# Elliots New Home



## Elliot (Apr 9, 2012)

Elliot had one of these terrible contraptions...
http://www.superpetusa.com/product-list/my-first-home-medium.htm
No room for everything he needed, and no room to do anything.
So today he moved into this, the bottom of a large corner parrot cage. It may be temporary until I can build a NIC cage or something, but at least he can move around.
I want to get a nice sized litter box. Tomorrow I can go and find one.
What are your favorites?
Here it is~











Wow..bunnies are very hard to photograph! Lots of fails...they do not stay still for the camera do they?:biggrin:


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## bobasmomma (Apr 9, 2012)

i love the evil eye hes giving you! lovely rabbit house too!


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## Elliot (Apr 9, 2012)

Thank you.:biggrin: I see most of you use regular blankets or sheets in your cages. What is the reason, and don't they get funky fast?


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## Nancy McClelland (Apr 9, 2012)

:thumbup


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## LakeCondo (Apr 9, 2012)

Any very large litter box, large enough for the rabbit to stretch out in.

Funky, not unless the rabbit hasn't learned to urinate only in the litter box. Of course they need to be washed out from time to time & rinsed thoroughly, including with diluted white vinegar.


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## toyabrooke (Apr 9, 2012)

I know have a bit cut of Lino lining Horatio's cage with a few squares of carpet under his house and in his cage to lay on. It's super easy to clean (I just sweep up an hay or poops off the lino), and it really hygienic in general. I used to line the cage with towels but it was so hard to sweep up and they had to be washed very frequently with a new little bunny living in it!  

Great cage too!


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## Elliot (Apr 10, 2012)

Thanks everyone.:thumbup Is it ok to cover the cage at night?
I have a terrible problem with sleeping more than a few hours, and tend to come here to my office and read during the wee hours. This is where Elliot is, and he is running around his cage. I was wondering if this is normal energy, or am I bothering him?


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## Nela (Apr 10, 2012)

It's fine to cover it but I would think it would be pointless if he is going to hear you nearby. It'll probably annoy him even more not to be able to see you. He'll probably take on your sleep pattern If he gets too noisy (my Wiggles would definitely have bitten and rattled the cage if I ignored her) and you don't want that, perhaps you'llwant to considerreading somewhere else. Hehehe.


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## Elliot (Apr 10, 2012)

This is where my computer is..lol. This is my nightly ritual.:blushan:
He did calm down. Thank you Nela.:wave:
I have been reading about nutrition, and when I go to get the litterbox, I will also be getting a couple new water bottles{so one can dry} and a different pellet. I have been reading it is best to give them only a small amount each day so you can better gauge how much/if they are eating. Do you like glass water bottles over plastic?


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## Nela (Apr 10, 2012)

Lol Elliot, I am glad it worked for you and your bun then. Wouldn't have worked for mine that's for sure, but that just proves that there isn't a universal rule or method. 

I haven't tried glass myself and probably wouldn't simply because I am accident-prone. Lol.


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## LakeCondo (Apr 10, 2012)

By nature, rabbits are most active at dawn & dusk, but house rabbits tend to adapt to our schedules.

Did you mean a small amount of pellets or water? I assume you mean pellets. How much you give depends on how much other thing Elliot has to eat. Increase or decrease the amount depending on how much he leaves, assuming he doesn't need to lose weight.

I use water bowls, not bottles, but if I were to use bottles, I'd use glass ones. I try to avoid plastic as much as possible; I've stopped microwaving in plastic; got some clear glass dishes, similar to what Pyrex was until 20 years ago.


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## Elliot (Apr 11, 2012)

Thanks for the great replies everyone.
I went to petsmart & wally world yesterday, and got Elliot a ton of new things. A litter box, some different carefresh litter,orchard hay,two water bottles{one glass and one bpa free lixit}, a soft cat bed, a bowl for veggies,some oxbow pellets, a couple cotton placemats to sit on,and a cute bunny toy. Pics later.


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## Elliot (Apr 11, 2012)

Here is the new and improved set up

















The cat bed is inside the box. It is real soft. Elliot was being camera shy.


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## mrbunny (Apr 11, 2012)

Hi Elliot! He's a real handsome one. I've also got a handsome black otter dwarf, too! Love his new home and his toys.


