# Need a new cage, preferably metal, need advice!



## holtzchick (Jun 4, 2012)

I've done the whole building a cage thing, I've done the whole NIC panels thing. I have a basement full of NIC panels but I just find that the NIC cages are hard to make sturdy and they can be very inaccessible!I also built Peter a hutch not long ago but since moving back home it has been difficult to keep it the same size... that and it was pretty chewed apart! I tried to distract him with toys but of course he preferred his cage. So now his hutch is back to the original store bought version (had to make it smaller ) and I don't think he's a very happy camper. 

I would love to get him a new cage but this time no wood!! I don't like the wood, it is absorbent and it gets chewed on and ruined in no time! I would love something metal. Does anyone have their bun in a ferret/critter nation? I just got my little ferrets into a triple decked ferret nation and love the size, I just don't know if Peter would be happy with the space since there are a lot of ramps! 

I was also looking into Leith Petwerks bunny abode condos like the 3 level ones but again, they are very expensive and I don't know how accessible they will be for cleaning. Perhaps I will give the NIC cage a try again, I just need more inspiration.

Other than that, does anyone have advice for me on any other large space suitable metal cages that would be good for him? I really feel bad that my ferrets live so luxuriously and Peter is back down to his single chewed hutch  

Thanks All!


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## LakeCondo (Jun 4, 2012)

Have you tried making the nic panels into an xpen? You can make it steady by putting bricks in each corner.

I just recently finished something for Honey you may be interested in. I'm going to post about it today, but it goes inside an xpen or could be used by a free roam rabbit. It has a skeleton made from metal grates & skin made from cardboard to chew around the doors & windows.


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## holtzchick (Jun 4, 2012)

LakeCondo, Perhaps I would be interested! I have thought about making them into an xpen but to be honest I also have an xpen downstairs, I don't like how it is so rounded, I feel like I would like a large cage that can be stacked as opposed to on the floor considering I only have 1 room and 3 critters lol. 

I would love to see it though! I will be taking a look, thanks for the heads up


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## LakeCondo (Jun 4, 2012)

The xpen has 8 sides, doesn't it, so you can make it into a square, 2 panels on each side. You could fasten a row or 2 of nic panels on the top & then make something like I made for inside. It may be this evening before I have time to post about it.


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## SOOOSKA (Jun 4, 2012)

Did you use dowels in your NIC cages? They keep them very sturdy. I have built or help build many NIC cages, I've never had a problem with them. 

Right now I have 2 NIC cages in 1 bed room. Winston & Vega's is 4 panels by 2 Panels, Daisy's is 3 panels by 2 panels. Both have a second floor. I cover them with fleece blankets for privacy and darkness. 

They are big enough for them to move around too.

Susan


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## 1357rabbitlover (Jun 4, 2012)

You could use a dog crate and put levels in it? or use a dog crate and an x-pen, so you can lock him in the crate when your out?


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## holtzchick (Jun 4, 2012)

Hmmm... Soooska, I did not use dowels in mine, perhaps I will try again, I definitely need to acquire more cubes though since my ferrets like to climb on everything I need to put a top on the cage too! 

Rabbitlover, I really don't want him on the floor as with an xpen though, he digs way too much for that lol. 

I honestly had him as a mostly free range bunny but then I noticed he was peeing on my bed :/ AND everytime I needed him to go in his cage he would start to run from me! I think I need to re-train him over again and bribe him with lots of love and bunny treats. When he is in his cage, he is fine, lets me pet him no problem, but out of the cage he won't come near me since he thinks I'm trying to put him back into the cage lol.


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## SOOOSKA (Jun 4, 2012)

All of mine have tops which is great, gives you room to store stuff. I use the plastic wire ties to keep the dowels in place they never move.

I'm at work now, when I get home I will take pictures of their cages for you to see what I did. Check out my blog you may be able to see some cage pictures.

