# NIC Cage, Bunny stuck! Please Help!



## Sukichan (Oct 2, 2009)

Ok, this morning I awoke to hear scrambling sounds inside my bunnies cage. They are only 8 weeks old, I got them just the day before yesterday and last night I finally completed their NIC cage and moved them into it. I was super excited. When I went to check the cage this morning, D'arcy was on the shelf and had stuck his head through the square to get access to the top of the hay rack it seemed and now he was stuck! :shock: I called the vet and he said that I would have to cut the wire, after struggling to cut the wire for about 15 minutes I finally freed him. He was fine, no worries, he was actually calm the whole time.I read the post about the new size NIC cubes but mine appear to be the old style ones. Should I worry about this happening again? Should I move the hay rack? My boyfriend thinks we should put a continuous thick wire in a diagonal across each square to make them smaller. 
(I have moved them to a temporary well ventilated bin cage for now). Secondly, now D'arcy is super dirty! They had pooped all over the shelf and he got it all under his belly and legs! What should I do about this?
Sorry for the long post! I am a bunny newbie so please help! 
Thanks so much!


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## fuzz16 (Oct 2, 2009)

well until thier bigger i would keep them in something they cant get thier heads through, or you can make the holes smaller with whatever way you choose.


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## hartleybun (Oct 2, 2009)

poor d'arcy! dont worry - all of us were bunnies newbies once. if you havent got a suitable cage for them until they are bigger then yes, you need to make the holes smaller. if they are anything like my rexes, then it amazes me just how small a hole they can get thru'

well done you for coping with what must have been quite upsetting. it's all part of been a bun servant


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## SilverBirchRabbitry (Oct 2, 2009)

Welcome to the forum! I would set more wire up so they can't squeeze their little heads through!

I will reply more to this post later, I have my own buns to feed lol


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## missyscove (Oct 2, 2009)

Welcome to RO!
I know the newer grids from Target have 2 different size holes in them. Was it the bigger holes or the smaller that he stuck his head through?
I'm glad he wasn't hurt!
I would definitely either get a smaller, temporary cage until he grows, or put some kind of covering on the NIC cage to make the holes smaller. 
I know we've had members who wrapped their cages with hardware cloth to keep cat paws out and I'm sure that'd be just as effective at keeping bunny heads in.


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## NorthernAutumn (Oct 2, 2009)

Glad to hear your baby is doing OK... You may want to consider using one of the storebought cages while the babies are still so small, or use the wrapping method Missycove suggested. 

As for cleanliness... . Seems to take baby bunnies longer to get the hang of peeing in the right place.

Is it squishy poos that are stuck to Darcy? Or is it urine discolouration?

If you've got squishy poos going on, you may be seeing undigested cecals, or the impact of too many veggies, too soon, too young.


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## Sukichan (Oct 2, 2009)

Thanks for all your welcomes and replies already  its super appreciated! Right now I am leaning towards using one of those methods to make the spaces smaller. The NIC crates I bought were the small sized ones. 
I am really trying to get them litter trained, I feel kinda like I'm unsure of what I'm doing. I was really horrified this morning when after I rescued D'arcy I saw how dirty the cage had become, and even over night. I haven't fed them any veggies yet because I wasn't certain on what , how much and when. I seem to be reading a lot of conflicting information. So I've been feeding them martin's pellets and hay.The cage was mostly dirty with hard poos; however, I think he is covered in squishy poo and urine (maybe the combination has made its so gross seeming), Is there a safe way to clean this off of him? I know I have seen like super pet "shampoo" and "instant shampoo". Is this appropriate?


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## NorthernAutumn (Oct 2, 2009)

I like the pellet hay combo until they are a bit older, myself.
Sounds like you are on the right track. 
The conventional wisdom is to start one veg at a time, tiny amounts, over the span of a few weeks.

Check out the nutrition and behaviour forum for more info on that point 

I just reread your first post... sounds like your buns are adjusting, which may be throwing off the tummies a bit. He should be consuming the squishy cecals.

Here's our Library Link to Grooming here. Has instructions on cleaning D'arcy up 

Personally, unless he's absolutely filthy, I would try to "spot clean" rather than do a full butt bath.... don't really want to make him super anxious (considering he just got to your house).


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## tonyshuman (Oct 2, 2009)

Oh yikes! I can't imagine how scary that must have been! For the time being, at least, you should put extra wire up. Maybe some chicken wire or hardware cloth lining the inside of the cage where they can reach the grids will do the trick.

For cleaning, I would do a butt bath using baby shampoo, unless it can be spot cleaned like Autumn said. I've used the Johnson's baby shampoo before with good results. Depending on how big they are, a butt bath may be really hard to do as well. Just keep as much of him out of the water as possible. You might put an inch or two of water in the sink and clean him while he's standing on all 4s instead of the traditional butt bath if he's too small. I do a butt bath by holding the bunny against my belly, paws pointed away, with my left hand under the chest area. I dunk the hind end in a sink with water and clean with my right hand. The water should be about as warm as you'd use to clean a baby. Make sure whatever you do, you dry him off really well! Not doing so can lead to an infection/cold that can be really dangerous. I'd towel dry for a few minutes, cuddling with him in the towel if possible, and see how he reacts to a blow dryer on low--most bunnies won't tolerate that but some will. If he won't deal with that, let him finish drying off in a place that's warm and free of any drafts.


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