Build a Rabbit Cage for a Happy Bunny

Come Easter time, a lot of people get pet rabbits.  Or friends give them a bunny.  Sure, they are cute at first, but interest is short-lived.  According to the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights, "Six weeks before the Easter holiday bunnies become popular pet purchases, but 10 days later the majority of them wind up in shelters." 

Of the good hearted people who keep bunnies for pets, oftentimes they mistakenly coop the rabbits up in small cages where they do not have the room to move around.  When you think about it, in their natural environment, rabbits love to run and burrow.  Ever see how fast they go when "caught in your headlights?"  It's just unnatural for a rabbit to be cooped up in a tiny little cage.  People who pen their pet rabbits in tiny little metal cages where movement is hampered,  find that their rabbit becomes unhappy and not much fun to play with.   Because they are no longer fun, the pet owners respond by taking the grumpy bunnies out of their cramped cages less, which causes a  vicious circle.

Building Your Own Rabbit Cage

The solution can be to build your own rabbit cage.  It is much easier to build a rabbit cage than you might think.  Although commercially available rabbit cages do have some advantages, in general, they are not an ideal place for a rabbit to live.  The commercial cages have metal bars on the bottom that hurt the rabbit's feet and they do not give the bunny enough room to move around.

If you build a rabbit cage, however, you can make it as big as you want.  You can even build a rabbit hutch outside with plenty of room for the rabbit to run all over the yard.  That way, you will be able to keep the rabbit safe and secure while giving it enough room to explore and exercise. 

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Building a rabbit cage only requires the most basic tools and supplies.  You need wooden boards, nails and not a lot more except maybe a hinge if you want a hinged door.  to make it "fancy," add a hinged door to the cage and a metal screen on the top for easy access to clean the cage.

Don't Toss Out Your Commercial Cage

Although it is a good idea to build a rabbit cage for your bunny since it is more comfortable than the metal cages, you still may want to own a metal cage.  For instance, you might need to take your bunny to the vet and he metal cages are great for transporting the rabbit around.  Or, you might need to temporarily place your pet rabbit in the metal cage so that you can clean up the yard, house, or other location where your homemade rabbit cage is placed.

Nonetheless, you will be giving your bunny a much nicer home when you build a rabbit cage instead of using the "store bought one" on a permanent basis.  Your pet bunny will be happier, and therefore more friendly. 

"Build a Rabbit Cage for a Happy Bunny" contributed by Michael Pierson