Susan


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## agnesthelion (Jun 4, 2012)

I'm on a quest as we speak to get Agnes a new setup. I'm confused on what to do too. The c&c cages look great but I'm a bit overwhelmed about building one. I found this website I've been considering just biting the bullet and buying one.

http://wonderlandcages.com/Cages.html

I also found a ferret nation cage I could buy. I hadn't ever heard of ferret nation cages so started doing some research and found this review on you tube on one. This gal swears by hers. ::

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_5PnRg6AYs[/ame]

I then found an old thread on RO that was talking about ferret nation cages. There were some comments that concerned me about using one for a rabbit. Here is the thread maybe this will help you too:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=54215&forum_id=93

Anyway, I'm still torn on what to do. I will continue to follow this thread to see if there are any more good tips. And continue my research. 

Good luck on what ever you decide


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## ZRabbits (Jun 4, 2012)

I got my crates before joining RO and before I knew about Nic panels. 

Here's where I got mine.

http://www.critter-cages.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=CAGES+FOR+RABBITS

If you look at my blog, my rabbits have their separate crates (or rooms as I lke to call them) they have an inside x-pen for the babies, and have an outside run for all my bunnies. So room is not a problem here. My bunnies are very well stimulated and feel very safe in their separate rooms. 

It looks like fun to build those Nic crates, but after seeing my Bunny Bear climb in his closed crate, I'll stick with them. I know my bunnies are safe in their rooms, and I know that they get exercise when I decide. Not in the middle of the night escape.

Hope this helps.

K


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## melbaby80 (Jun 5, 2012)

I tried the nic cage set up too.











This is what I have now.


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## melbaby80 (Jun 5, 2012)

*agnesthelion wrote: *


> I'm on a quest as we speak to get Agnes a new setup. I'm confused on what to do too. The c&c cages look great but I'm a bit overwhelmed about building one. I found this website I've been considering just biting the bullet and buying one.
> 
> http://wonderlandcages.com/Cages.html
> 
> ...


Ferret nations are great. However when I had my ferrets I had bought them a marshall cage. For some reason marshall does not sell this cage no more, but if they did I would have bought it for my buns. Marshall does sell a smaller version of this cage. Its called a chalet.


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## SOOOSKA (Jun 5, 2012)

As promised here are pictures of the Babies cages.

Daisy's Cage





















Winston & Vega's Cage


























As you can see the dowels and how I reinforced them with the ties.

Susan


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## bad kelpie (Jun 5, 2012)

I don't know what size your bunny is, or what size cage you are looking for, but I bought this one probably 10 years ago for my chinchilla.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AT3K6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Mine is not black, but the dimensions are the same. It has held rats and chinchillas, I've never put a bunny in it (never had one until now and he lives in an x-pen). It's a nice sturdy cage and folds up. I donated it to the shelter at one time, because they got an influx of barn cats and needed cages. Then a few months later, I found it on the rabbit cage pile (the tiny "rabbit" cages that rabbits get surrendered with ) out back, so I took it back. It's too nice a cage for the rusty rabbit cage heap .


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## SOOOSKA (Jun 5, 2012)

I'd say that's too small of a cage for bunny. They should be able to hop.

Unfortunately I bought something similar to that cage (before I knew any better)when I first got Buttercup (RIP). He did have a lot of out time so that was good, then he eventually lived cage-less in the Family Room.

I find the NIC cages really easy to clean and get to the bunnies as long as you make the doors big enough so you can actually get into the cage.

Good Luck in your choice.

Susan


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## holtzchick (Jun 5, 2012)

Honestly, 

to me, most of the premade cages look way too small to be helpful. Peter is a small bunny but he needs room! 

http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=petsm...w=120&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0,i:82 

That is a link to the exact hutch he has now, I took out the separator between the ramp and the cage so it's bigger now. I still think its small.  I need something custom made I'm just afraid that if I make an cage out of C&C cubes the carpet will be filthy all the time. 

I need time with this, perhaps I will build a giant c&c cage and put up plexiglass halfway up the sides... hmmm..


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## Nelsons_Mom (Jun 5, 2012)

As far as the flooring goes, a linoleum with some texture for bunny feet is CHEAP. It'll protect your carpet, and you can fold some up around tge outside and zip tie it to the grids as long as your bun won't chew it.

