Rabbit Cage Sizes?

[MaddysCavys]

I have 2 seperated rabbits, they are 4 years old, females, unaltered. I am going to try & introduce them after christmas & after I build their C&C cages. I am going to build a 2x8 C&C for 2 rabbits. If they don't get along each will have 2x4. Anyone have any bonding tips? I just got them. . . Will they get along better because everything in their cage will be new? Or does that even matter? Any cage tips? Bonding Tips?

[CavyCrazyLady]

First, I would say you need to get those girls spayed ASAP. It will help with the bonding, behavior, litter box habits and buns that are not spayed have a VERY high chance of uterine cancer.

As for how to bond them, yes, a neutral area matters a lot. Here is a great page on bonding:FAQ: Bonding Multiple Rabbits

That cage size is alright. If you could go bigger I would. It also depends on how much time outside of the cage you are going to be giving them. Rabbits also enjoy levels.

[MaddysCavys]

Whenever I'm home they take turns hopping around my room for HOURS. (:

[sdpiggylvr]

Have you heard of/considered an x-pen as your rabbits' housing? Learn more here: http://sandiegorabbits.org/adoption/pen_living.html. They are really great to use with rabbits and usually get rid of any cage protectiveness. If that doesn't work, the C&C cage you have planned sounds suitable. I would recommend going a bit larger if you can. Is it possible to widen the cage to a 3x8? That would give plenty of space. I'm just not sure about the narrowness of the 2-bys.

[Silverbeat]

You will have an impossible time bonding them if they are unaltered. Domestic females are extremely territorial and often hostile towards other females. Spaying reduces the "raging hormones" inside their body, and makes them less hostile, but it may still take months for them to bond. It will be good to have them share a wall of their cage. Get them used to each others' scent first by putting cardboard up on both sides of the shared wall. Gradually remove the cardboard over the course of a few weeks. If you notice they are laying "next to each other" [up against the shared wall] that is a good sign. When you want to introduce them, it may be a good idea to take them on a short [10-minute] car ride first, and then deliver them to a neutral room, such as the bathroom.

Editing to add, a rabbit's cage sizing formula: measure your rabbit's length when it is laying down [feet out]. Ideally the cage's width should be twice that measurement, and the length should be four times the measurement. It should also be tall enough that the rabbit can fully stand up. For example...

My rabbit Abbey is 2 feet at full sprawl. So her ideal cage would be 4 feet x 8 feet. Her actual cage size is 3 x 5 grids [3 feet 8" x 6 feet 10"]; her height at full stretch is 2 grids so her cage is 3 grids high, with a second loft [2x3 grids] at 2 grids high. Abbey's cage is connected to a 8'x4' ex-pen enclosure, which she has access to about 12 hours a day.

[pigsforlife]

I agree that it is essential that they are spayed. Not only does it reduce the level of hormones (thus making it far easier to bond) but rabbits have a 80% chance of developing uterine cancer by the age they are 3.

It is recommended that 2 rabbits have access to an area that is atleast 36sq ft at all times. I don't believe that a 2x4 is big enough for one rabbit if the bond doesn't work out. A 2x8 might be ok, but they would have to free range for significant quantities of time. Can you bunny proof a room and have them free range in there instead?

[Deb's4Pigs]

I agree with the spaying. You're not going to be able to bond them until then. I have my rabbits in x pens and then split it until they are laying side by side. But you have to watch and make sure they are not attacking through the bars. Once they're spayed you have to wait at least a month until the hormones die down.

I had a female rabbit that would even attack me until she was spayed and then she was a love bunny. Keep us posted.

[MaddysCavys]

Okay, I am young, I don't have the money to get them spayed. . . But for my birthday, I'll ask to do that! (:
I'll try to make a 3x8 (a sheet of coroplast is 4x8) But I don't know how big I can go.
Right after school I take turns (usually 3 hours each) For them to run around my room. & sometimes through my whole house (if my dad's not home ;D ) Hahaha, I'll go as big as I can. Could Tile be an Ideal flooring? (coroplast, then Tile on top?) & I could have a carpeted or fleeced ledge or area for them & a litter box & kitchen?

[CavyCrazyLady]

Please try contacting your local House Rabbit Society and ask them where the cheapest place is to get your bunnies spayed at. Most chapters also have a list of vets in the area on their websites. This should really be done a good month before you try to start bonding them.

If the cost of spaying is an issue, try telling your parent that it will save them money in the long run, because you will not have to pay for the high vet bills when they both develop cancer. It also decreases their desire to chew slightly and they use their litter pan better.

Tile would not be a good idea. It is too hard and slippery. Carpeting would be good, or just the coroplast with lots of blankets and beds laying around.

Would it be possible to just bunny proof your room throughout and not have a cage at all? This is what I did for my six bonded buns and it has worked out great. They have their own room during the day, and get out into the rest of the house whenever we are home.

[pigsforlife]

Tiles is an iffy one. My buns have carpet in their home base, and are currently living in my room which is carpetted. We are having to move, and have found a house with an additional room that would be perfect for the bunnies. It is tiled, but the bonus about this is that it is easy to sweep up hay/hair. I have asked the question on a bunny forum and many there have buns happily moving around on the tiles. I am still going to get a rug to cover a portion of the room.

[MaddysCavys]

Okay, I can use Coroplast & then Fleece. & My dad won't let me just let them live in my room :/ I know that for a fact.

[Deb's4Pigs]

Keep an eye on the fleece to make sure they're not chewers. I'm lucky haha mine are big chewers and chewed the carpets. What did work, was I went to Home Depot and bought very low tightly piled? carpet and they don't chew it a lot. My problem with one of my boys is I can't neuter him. He has seizures. So he's not perfectly litter box trained and that makes his mate not perfect.

But try to get sections of carpet from Home Depot or Lowe's.

[MaddysCavys]

Okay. But I can't spend a fortune xD I have to get toys & lots of stuff <3 & I also have guinea pigs to care for. Haha. I'll do my best! I'm little, I can only do so much! Thanks for the tips everyone <3

[CavyLover94]

I've kept bonded unspayed females together before with no problems. One was a 3 year old mixed breed who'd had 2 litters. The other was a 10 week old Mini Lop doe. The 10 week old was a bit aggressive during the initial introductions, but it only took a week for them to bond. 2 years later, and both were completely devoted to one another. They'd been together all the time since then except when the Mini Lop was removed to have a litter when she was 10 months old(grrrrrr...never trusting my stepsisters again...Mini Lop X Jersey Wooly made 9 VERY different and very odd looking kits...!). The mixed breed was given to a family looking for an older rabbit for a pet about a month ago. But the fact that neither had been spayed did not affect their litter box training or their bonding.

[CavyCrazyLady]

CavyLover, the fact they neither are spayed WILL MOST CERTAINLY affect their litter box training and bonding, not to mention keep them from getting cancer.