Rabbit cages
Rabbit cages come in 2 general forms - you can either have rabbit cages made of wood
or you can opt to have ones made of wire. I'll run through the advantages and
disadvantages of having each :
Rabbit cages - wooden
Wooden rabbit cages are usually more pleasing to the eye and you can opt to paint them a variety of colors. They also have a 'homier' look about them and makes it look less like a 'cage'. Rabbits have teeth that are growing all the time and they will chew on the wooden bars and edges of the cage so wooden cages don't last as long as wire ones. Wooden rabbit cages are also harder to keep clean as they can't really be disinfected effectively. If you are building a rabbit cage using wood, just make sure you aren't using treated pine because it harbors toxic chemicals in the wood which when ingested isn't healthy for your rabbit.
Rabbit cages - wire
These I've seen in 2 general forms. You can have the ones with the plastic tray on the bottom or ones that have a wire mesh tray on the bottom (with a plastic base) so that the rabbit droppings fall to the bottom of the tray and makes for ease of cleaning. There are also ones with 2 tier facilities - kind of like a play gym for your rabbit. I'm not entirely convinced that these are exactly safe for the rabbit to use as there is that added danger of them falling off the second tier. I would much prefer a larger rabbit cage and you add a sturdy plastic container with a hole cut in it so that they can opt to 'hide' in them (remember they are used to living in burrows so hiding comes naturally to them) or hop on top of it if they feel like a new 'perspective'. For those rabbit cages with a wire mesh base, I would suggest you add bedding in the form of straw or shredded paper or provide a section of the pen where you can place a solid floor for them to stand on. Rabbits raised purely on wire mesh cages tend to get 'bumble foot' which are sores on their feet because of the pressure placed on their feet by the wire mesh.
Rabbit cages - can I make my own?
Of course you can if you are really handy. You can also opt to have a pen style rabbit enclosure in your yard. Just remember that rabbits do tunnel and burrow and you need to provide a floor for your enclosure or cage to stop your rabbit from making unwanted visits into your garden. You can read more about building one here
Rabbit cages - accessories
Feeding your pet rabbit - you can opt to have food bowls (which come in ceramic or stainless steel varieties - I prefer the ceramic bowls because they aren't as likely to tip over) or opt to use feeders. There are also ones that I've seen that actually lock onto the wire cage sides to stop your pet from moving them around.
Water supply - you can choose between using a ceramic bowl as a source of water or utilize one of those water bottles that can be attached to the rabbit cage. The bowl option can mean more frequent water changes are necessary as food and bedding inevitably end up soiling the water. The water bottle works well but some rabbits need to be 'trained' to drink from it - it's not something that comes naturally. Check the ball point for waterers regularly to make sure they aren't stuck and move freely.
Read on about rabbit care, rabbit diseases
Ask a vet plans available
- Ask the online vet a question for just $8.95; or
- Sign up for a one month membership for just $19.95 and ask the online vet unlimited questions about your pet.
- Find answers to common pet health and behavior questions $3.95/article
- Read up on previous ask the vet pet health questions for just $3.95
Vet question of the day
Add to
Cat losing hair with itchy skin
About a month ago my female neutered Siamese mix cat lost all the shine in her coat of long hair, and refuses to come into the house, preferring to remain in the garage. She is shedding her hair and it comes out in big clumps. The skin on her back near her tail is flaking off, like large dandruff, and the hairs have tiny black things on them near the base. This area is very itchy and when it is touched, she goes into an involuntary biting spasm. She also has small scabs on her skin spread all over her body. - Click
here to read the answer
More
pet
health questions
Pet Care Articles and Pet Supplies Deals
| Dogs - dog care | 
Sign
up for the Ask the Vet newsletter
- Click
hereWe're in the news! Read full article here. |
