People with rabbits should consider setting up a cage for it at home. After all, it ensures your beloved pet is always near you and is safe from outside threats like rogue dogs.
Maybe this idea just popped into your head, but you don’t know how to set up a rabbit cage. To do so successfully, you’ve first to pick the right cage size and then ensure a solid setting floor area. You have to follow some structured steps to set up a rabbit cage correctly.
In this post, we’ll walk you through the process with easy-to-follow steps. Let’s read on.
How to Pick A Rabbit Cage?
The first step is to choose the perfect cage size. Selecting a big cage is crucial; small cages would be uncomfortable for your rabbit. But before choosing a rabbit cage, remember to choose between cages and hutches.
Cages are temporary and easily moved around, but they aren’t as comfortable as hutches. However, hutches are large, making them difficult to move around. Keep this in mind before buying a cage or hutch.
Here are all the requirements for picking a rabbit cage —
- Proper Size: Rabbits can be different in heights and breeds, but you should choose a big cage enough for your rabbit to be able to sit upright with its legs.
The absolute minimum size is 150cm in length and 60cm in width, but it’s 185cm long and 95 wide tall for bigger rabbits. You should always pick the bigger option, as it’ll work with small and big rabbits.
- Solid Floor: A cage needs to have a solid floor; otherwise, your rabbit will get a condition called pododermatitis.
This condition makes the rabbits suffer from pores all around their body, so get a plastic or plywood floor with a covering on top. You can cover anything, but soft cloth works best.
- Wire Sides: It’s best to have wires on the sides of your cage, but make sure the floor isn’t made out of wires.
This is because a wired floor would be uncomfortable, but wired sides are essential for durability, design, and more.
How To Set Up A Rabbit Cage?
Now that you’re done picking the cage itself, let’s take a look at how to set up the cage properly —
- Placement
Rabbits don’t like to be isolated, so pick an area with good ventilation inside your house. It shouldn’t be too hot or cold and don’t use dusty rooms such as attics or garages.
Make sure you put it in a place that gets enough reflected sunlight but not direct sunlight. The room shouldn’t be noisy either, as it’ll cause stress for your rabbit.
If you have other pets such as dogs or cats, make sure to put your cage in a place they can’t reach. Rabbits get stressed and intimidated if other predators are nearby.
Make sure your room has enough space as well since you can’t put your rabbit in the cage all the time. It should have time to roam around outside the cage so that a spare bedroom would be a good option.
- Bedding and flooring
Considering you have the floor made out of plywood or soft plastic, you need to put some bedding on it first. Common materials used for beddings are straw, hay, or sawdust.
You should have at least 6 inches of bedding and more for bigger rabbits. Clean the bedding every day, and make sure you don’t use carpet for the bedding.
- Accessories
You need a litter box, food bowl, water bottle, and toys for your rabbit. Your rabbit may take time to learn how to use a litter box, but you can quickly train them.
- Water & Food
Fill the water bowls with safe drinking water, and you can use Rabbit Pellets as pet food. Give your rabbit a lot of hay since it’s safe, and you can give it a diet consisting of vegetables if you want to.
One thing to take into consideration is getting a water sipper. This is because bowls can quickly get messy, and water sippers are safer. 600ml of water is enough for about two days for a rabbit.
- Hiding House
Having a hiding house in your cage is essential since rabbits need privacy. Rabbits are often stressed out, and a hiding cage can make them feel safe, calm, and happy.
You can put the hiding house on any free corner of the cage. Cardboard is used commonly as a material since you can easily cut a hole inside a cardboard box.
- Toys
Make sure to give your rabbits soft or hard chewing toys. Make sure they aren’t edible or too soft, as your rabbit can destroy them. It’s recommended to have a small cube of wood as a toy.
This is because rabbits often have uncomfortably long teeth, and chewing on something hard can make them feel more comfortable. It’s good for their health, it’s fun, and it will reduce stress.
- Sleeping Area & Bed
After setting the accessories, pick a place for the bed. Find a rabbit bed where the rabbit can curl up in a shop. You can easily find them at a pet store since they look like dog beds but smaller.
The bed should be placed at the corner of a cage, ensuring the rabbit has enough privacy to sleep. If it doesn’t have much privacy, use a cloth to cover the cage.
- Maintenance
Make sure to clean the flooring, beds, water bottles, food bowls, and all other accessories periodically. Rabbits can get easily sick, so cleaning everything at least once a week is recommended.
Ensure to disinfect the cage every week or so. You can spray it with 1/10 of bleach and water, respectively.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Should rabbits be in their cage all day?
No, rabbits are just like us humans. They enjoy privacy and don’t like being stuck in a cage forever. You should leave their cage open and let them roam around your room.
If you don’t do this, they can get unhappy and stressed. Make sure to let your rabbit out at least once a day to roam around in an empty room.
- How long should rabbits be outside their cage?
Rabbits should be able to roam around outside their cage for at least 3 hours per day. It’s recommended to let them be outside during the daytime and rest in their cage during nighttime.
Ensure your rabbit gets enough time outside their cage without stress, so make no noise or predators such as cats or dogs in the room they would roam around in.
- When should I teach my rabbit to use the litter box?
You can train your rabbit to use the littering box at any age; however, teaching the rabbit at home might be challenging. Consider getting a professional to train the rabbit instead.
There are many ways to train your rabbit, but the most common is to put your rabbit in the litter box whenever it looks like it wants to urinate. Ensure you aren’t forcing your rabbit to do this, though.
- Which rabbit cage is the best?
No rabbit cage is the best for everyone, but you’d want to get a big rabbit cage with a lot of space and wired sides for most people. You can find it from any store, but you can get one from amazon as well.
Two-story cages are often best for rabbits, as they would have enough privacy and enough space inside their cage, so consider that.
- Should I get rabbit hutches?
Absolutely! Rabbit hutches are much better and more comfortable than rabbit cages, leading to your rabbit being happier. However, rabbit hutches aren’t easy to move, unlike cages.
It’s recommended to look for a rabbit hutch depending on the size of your rabbit in a pet store since buying it online isn’t always the best option. But keep in mind hutches are more expensive than cages.
Conclusion
Hopefully, now you know how to set up rabbit cage successfully. We’ve gone through the process step-by-step and have provided extra tips like what food to get.
To leave you off with something, we’d highly recommend letting your rabbit out once in a while. They need to get into the outside world just like us for their proper growth and nourishment. That way, you’ll have the jolliest pet that’ll keep your mood on point too.
Cheers!
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Wondering how to set up a rabbit cage? Pick a big cage, and then find a place with solid flooring. There are some crucial steps to follow. Read on to learn more.
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