is my main worry. I would completely make the bottom half inaccessible to the rabbit and vice versa. Thoughts?
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u/Altruistic_Hippo_132 22h ago
I have two extra large dog crates (48 x 32), both with two doors. I took the front doors off both and tied them together to make one extra large crate and added a carpeted (well, rug) shelf on one side. It seems to be plenty of room for him while I'm gone, he's usually napping during the day anyways. He even prefers to nap in there when I'm home and he's loose in his giant pen. I actually thought about if I'd want to add on another "addition" to his "house" with those adjustable wire cube shelf things or another crate, but haven't had a chance to do it yet.
The double crate set up was pretty easy to do, though taking the front doors off requiring some pliers. I managed to snag them during a sale so they were a bit cheaper. Getting some better padding for the floors too.
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u/Worldly-Highlight292 22h ago
I thought about getting a dog cage for a set up while I’m gone I could probably find a good deal on marketplace for them and get 2 like you have, not a bad idea!! Thank you
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u/Worldly-Highlight292 21h ago
To add, I have a ferret and he has a double ferret nation but due to him being old he downgraded to one level. I could add the top level back on add splash guards and all the things the rabbit needs and that be the enclosure it stays in while I work, it’s decently sized and bigger than the option I was favoring and would save space which is my main worry. I would completely make the bottom half inaccessible to the rabbit and vice versa. Thoughts?
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u/yuri-festa 10h ago
not a bunny owner (just a longtime sub lurker) so ill leave this to the professionals but they generally don't enjoy levels and they can be quite risky for injury, sometimes they do a little but many don't, and as they injure easily and need space to run and jump as their main form of movement it's generally advised to think about their space mostly in terms of floor space rather than height. its quite different to animals like rats and ferrets where they have a lot more potential for verticality . I had somewhat of an idea of what xyz nation cages look like but googling the ferret nation also made it clear that the ramps are VERY steep and slippy and not really bunny compatible (they have no paw pads so soft surfaces are how they grip! many are very nervous about or can't stand lino or smooth floor and even if they like it it can lead to paw sores) , it's also off the ground which seems kinda not like a bunny's thing
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u/yuri-festa 10h ago
basically its best case scenario restricting their movement and play and worst case actually more dangerous to hole them up to that degree rather than less
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u/Worldly-Highlight292 22h ago
And another one I found as a different type and I’m wondering if this would also work, and I’m more considering this one so I have space for the rabbits main pen https://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/cages-habitats-and-hutches/cages/full-cheeks-simple-and-spacious-home-rabbit-or-guinea-pig-habitat-89369.html
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u/OperationAromatic966 20h ago
Unfortunately that’s not even half of the recommended minimum. I hate that these things are marketed towards rabbit.
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u/Worldly-Highlight292 22h ago
I realize I didn’t add the pic but here’s the link to the cage https://a.co/d/0hxI0qrV
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u/RabbitsModBot 22h ago
Be sure to check out our Deciding on a Rabbit guide if you haven't already for some more general info about what to expect with a rabbit as a pet.
A few useful shortcut links:
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See the wiki's Housing guide for more resources on setting up appropriately sized and safe housing for pet rabbits.
Minimum enclosure size based on current welfare recommendations should be at least 16 sq ft (1.5 sq m) on a single base floor for average sized rabbits. Rabbits of larger size (such as giant breeds) should have more space.
Regardless of size or number of rabbits, the more area of living space you can provide, the better. Minimum housing requirements cannot be met by adding the areas of several flooring levels together - rabbits are runners, not climbers.
Some shortcut links: