Doubts about bunny cages

[nithael]

Sorry for posting on the Guinea Pig Cages Forum, but I didn't find any rabbit/bunny forum of this kind.

I have some questions that I would like to ask and I hope that you can help me out, here..

I'm building one cage, made of that cubes, just like most of you.. But I have one problem: I don't know what's the proper flooring that I should use. I'm using old newspapers for the base floor and some "metal fences" (dunno the propper words for it. Photo: here) for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor. Please help me out here... Is this adequated for the flooring, or should I use another material.

Another question: What I could use as the basement, since I want to put the cage on wheels?

Sorry for the poor english, but I gotta know that, since I spent more then 5 hours on the cage and it isn't finished, yet!

[Taboo]

Newspapers are fine but fleece blankets would be more comfortable to them.

The cage is at least 6 ft long and 3 ft wide? Thats the minium size for 1-2 small-medium sized rabbits.

[nithael]

I don't know the measures in feets (the current measure unit in Brazil is meters), but I'll tell you how I made it:
3x3 (WxH) 30cm grids
3 30x40cm floors on the floor basement
1 30x40cm on the 1st floor
2 30x40cm on the 2nd floor
3 30x40cm on the 3rd floor, with a hole of 20x20cm for the rabbit to move around

Wouldn't the rabbit try to "eat" the blanket?

[nithael]

I just saw what "fleece" means (as I said, I'm from Brazil), and my daughter is alergic to it, and I can't use fleece... Any other ideas? The rabbit is a "chewer", and she eats almost all the newspaper before use it as litter box.

[twozie]

I use plywood for the bottom of cage with sticky tiles on top easy to clean, then I have shelves where the rabbits can lie around on and those have fleece or towels I had. here is a good website for reference Ed and Beth Brey: Bunny Cage you can see what how and they put it together I made a solid bottom easier to clean as I said and no mess for fleece.

[Tserisa]

Originally Posted by nithael

I just saw what "fleece" means (as I said, I'm from Brazil), and my daughter is alergic to it, and I can't use fleece... Any other ideas? The rabbit is a "chewer", and she eats almost all the newspaper before use it as litter box.

Actually, the fleece everyone refers to is synthetic, also called "polar fleece", not made from sheep's wool. Polar Fleece/Microfleece on Wiki. It is generally hypoallergenic (does not cause allergies).

Typically, one would put down a layer of something waterproof (like a plastic sheet, or mats), and then put fleece over it. (Or a layer of newspaper or cardboard and then fleece.) The fleece is extended beyond the cage bottom so that the rabbit or pig doesn't have access to the edges of the fabric -- this helps reduce chewing, since what's left in the cage is very smooth. Then provide LOTS of chew stuff -- willow baskets, grass mats, wooden toys, cardboard boxes, etc. so that the rabbit has other options for chewing than its floor!

The rabbit should also have a litter box, full of safe materials (such as paper-fiber or straw-based litter -- no pine and no cedar!).

To clean the cage, just take up the fabric, shake it off outside, then put it through the laundry.

There are many pictures of cages with fleece bedding in this gallery! You'll notice how many of them have the fleece extend past the bottom of the cage so that the edges are not accessible for chewing.

Here is an example of how fleece is used to extend past the edge of the cage, so that there aren't edges for easy chewing.

Sometimes the fleece will get holey from chewing, but usually it holds up for a while and then is just replaced.

However, there are many other options, such as boards with tile (either ceramic or slate tile and grout on a cement or other tile backing board, easy to get from a home improvement store), a board with linoleum, etc. Just make sure there's texture for the bunny so it's not scrabbling around.

Be sure those levels are covered, so that the bunny doesn't hurt itself on the wire shelves. They should not walk on wire.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Have you seen Rabbit References - Care, Feeding, Tips ?

Newspaper isn't great. It gets their feet dirty too. If he is a digger or chewer, I wouldn't use fleece. They may ingest the fibers and go into stasis.

Are you free feeding hay? Is your bunny neutered?

You can use coroplast or plastic mats or lineleum.

[Tserisa]

Originally Posted by PiggyBedSpreads

You may want to check out this waterproof, absorbent fleece bedding system. It is designed specifically for C&C cages and solves all the problems associated with other bedding products.

The main problem coming up here is chewing. I don't think that it would prevent that?

[Zipfelmuetze]

The best rabbit site I found is:

House Rabbit Information and Care - BinkyBunny.com

They have a forum as well, and under 'cool habitats' you can see bunny cages.