Make a Bunny Cage
You have brought home your newly adopted, roly-poly bunny. You are new to world of the "house bunny" and are not ready to give your bunny free reign of your home. You also want to make sure you have a safe space for your new baby to protect her as well as your electrical cords and any yummy, chewy furniture. The cages you saw at the pet supply store were either too small or too expensive. "Well, I can build that," you thought to yourself. With a shopping trip and some instructions, you can!
Instructions
1. Lay out the wire storage cubes on the floor, making sure they are all the same side up. Make two walls using two across and two down. Make two walls by using three across and two down.
Complete each of the four walls by connecting the 2-by-2 grids with cable ties as well as the 3-by-2 grids with cable ties. Do not tighten the cable ties at this time.
Create a roof by connecting one more 3-by-2 "wall."
2. Use the cable ties (and an extra set of hands if they are available) to stand the walls up and connect them. The 2-by-2 walls should be opposite of one another, and the 3-by-2 walls should be opposite one another. The third 3-by-2 "wall" will be placed on top as the roof.
3. Create a hinged top by substituting spring clamps for cable ties on one of the 2-by-2 ends of the cage. This opening will come in handy for cleaning the cage as well as removal or placement of your bunny and her belongings.
Create a door on the front of the cage by using spring clamps rather than cable ties on one side of one of the wire storage cubes on a 3-by-2 side of the cage.
4. Support the roof by slipping a dowel rod along the length of the roof and securing it with cable ties.
5. Create a second story within your bunny's cage by slipping two dowel rods along the width of the cage, about 11 inches up. The first should be a few inches over from one side the cage; the second should be two squares over from the same side of the cage. Secure the dowel rods with cable ties. Measure and cut your plywood to fit this shelf (roughly the same area as 2-by-2 of the storage cubes)--or have a piece of plywood cut to measure at your local hardware store. Place the plywood on the wooden dowels.
6. Decide what you are comfortable having as a floor. Wire is not good flooring for a bunny. It is hard on their feet. Thebunnybasics.com suggests purchasing "ABS plastic replacement dog crate trays" online, or "purchase sea grass mats as a 'carpet' for the bottom. This is a fine alternative and the mats are edible for a rabbit." If your bunny is properly litter trained, you may simply place the cage on your own floor while supplying litter boxes for your bunny. Sample carpet squares as well as old towels and blankets will help protect your floor and give your bunny some comfortable bedding. Bunnies like to chew on bedding and kick it about.
7. Tighten all of the cable ties to secure your cage. Now it is time to furnish your bunny's cage and introduce her to it.
Tags: cable ties, your bunny, with cable, with cable ties, side cage, storage cubes