Most metal cages are galvanized which rust and hold in smell and I firmly believe there is no store bought cage marketed for rabbits that is acceptable for them, which is why nic is such an affordable and customizable option.


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## Nelsons_Mom (Jun 5, 2012)

As far as the flooring goes, a linoleum with some texture for bunny feet is CHEAP. It'll protect your carpet, and you can fold some up around tge outside and zip tie it to the grids as long as your bun won't chew it.

Most metal cages are galvanized which rust and hold in smell and I firmly believe there is no store bought cage marketed for rabbits that is acceptable for them, which is why nic is such an affordable and customizable option.


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## holtzchick (Jun 6, 2012)

Okay. 

I have decided to go back to NIC or C&C cages. I found a design I really liked and am going to pick up materials  

http://www.longislandrabbitrescue.org/NIC-plans.pdf 
The last one is the one I'm making, Peter is going to be ONE happy bunny!!  I love him so much, it breaks my heart that he's having so much difficulty adjusting to our new home


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## ZRabbits (Jun 6, 2012)

Wishing you luck! Looks really nice! Definitely please share the finished project.

K


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## holtzchick (Jun 6, 2012)

Thanks I will!!  

Im excited!!! This will be our new leaf so to speak!


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## melbaby80 (Jun 6, 2012)

Looks like fun! Give him time and lots of love, he'll come around.


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## SOOOSKA (Jun 6, 2012)

Oh wow what a great cage. Is it the one that's 3 high 4 wide with like 4 levels. That will be heaven for your bunny.

I can hardly wait to see him in the cage.

Susan


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## holtzchick (Jun 7, 2012)

Mel I definitely will!  

Thanks Susan!! Yes the cage is 3x4, it's going to have 5 levels I believe, 4 1x2 and 1 2x2 in the middle. I will post pictures of what I have finished today, the rest will be finished tomorrow. It looks so cute! I got square dowels instead of round ones, I thought it would've been sturdier, that and they were MUCH cheaper, by like $4.00 each! 

I put it on a piece of plywood that is 1 inch bigger in dimension and then put the plywood on rolling casters. I got green carpet (to remind him of the grass ) and I have those P clip things to screw the cage into the plywood as well! I ran out of zipties otherwise the roof and levels would've been on tonight. I really want to paint the dowels brown to match the earthy theme I've got going! Cannot wait, he will have so much room, I love my little Peter Cartier Rabbit  

Thank you to all who gave me advice on this topic it is very much appreciated!!


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## holtzchick (Jun 7, 2012)

Here is what I have so far!! 

















In the last picture you can see the clips I will be using to screw the cage into the plywood. I have 3 clips per grid so I needn't be worried about instability


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## melbaby80 (Jun 7, 2012)

Nice job so far!!


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## ZRabbits (Jun 7, 2012)

It's really coming together well. Thanks for sharing the progress!

K


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## holtzchick (Jun 7, 2012)

No problem! Anytime! Maybe someone looking to make an NIC/C&C cage will use the link I used to build theirs! It was so easy from the link, it literally tells you everything step by step with materials. 

I love posting stuff like this! I recently had a new ferret nation cage and received an older model 3rd level tier for the top. They ARE incompatible but I got drilling and I got creative and made it work, then I posted step by step instructions with pictures for people on ferret forums so they know that it is at the very least possible to do! 

Anyways, I'm getting carried away lol back to working soon


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## holtzchick (Jun 8, 2012)

I finished the cage earlier this evening and I put the carpeting down. I am waiting for my ex-boyfriend to bring me the rest of the NIC cubes that I had in the apartment so I can use that to further stabilize the shelves, so I can hold out until Sunday  

It's so nice actually, I can't wait to decorate it tomorrow and definitely vacuum it first thing in the morning!!


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## Nelsons_Mom (Jun 8, 2012)

That looks really good c:


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## ZRabbits (Jun 8, 2012)

Congratulations on finishing your Nic unit. 

K


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