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Keeping a decorative or dwarf rabbit is no less popular than caring for a cat or dog. The animal is characterized by a friendly character and attractive appearance. In order for an eared pet to feel comfortable among people, you need to buy a cage for a dwarf rabbit or make it yourself.
Features of keeping decorative and dwarf rabbits
Rabbits are considered unpretentious animals in terms of ambient temperature. The decorative rabbit feels favorably in the temperature range from -10 to +25оC, and individuals of the dwarf breed are more thermophilic and they need from +10 to +20оWith heat. The owner is unlikely to lower the temperature of his home to a critical point, so you should not worry about your pet in this regard.
But rabbits are afraid of sudden changes in temperature, drafts, too humid or dry air. If there are heaters in the house, then a humidifier should be turned on in tandem with them.
It is important to maintain hygiene in rabbit cages. The animal’s home must be kept clean at all times. This can only be achieved by regular cleaning.
Rabbit hygiene includes combing the pet, cutting hair and claws. As for the toilet, here it is necessary to train the animal. The rabbit is a reasonable animal and will quickly understand what they want from him. It is better to place the toilet container outside the cage. Of course, the owner will have to shift the litter there several times. The animal is sensitive to the smell, and over time it will find the tray itself. The portable toilet will be chosen by the rabbit himself and the owner will not have to clean the manure in the cage.
Eared pets are quite active animals. They love to walk in the fresh air and inside the apartment. On the street, an animal of a dwarf breed is walked, wearing a collar with a leash. But in the apartment, the rabbit needs to leave the cage door open. Further, he himself will figure out what to do. It is only necessary to take into account that the animal is an excellent rodent. An open cage is best placed in a utility room where there are no valuables.
Alone, an eared pet will quickly become sad. It is desirable to hook a couple to it. If you have only one cage for a dwarf rabbit, then an accurate gender assessment is needed when choosing a companion. Two males will constantly fight for territory. Only two rabbits can be housed together. Different-sex animals will get along well, but if you don’t want offspring, the male will have to be castrated.
Determining the cell size
It is necessary to calculate the size of the cage for decorative rabbits, taking into account the breed, as well as their lifestyle. With regards to the first question, it should be noted that dwarf rabbits grow up to a maximum weight of 2 kg. They are kept in apartments for beauty and entertainment. Animals of a decorative breed are able to grow up to 5 kg in weight. They are not kept in the apartment because of the bad smell. Ornamental rabbits are raised for their beautiful skins.
Now consider the second question related to lifestyle. If the animal spends more time outside the cage, then you can save on its size. However, no one will let decorative rabbits walk in the barn. Since the animal will be locked up all the time, it needs free space. You need to select a cage for a decorative rabbit with a size of at least 1 m in length and 0,6 m in width. An individual of a dwarf breed can be planted in a smaller cage 0,8 m long and 0,4 m wide. The height of the dwelling for a rabbit of any breed is selected so that the pet can stand upright on its hind legs. An animal of a dwarf breed can be placed in a cage 0,3–0,4 m high.
Choosing a cage design
Specialized pet stores offer a large selection of cages for dwarf and decorative breeds of rabbits. If the pet lives in an apartment, then the owner tries to pick up his home more beautifully. It should be noted right away that multi-story cages are not suitable for an animal. Rabbits in nature live in burrows. Ladder and other obstacles installed inside a multi-storey cage can cause injuries to the animal.
In general, when choosing a cage, they first look at the convenience of its maintenance, and also take into account the comfort and safe stay of the animal. In rabbit breeding, there is a standard according to which a rectangular design is considered the optimal shape of the cage.
Cells produce open and closed type. Sometimes pet owners choose a plexiglass house. Completely closed with transparent walls, the design allows you to admire the animal and eliminates the unpleasant odor. But only the owners will like this option, and the rabbit inside the house will not be comfortable. Enclosed space prevents the circulation of fresh air, which affects the health of the pet.
Rabbits are ideally suited for cages made of galvanized steel rods. It is important to note that paint is not used instead of zinc coating. Animals love to gnaw on rods. Paint that gets into the stomach can cause a pet’s illness.
When choosing a cage, you need to pay attention to the design of the bottom. Often, inexperienced rabbit breeders choose a house with a mesh bottom, under which a waste collection tray is installed. This option will not work. Rabbits don’t have protective pads on their feet. The mesh will press the pet’s paws when moving, which will lead to an inflammatory process. It is better to buy a house without a mesh bottom with a deep plastic pallet. It is easy to clean, does not absorb dirt and odors.
In order for the rabbit to be comfortable in the cage, it must be properly equipped inside. Housing is divided into 2 zones:
- A smaller part of the interior space is occupied by a recreation area. Here, an eared pet is given a shelter in the form of a decorative house.
- Most of it is assigned to the activity zone. Here they put a feeder and a drinker.
Prefabricated cages are often sold already equipped inside. The owner will only have to put the rabbit in there and give him food.
Making a homemade cage
If you wish, you can make a house for a rabbit with your own hands. High structures are not welcome, but if the animal is made a small rise in the form of a second tier, then it will not hurt him. They build homemade houses according to the drawings. In the photo we offer to see one of these options.
Now let’s look at how to make a cage according to the proposed scheme:
- First you need to do the floor. Let’s take the standard dimensions – 60×90 cm. You need to cut out two identical blanks: one rectangle from chipboard, and the other from galvanized sheet. The tin is fixed with self-tapping screws to the wood board. This will be a clean floor. Galvanization will protect chipboard from getting wet.
- Next, make the walls. The rear element is made of solid plywood. For the side walls, a galvanized mesh is used. The cut fragments are attached to the floor with self-tapping screws. According to the standard, the height of the walls is 45 cm.
- Now we need to build the roof. Plywood or mesh is suitable as a material. The choice is made at the request of the owner. The roof is made removable so that it is convenient to clean the cage.
- The front wall of the house is made of mesh. It can be made with two opening flaps or sewn up with a mesh. In the second variant, an opening 30×30 cm in size is cut in the wall and a door is hung, made of a wooden frame sheathed with mesh.
- In the final, the finished structure is processed with a file and sandpaper to get rid of all burrs. Inside the plywood house, a lift for the second tier is attached, but you can do without it.
In the proposed design, there is one weak point – the floor. A galvanized sheet laid on top will not protect chipboard 100% from moisture. It would be wise to pick up a plastic pallet in the store according to its dimensions and put it on the floor.
Video on how a cage for a dwarf rabbit is equipped and made:
There is nothing difficult in making housing for a dwarf or decorative rabbit. When developing a drawing of a house on your own, you need to remember not only the beauty of the design, but also the convenience of housing for a pet.