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## Elliot (Apr 11, 2012)

Hi Goosas, Elliot says hi & thank you.:wave2


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## MiserySmith (Apr 11, 2012)

I'm sure he's feeling much better in there, that's a very nice set up.. But I can't help but think that a level really wouldn't be that hard to put in. That way he'd use some of the higher up space as well. Maybe NIC cubes zip tied to the side with a dowel support or something?


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## Elliot (Apr 11, 2012)

Thanks Misery. It's like a condo, right..:bunny17:
I am sure it will evolve over time. The nic upper level is a great idea. What could I use for a ramp?


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## SApple (Apr 11, 2012)

MiserySmith I was thinking the same thing. Add a couple of levels and a ramp to get in and out and it would be even better. I don't think you could build a better NIC from scratch. Instead of NIC cubes I'd get some ply wood cut to size and zip tie that in. Use horizontal dowel zip tied to the sides for extra support.


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## Elliot (Apr 11, 2012)

Hi Sharon, thanks. I do have two thick dowels that fit the whole length or width. This cage is 42X42". What would you make ramps out of?


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## SApple (Apr 11, 2012)

I would make them out of wood. You could hinge it to the upper level, then glue 2 inch strips horizontally accross the ramp spacing them 3 to 4 inched apart. You could most likely use the scap pieces from the ply wood you use to make the floor. I'm betting you could get 2 levels in there with no trouble.


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## SApple (Apr 11, 2012)

BTW. Using a large bird cage for a rabbit pen is genius. It looks great and gives the rabbit lots of space without taking over the whole room.


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## LakeCondo (Apr 11, 2012)

Just teach Elliot to fly & you won't need ramps or upper levels. lol


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## Elliot (Apr 11, 2012)

*LakeCondo wrote: *


> Just teach Elliot to fly & you won't need ramps or upper levels. lol


:clapping::laughsmiley: Hehehe!
Thanks everyone for the compliments and ideas.:big kiss: 
How high would you make each level?


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## LakeCondo (Apr 11, 2012)

At least far enough apart he won't hit his head when he hops. Or more than that, if you think there ever is the possibility of getting him a friend that's not dwarf.

But if you study Disney's Dumbo movie with Elliot a number of times, the 2 of you may figure out how he can fly. Unfortunately, that first may involve jumping off a high platform into a little tub of water below. But every advance requires some hard work. lol


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## Elliot (Apr 11, 2012)

Hmm..
*The Elliot Show*:bunnydance:
Has a nice ring to it:biggrin:


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## Elliot (Apr 11, 2012)

I am leaning towards the NIC idea,or something other than plywood for two reasons. One is I do not have the skill or the tools, and would have to hire someone to do it. Two, and this is what bugs me more-is that plywood seems so permanent. If it gets soiled there is no good way to clean it. At least with the grates, I could cover them with cardboard, which could be removed and replaced with new.


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## SApple (Apr 12, 2012)

You can go either way. I like the wood because it is sturdier. I don't have a lot of tools either. Basically a jig saw and drill. I had lowes cut the wood to size when I bought it and then used my drill to make holes for the zip ties. And you are right about the wood getting dirty. I cover mine with the the sticky back floor tiles.

But then again if you don't have tools NIC is the way to go.

Good luck with your project and post pictures.


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## MarisaAndToby (Apr 12, 2012)

You wouldn't necessarily need a ramp. If your bun is a jumper (mine is), you could put a footstool or sturdy box at the edge of the second level so he could jump onto that, and then onto the second level. Awesome set up! Wish I had a bird cage, what a great idea.


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## melbaby80 (Apr 12, 2012)

He is so cute lol thats quite the mansion!


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## Nela (Apr 12, 2012)

If you make the upper level open enough, you can let him use the box from below to hop on and off so that wouldn't require any ramp building. The wooden dowels under the NIC panels would make it sturdy so hopping on and off wouldn't be an issue.Just make sure the box can hold his weight. Otherwise you can perhaps replace the box with a sort of step stool type thing or wooden box, depending on what fits in there. 

Looks great!


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## Nela (Apr 12, 2012)

For some reason I was seeing Elliot's reply as the last post and didn't see that other already mentioned the same thing. Sorry!


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## Elliot (Apr 12, 2012)

All great ideas,thanks again. I like how this community comes up with so many household items to incorporate into their bunny's home.
Last night I was thinking of some ideas. I was thinking of bird platform perches. I have friends in the business of making and selling bird items, who may just be able to make me some extra large ones.
They would connect to the cage. They generally have threaded rod, then large washers and wingnuts to secure them.
Here is an example on a smaller scale~









At least these can be removed easy enough for cleaning.
Another idea, would be simply to put in some rubbermaid tubs or organizers.Stacking them back to back. Or even a plastic shelf system,with plastic tubs on each level to contain the mess.


