:blink: I am looking for blue prints, or pictures of different cages for me new rabbit, I am getting him/her this summer, around the begining of August. If you have any pictures or blue's, I would greatly apprectiate them, thanks. email is sej@dccnet.com

I don't have copies of the blueprints for my double hutch on my web site but do have them somewhere at home. My hutch may be a bit more fancy that what you've intended. There are hutch plans out there. I disagree with certain aspects of most of them. For example, I'm against wire bottoms. Izzy, my angora, has deformed feet since she was on wire the first few months of her life. Is your new rabbit a small, medium, or large breed? My site has a partial photo of one of my hutches and maybe a full photo; I'm not sure.

Hello,

I'm getting a new rabbit at the beginning of November and have been looking for a hutch. I know that he's currently in a wire bottom cage, but it just seemed a little uncomfortable to me, so I've been looking for alternatives. I love the hutch that you've built!! It's _way_ too big for me though as I need it to fit inside my (indoor) office.

The ideal measurements seem to be 4' x 3' x 2'. My office can definitely accomodate the 4' and 2' (height) requirements, but I'm not sure that I'll be able to fit 3' for depth. In any case, I've been looking at the pictures on your site trying to figure out how the mesh on the doors is attached. As far as I can see there is no exposed mesh. Does that mean you've screwed two pieces of wood together, enclosing the mesh?

I've also been looking at making this kind of hutch:
http://www.happyhutch.co.uk/ProductDetails...48&categoryID=8
Is it a good idea to have an enlosed box for a bed like the one shown?

You're not using bedding on the main floor of the hutch. Do the rabbits still like to have a bed area that has straw (or equivalent) to sleep on? I'm assuming the "warm nest box" refers to a bed area.

And hopefully my last question...since my guy is used to a wire-bottom-poo-anywhere kind of hutch, what can I do to help litter train him?

Thanks so much for your pictures and your web site! It confirmed what I'd already been thinking about the wire-bottom cages.

I forgot to mention....my bunny is a French angora that will mature at about 9lb.

http://www.emmajane.net/images/bunnies/silver.jpg

As you see on my site, I have added a bunch of photos of my hutch after a few requests. The hardware cloth, aka rabbit wire, is attached to a wooden frame on both sides so there is no exposed wire edges (which are sharp) on either side. Basically, the boards were nailed together, trapping the wire in. I'm not sure if my father tacked the wire to one board before nailing on the other.

The link you had to the other hutch did not come when I clicked on it. Buns may use enclosed boxes but I think they don't like the "ceiling" of the box to be too low. So, the back nest areas of my hutch don't have their own "lid" just the roof of the hutch itself. I've found my buns prefer to sleep in their litter which is CareFresh and very soft. It pulls the urine away from them so they don't get soiled too badly. Your French angora is gorgeous! I have an English angora. She is disabled now and sits in her CareFresh pan all day since she can't walk very well. I change it often enough to try to keep her clean. I've found with angoras, the CareFresh does stick to the fur but it's easy to remove. If you use cat litter, it sticks like glue so don't try that. There are other natural litters that might work, perhaps the ones that are a bit heavier like the corn-based ones might stick less on his/her fur. You can also fill a next box with straw. Straw can also be used as litter but it doesn't soak up urine and may make a mess. It's soft enough for a bed though. It would be nice if we could use a towel in the bed but my buns have always tried to eat it. Provide plenty of hay for feeding. Hay won't last long in a litter pan or nest box since they'll eat it (unless you have buns like I've had who won't and get constantly ill!).

As for litter training, I've now had 6 buns I've had use litter pans. I didn't train them at all! Some were young while others were adults who had never used pans before. I simply put them in the cage with the litter pans. Sure, at first, a few things were out of the pan but within a few weeks, they put most of it where it was supposed to go. In a confined cage or hutch, they will figure it out quick. In a house, it's much harder and confinement is usually used to litter train. Buns will almost always go to corners to pee and like to pee in absorbant things so simply putting it in the back corner seems to work for my buns! If they don't get the idea fast enough, start filling the litter pan up with their waste so they get the idea or try another litter if that's the problem. Also, move the pan to their preferred spot if they're going in another corner for example. Once they figure it out, you can move the pan where you want it but try to stick to a corner.

