MAKE BUNNY'S HOUSE A HAPPY PLACE TO BE
by Joy Gioia, HRS National Educator
MO HRS Chapter Manager

Look at any pet catalog and you'll see new and innovative ideas for most pets. Bird cages are larger with more toys as people acknowledge the needs of their avian pets. Fish aquariums have decorative pebbles, sunken ships, and water filters. Reptiles get sleeping rocks, sun lamps, temperature gauges, and special flooring. Cats have play towers and automated waste removal systems. Even dog collars can be replaced by special head halters and the family pooch can use dog sized litter pans. Look at rabbit housing, however, and what do you find?

I cringe every time I see those little pet store starter cages with wire floors, small doors (some even open inward which is really dumb) and which have a picture of a baby bunny on the box. Some starter kits even include cedar or pine shavings, a box of very poor food (nutritionally speaking,) and NO hay. There are no signs advising that the tiny baby you bring home could grow into a 10 pound adult or that the small door could promote fear and cage protective habits.

Ordinary rabbit cages are the product of manufacturers catering to old ideas developed by breeders who prefer the least amount of work possible in cleaning. After all, it's much easier to empty a tray of shavings and not worry about pain in rabbit feet or open sores on their hocks. Rabbit feet are actually more sensitive than cat and dog feet. However, once established, ideas are difficult to change. A person who didn’t like the idea of a house rabbit vehemently declared that if rabbits weren't supposed to live outside, then pet stores wouldn't sell outside cages. Somehow, the idea of profits never entered her head. If something will sell and make money, then it will certainly be made available.

A few places do offer better cage designs. Leithpetwerks.com is one (they developed one, two, and three level condos with solid floors and carpet covered ramps.) They are worth the price, but may be out of reach for some. However, they also look very nice in the living room, family room, or kitchen area. A few newer cage types have developed slatted floors which provide more comfort, but small breeds, such as Netherland Dwarfs, may have footing problems with slats too far apart for their tiny feet. Don't despair, though. All it takes is a little imagination and bunny can have a real dream home.

Over the last couple of years I've seen some wonderful homemade designs. One was built of wood and screening with two condo style home-made cages on opposite ends of a wood and screen fenced play yard connecting them. Another was a large metal dog crate (left over from a family pooch) fixed up with a shelf to lounge upon to take advantage of the wasted height and provide more room to run and play. Even medium sized metal dog crates provide large doors, hard plastic floor trays that can be covered with a towel or small rug, and space to move around and sprawl. Another terrific cage arrangement involved two 30" tall puppy pens attached together to form a large pen area in a basement where a bonded pair had two litter boxes, a large cardboard box for playing, digging and chewing, a cardboard tube for running through, and a hard plastic lawn chair with a large cover over it. The cover provided comfort for snoozing on top as well as a place to hide if bunny went under the chair. Even a single puppy pen provides more space than the largest of single story cages. Let me also mention here that the basement in this home was the office and work area for this couple so the bunnies got lots of attention and exercise time outside of their pen.

If expense is an issue, browse garage sales for a used dog cage or puppy pen or try making your own from some ordinary items. For around $50 a terrific house or great play area can be created for some lucky bunny with shelving grid panels (Target, CostCo,) cable ties, and tile board (see description below and obtained at Home Depot, Loews, etc.) for a floor.

Floors for puppy pens may not be an issue on a plain basement floor, but used in other areas of the house a protective floor covering may be desired. Here are some options. For bunnies good about litter box habits, only some throw rugs (without rubber backing) covering the floor may be necessary. For other bunnies, a sheet of acrylic or a plastic chair mat can be used as a floor with some throw rugs to provide a non-slip surface. Tile board (mentioned above) is a thin sheet of plywood or wood composite type board coated with a white plastic surface. A regular sheet of plywood covered with contact shelving paper to make the surface washable and protect the wood is another possibility, but be sure the bunnies don't try eating through to the wood. Likewise, a piece of good quality linoleum (some stores offer leftover pieces at reduced prices) or plastic tarp can be used with an inexpensive area rug over it. The key is to prevent bunny from chewing on these items. Covering the wood or linoleum with an old or inexpensive area rug works well. In addition, providing bunny with other things to chew like a cardboard box, hard plastic toys, toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay, an old phone book, and/or a nice sized piece of white pine (builder’s grade and untreated) etc., can help a lot.

Playing and sprawling are the key ingredients. Any cage can be comfortable if there's ample room for bunny to move around, stretch out fully, have a litter box, and still have room for food and water bowls. The smaller the cage the more time the bunny needs out of it for exercise. That exercise time also provides you with a great chance to clean the cage while bunny is busy elsewhere.

If you have one of the old style wire floor cages, don't despair. A piece of fake fleece over part of the floor can provide a place for bunny to have comfort when she chooses. A piece of flat cardboard or an untreated, not dyed straw mat can provide a place to get off the wire, too, while doubling as an item to chew. If the cardboard or mat gets messy, simply throw it away and get a new piece.

For cages, though, only adequate amounts of exercise outside the cage can compensate (such as 3-4 hours per day.) If the cage is so small that bunny can't lay fully stretched out while having both dishes and litter box in there, then the cage is too small and a new one should be obtained. Think of locking yourself barefoot in a very small closet with a wire floor all day long, every day, with nothing to do, no room for moving or stretching, and no where to find comfort for your feet and you may get an idea of what your bunny's life is like in a small, wire floored cage. Medium sized metal dog cages would provide better living space, but don't forget about lots of play time outside of the cage and that goes for bunnies in larger cages, too.

For cage/pen location remember that rabbits like to be around their people and get bored and/or depressed if kept in an out-of-the-way location that’s rarely visited. It’s hard to be a companion animal when the animal doesn’t get to be part of the family and it’s hard to develop a loving relationship with an animal not allowed to be around you. It’s also harder to notice when the bunny is sick or acting abnormal if you don’t spend time around your bunny to see these things.

For the bunny blessed with more house space, sometimes a bathroom or laundry room can act as a contained living area with a baby gate across the entrance. Just be sure the area is bunny proofed. Likewise, some bunnies get free roaming privileges. If the rooms are bunny proofed, this bunny is sure to be in bunny heaven. However, many of us don't have that luxury and need a secure place for bunny to stay while we're not around to supervise. However, the bunny proofing will still be necessary for when bunny does get to be out of her cage for both her protection and the protection of electrical and other enticing items. Making bunny's home a happy place to be during that time can make you happy and comfortable, too.

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