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## Elliot (Apr 12, 2012)

*Nela wrote: *


> For some reason I was seeing Elliot's reply as the last post and didn't see that other already mentioned the same thing. Sorry!


No worries! 
I was wondering, is there a place on this forum where there is a sticky to explain the lingo?
Like, what is "bunny500"?
And there is something else I keep seeing I don't understand, let me go find it.


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## Elliot (Apr 12, 2012)

When people say they are using 'coolers', what exactly is it they are using? Coolers like drink coolers?


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## Elliot (Apr 12, 2012)

I was also thinking he might enjoy one of these~




It's called a betta bed, and it attaches to the cage the same way as the platform perch. Like this~




Keep giving him bird items, I'll get him to fly yet!!:biggrin:


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## MiserySmith (Apr 12, 2012)

If you could find big enough perches, I think those would be fine. Just plan the size for how big he's going to get, not his current size.
Also that bird tube is adorable, and where it attaches to the side you wouldn't have to worry about it rolling around with a bunny in it. x]


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## Elliot (Apr 12, 2012)

Thanks so much. Elliot is 1.5 yo, so full grown right?


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## ZRabbits (Apr 12, 2012)

*Elliot wrote: *


> Thanks so much. Elliot is 1.5 yo, so full grown right?



Yes, your sweetie is full grown. He's as big as he will get.

Absolutely love what you did cratewise! Like the little stuff toy too.

K


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## Elliot (Apr 12, 2012)

Thank you Karen. I weighed Elliot today on my gram/oz scale,and he was 34.90 oz. or 2.18 lbs.:bunny17: I ordered something special for him today from etsy.


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## MarisaAndToby (Apr 12, 2012)

Was it a specialize Elliot FlatBonnie?!


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## Elliot (Apr 12, 2012)

I am not sure what that is. But it will have his name on it.:biggrin:


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## LakeCondo (Apr 12, 2012)

I'd looked in various catalogs for large bird perches with no luck, though with a 5-lb rabbit it'd have to be a corner perch. If your friend is interested, he could start a little mail-order business.

bunny500: like a car race, running fast around in big-as-possible circles

Coolers: the cold things you put in a freezer bag/cooler to keep the food cold.

Most of us with larger-than-dwarf rabbits look for cat things to use.


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## melbaby80 (Apr 13, 2012)

*Elliot wrote: *


> I was also thinking he might enjoy one of these~
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your bird is beautiful!! Reminds me of toucans and those are my absolute favorite!


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## Elliot (Apr 13, 2012)

*LakeCondo wrote: *


> I'd looked in various catalogs for large bird perches with no luck, though with a 5-lb rabbit it'd have to be a corner perch. If your friend is interested, he could start a little mail-order business.
> 
> bunny500: like a car race, running fast around in big-as-possible circles
> 
> ...


The people I know do have websites and do quite well in the bird community. They don't sell to places that would put it in catalogs. Most of those items would be made in China. These are small businesses, that make the items.Two are in Canada,one in Illinois,the last one is in Delaware. One makes them from pine and handpaints them with food based paints, one makes flagstone perches..I bet a bunny would love them as they would be cool to the touch, one makes them from natural rounds of willow and birch. Not sure what type the other wood is, but I will be contacting them to ask.
Thanks for answering those questions. It's funny when you join a new community and try to figure out what they are talking about...lol.


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## Elliot (Apr 13, 2012)

*melbaby80 wrote:*


> Your bird is beautiful!! Reminds me of toucans and those are my absolute favorite!


Thank you. That is Jewels. She is the smallest in the toucan family, known as a green aracari.:biggrin:


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## melbaby80 (Apr 13, 2012)

She has a fan! arty0002: Never seen her kind before. I used to work at the Lincoln park zoo in Chicago when I was younger and would visit the toucan there, he would always come flying to the very edge of his habitat and stick his beak through the metal strings. He'd follow me back and forth. So beautiful, he was my absolute favorite.


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## Elliot (Apr 13, 2012)

She makes the coolest sounds. She has videos, you can look me up on youtube- shebaheartly or look for "jewels green aracari".


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## melbaby80 (Apr 13, 2012)

She sounds amazing!


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