Good luck!

Thanks for your fast reply! And your kind words about my new bunny. I'm so looking forward to getting him home!

Here's a second attempt at the photographs of the hutches I found online...hopefully these links work. This is the plain one that I tried to link to before:
http://www.happyhutch.co.uk/images/product...20Hutch%20L.jpg

This one's got shelving under the main level which would be very handy:
http://www.happyhutch.co.uk/images/products/hutchcupbord.jpg

And the uber deluxe three storey with ramps in between (can you imagine?!):
http://www.happyhutch.co.uk/images/product...20RAMPS%20L.jpg
This one also shows what the door into the bed area looks like. I may ask for this one for Christmas--it'd just be a matter of figuring out how to fit it into the office. We have 9' ceilings so I can definitely build up easier than I can build out into the room. Do you think a rabbit would mind if its space was up and down ramps as opposed to out and across?

I'm going to make the inside dimension 2' tall (per level if there are multiple levels). Do you think that will be tall enough for a 9lb rabbit to sit on his haunches and look around? I definitely don't want him to feel trapped and unhappy.

Thanks for your suggestions on litter training. I won't be using clay-based cat litter--my cat uses the corn based stuff already. Do bunnies urinate in their bed area? My hamster only had one corner that she'd pee in.

Wow, those hutches are fancy! They would be great inside but not safe for outdoor use as they aren't predator proof (need to be off the ground 3' or so, etc.).

Two foot high ceilings should be plenty high for a French angora to stand on her haunches. There is no problem with the space including vertical space as long as the bun is physically able to climb the ramps. The smaller the angle on the ramps, the easier for climbing. Larger buns are less apt to climb. Also, when elderly, some buns can't climb like my Izzy who know is disabled.

Buns will soil their bed area so include something under the straw or whatever to absorb any urine that may end up there. My buns usually sleep in their litter pan so it's both a litter pan and a bed. This isn't great as far as cleanliness so frequent litter changes are required. Most rabbits will use one or two preferred corners to go to the bathroom. If they are using a different one than where the pan is, try moving the pan to that corner or have more than one pan.

My fiance has just given me the excellent idea of creating a hutch that runs the length of the front room under the window. This would serve two purposes: one a nice long hutch for the bunny, and two a window seat for the cat who loves to watch out the window. I was getting kind of excited about the ramp though...it's good to know about larger bunnies and climbing. I hadn't thought of that.

The super fancy hutches all come with (optional) long legs--although they seem to be promoting them as more of a "you don't need to bend down to clean" rather than a safety feature. I can definitely appreciate that the seen mess is the cleaned mess though. I'll need to think some more about whether I want a hutch along the ground. I had it at least waist high in my mind.

I'm having a hard time with a bunny wanting to sleep in its litter pan. It just seems to contrary to how my cat, dog and hamster have behaved. I'm sure it will make more sense when I see it in action (and inspire me to clean the litter on a VERY regular basis).

Thanks again for your thoughts on this! I'm so glad I found your web site!

Well, here's the pictures of the final hutch. I hope you approve. :)

http://emmajane.net/family/thehutch.html

Looks nice! Tell him he did a good job! Since your bun will be a pretty big bun, be sure to let him out for exercise and to get some occasional sunlight in a window. You might setup a small moveable cage that's all wire on the sides for that if you don't trust him loose at first. If I had suggestions for improvements on the hutch, I would have made it a little bigger, made the nest box so it was not much bigger than the bun at full size, and put in more ventilation windows.

We ended up with a second door on the right hand side and I'll probably put some additional holes in the back when I get the proper hole-making drill bit.

Gir (the bunny) is now completely litter trained (although he does have the occassional oops it's pretty rare). It took him about four weeks to get to this point. I thought it would be faster, so it was really discouraging at first. I had a corner box that was a triangle and when I switched to a regular rectangle he was much happier. I have Care Fresh in the litter box and no other bedding on the wood floor. He sleeps at the back of the hutch stretched out between the two halves.

