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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. To make your long-eared pet feel comfortable among people, you need to buy a cage for a dwarf rabbit or make one yourself.
Features of keeping decorative and dwarf rabbits
Rabbits are considered unpretentious animals in terms of ambient temperature. Decorative rabbit feels favorable in the temperature range from -10 to +25OC, and individuals of the dwarf breed are more thermophilic and require from +10 to +20OFrom the heat. It is unlikely that the owner will lower the temperature of his home to a critical level, so there is no need to worry about the pet in this regard.
But rabbits are afraid of sudden changes in temperature, drafts, and too humid or dry air. If there are heaters in the house, then you need to turn on a humidifier in conjunction with them.
It is important to maintain hygiene in rabbit hutches. The animal's home must be clean at all times. This can only be achieved by regular cleaning.
Rabbit hygiene includes combing the pet, trimming its fur and claws. As for the toilet, here it is necessary to train the animal. The rabbit is an intelligent animal and will quickly understand what is wanted from it. It is better to place the toilet container outside the cage. Of course, the owner will have to transfer the litter there several times. The animal is sensitive to the smell, and over time it will find the tray on its own. The remote toilet will be favored by the little 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 and leash. But in an apartment, the rabbit needs to leave the cage door open. Next, he himself will figure out what to do. You just need to take into account that the animal is an excellent rodent. It is better to place an open cage in a utility room where there are no valuables.
Alone, an eared pet will quickly become sad. It is advisable to add a couple to him. If you only have one cage for a dwarf rabbit, then when choosing a companion, you need an accurate assessment of gender. Two males will constantly fight for territory. Only two female rabbits can be housed together. Animals of different sexes get along well, but if you don’t want offspring, the male will have to be castrated.
Determining the cell size
You need to calculate the cage size for decorative rabbits taking into account the breed, as well as their lifestyle.Regarding the first question, it should be noted that dwarf rabbits grow to weigh a maximum of 2 kg. They are kept in apartments for beauty and entertainment. Animals of the decorative breed can grow up to 5 kg in weight. They are not kept in the apartment due to the bad smell. Decorative rabbits are raised for their beautiful skin.
Now let's look at 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 that is at least 1 m long and 0.6 m wide. An individual of a dwarf breed can be placed in a smaller cage 0.8 m long and 0.4 m wide. The height of the home 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 choose a more beautiful home for it. It should be noted right away that multi-story cages are not suitable for animals. Rabbits in nature live in burrows. Ladders and other obstacles installed inside a multi-story cage can cause injury to the animal.
In general, when choosing a cage, they first look at the ease of its maintenance, and also take into account the comfort and safe stay of the animal.Rabbit farming has its own standard, according to which a rectangular design is considered the optimal cage shape.
Cells produce open and closed types. Sometimes owners choose a plexiglass house for their pet. The design, completely enclosed by transparent walls, allows you to admire the animal and eliminates the unpleasant odor. But only the owners will like this option, and the rabbit will not be comfortable inside the house. A closed space prevents the circulation of fresh air, which affects the health of the pet.
Cages made of galvanized steel rods are optimal for rabbits. It is important to pay attention that paint is not used instead of zinc coating. Animals love to chew on rods. Paint that gets into the stomach can cause illness in your pet.
When choosing a cage, you need to pay attention to the design of the bottom. Often, inexperienced amateur rabbit breeders choose a house with a mesh bottom, under which there is a tray for collecting waste. This option will not work. Rabbits do not have protective pads on their feet. The mesh will put pressure on 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 tray. It is easy to clean and does not absorb dirt or odors.
In order for a rabbit to be comfortable in a cage, it needs to be properly equipped inside. Housing is divided into 2 zones:
- A smaller part of the interior space is occupied by a recreation area. Here the long-eared pet is given shelter in the form of a decorative house.
- Most of it is allocated to the activity zone. A feeding trough and a drinking bowl are placed here.
Factory-made 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 the rabbit with your own hands. Tall structures are not welcome, but if you give the animal a small lift in the form of a second tier, it will not harm it. They build homemade houses according to drawings. In the photo we suggest looking at one of these options.
Now let's look at how to make a cage according to the proposed scheme:
- First you need to make the floor. Let's take the standard dimensions - 60x90 cm. You need to cut two identical blanks: one rectangle from chipboard, and the other from galvanized sheet. The tin is secured with self-tapping screws to the wood board. This will be a finished floor covering. Galvanization will protect the chipboard from getting wet.
- Next, the walls are made. The back element is made of solid plywood. Galvanized mesh is used for the side walls. The cut out 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 removable to make the cage easy to clean.
- The front wall of the house is made of mesh. It can be made with two opening doors or sewn up with mesh. In the second option, an opening measuring 30x30 cm is cut in the wall and a door made of a wooden frame covered with mesh is hung.
- Finally, the finished structure is processed with a file and sandpaper to get rid of all burrs. Inside the plywood house there is a riser for the second tier, but you can do without it.
The proposed design has one weak point - the floor. A galvanized sheet laid on top will not protect 100% of the chipboard from moisture.It would be wise to select a plastic tray according to its dimensions in the store and place it on the floor.
Video about how a cage for a dwarf rabbit is set up and made:
There is nothing complicated in making housing for a dwarf or decorative rabbit. When independently developing a house drawing, you need to remember not only the beauty of the design, but also the convenience of housing for your pet.