He gets out about twice a week for a run around the apartment (usually about 10-20 minutes before he hops back into the hutch by himself). He's very ticklish when I'm brushing him, but we're getting better at it. I'm getting the wheel out tonight to try some spinning as well. I'm pretty excited about this!

I've found buns like litter pans like regular cat litter pans. Smaller ones aren't very appealing to them as you've found.

Good luck with all that fur! :-)

Whilst at my parents, my rabbits (all 25 of them!) lived outside, in runs. My stepfather would go to the skip and look for old, discarded cabinets which are close to the ground, bring them home and convert them. I know this sounds really wierd, but it worked really well! If the cabinet has two doors, you can have one side as the bedroom, and cut a hole in the other, and cover it in wire mesh, for light. If it has shelves, your bunny can have a two-story palace! As long as you look over the cabinet well to make sure there's no sharp bits, it's totally weather proof etc, this is a great- and free- alternative. (Just disinfect them first! O.o )

Questions For Robyn,

Was going to build some wire bottom cages but after looking at yours I will go with solid wood bottoms. Some things aren't clear.

Where do you buy your litter pans? They look like stainless steel, perhaps a cooking pan. When I place the litter pan in the cage, should it be empty?

Your wood floors look level. I suppose they don't need to be tilted to allow for drainage.

Is the local farm store your recommended place to get feeders/waterers or do you have a favorite?

Any other tips would be appreciated. Thanks for thinking of an alternative to wire bottom cages!

Another Question For Robyn,

Do your rabbits chew through the wood floor or walls?

My rabbits' litter pans are plastic Hartz cat litter pans. I can't seem to find ones just like them anymore but any plain rectangular litter pan will work for a corner of the hutch. I fill the litter pans with a few inches deep of CareFresh. I change that twice a week, washing once a week.

The floor is level. Drainage is not needed. The buns put 95% of their pee in the pans. They do miss sometimes. Some water also spills but it's not a lot.

I just buy bowls and waterers via mail order (mostly That Pet Place) or at the local Petco. The bowls are regular deep cat bowls. I put water in one side and pellets in the other. I do have a sipper bottle for my little bun but when it gets cold, he will have to switch to a bowl too. The bottles don't work in freezing weather.

Many people have said wire is not good for buns' feet. It also lets the warmth out in the winter and scares the buns if a predator comes up from below. I scrub the plywood floor every 5 weeks with a dilute bleach solution. I use a putty knife to scrape off any night feces left there. My bun Sweetie makes a huge mess in that regard but that's not normal. My young bun Mr. Tiny leaves nothing requiring the putty knife. So much easier!

When the hutch was new, the buns at the time did chew some of the side wood, the beams and such but not much. They can't physically chew the floor since it's flat. In the last 5 years at least, the buns in the hutch have done almost no wood chewing. I think the wood loses its appeal after it ages. Be sure that all internal wood that's chewable is not treated (with arsenic, etc.). The floor can also be not treated. The roof however should be weather-proof treated wood. Our first roof was not and rotted out in just a few years despite having shingles on it.

Even though the inside is not chewed much, the outside has taken more chewing over the years. The squirrels hang on and chew the corners. The wasps and hornets chew off wood to make their nests, and the carpenter bees bore holes. And yet, the thing is still sturdy enough to stay together! The hutch is 15-years-old now. My guess is it will require replacement by the 20 year mark. The problem is I can't do it and my father is now incapitated as well. By that point, I guess I'll have to bring them in!

Our rabbit Lola has a wire bottom cage but we have like a wicker trivet put inside thats about 1 foot around. She has a small plain basket about 3 inches round that we put her carrots in ( the basket has no dies or paint on it of course) She has nibbled at the basket somewhat but not chewed the inside of her cage or anything. I would think that as long as you provide the chewable items for your rabbit they won't chew on anything else. She sits on the platform while munching her carrots or lettuce and moves around just great inside the cage elsewhere. As for a solid base cage, If you could make one spot in the cage floor wire for waste to drop through this would be a plus I'm sure. Lola only does her thing in one corner of the hutch so I would think if you could try one portion being wire it would make cleaning the hutch much simpler on you and healthier for your widdle wabbit.