A rabbit house is an enclosure to place in your home that can accommodate your furry friends efficiently. It is basically a modular project that allows you to customize the rabbit's "home" based on the space available; some people even build models on two or three floors to the delight of their pets. With a little time and effort, you can easily build a house for less than it takes to buy a ready-made one of a similar size.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Building the Walls
Step 1. Prepare the project
Purchase two modular wire mesh cube boxes. Once you have extracted all the grids from the package, you can find out how many you have available; generally, they are square with the side equal to 33 or 35 cm, depending on the specific brand.
Generally, a small house is designed whose front and rear walls are composed of three grids arranged in length and height with the side walls as high as three grids and two long. This model allows you to build a cottage on two or three floors without taking up a large portion of the room
Step 2. Join the walls with zip ties
This is the most time-consuming and patient part of the whole project. Build one wall at a time by bringing the various grids together according to the arrangement you have decided and joining them tightly with the plastic clamps.
- Put a zip tie at each end where two grids join; this means that a wall made up of 2x2 grids must have four bands in the center where the various elements come together.
- Don't forget to build the ceiling as well.
- Check that each tie is tight; if necessary, use a pair of pliers for extra grip.
Step 3. Cut off the excess portion of each tie
You must not leave any dangerous objects for the rabbit to chew; it then cuts off the segment that advances from each tie by cutting it off at the point closest to the clip but without breaking it.
Step 4. Join the various walls
Once the various "walls" of the house have been made, always use the clamps to join them perpendicularly to each other to define a three-dimensional structure.
Perhaps it is easier to start by placing the ceiling against the floor and turning the structure upside down once you have connected the various walls
Step 5. Make the entrance
When all the walls are joined together, cut some zip ties to build a door that allows the rabbit to enter and exit. If you use the inverted "L" shaped clamps that join two grids on the long side and one on the short side starting from the medial point of the house, you can easily create a push door that allows the animal to enter and exit its home. it's up to you to clean the cage.
- In the future, you can keep the cage door closed with small spring clips to prevent the bunny from opening it.
- If you prefer an even cheaper solution, you can use the 30mm document pegs.
Part 2 of 3: Making the Plans
Step 1. Build the floor
You don't have to simply place the house on the carpet of a room, because the rabbit can dirty it; instead take the measurements of the structure and purchase a piece of plywood to put the cage on.
- If you attach a plywood border about 15 cm high to the base, you can fit the cage inside it, giving it greater stability and preventing everything inside from falling on the surrounding floor.
- If you don't have the tools you need to cut plywood, you can take the measurements to a home improvement center and buy the material already cut to fit your needs.
Step 2. Add a floor covering
Since rabbits can gnaw wood and soil it, you need to cover the plywood with something more suitable for these animals; a roll of vinyl shelf liner is an affordable, simple to install and easy to clean solution.
Step 3. Insert wooden pins
Those of 25 mm represent the base for the upper floors; you can easily slip them between the meshes of the wire mesh before cutting them to size.
- If you have designed a floor as wide as one or two grids, you can use two pins (one in front and one behind); if you are thinking of building a larger level, you should insert more supports.
- The 25mm spindles are perfect because they are sturdy enough, while larger structures may not fit into the mesh of the grids.
Step 4. Lay a piece of plywood over the spikes to make an additional floor
It is recommended to cover it with an easy-to-clean material, such as vinyl shelf liner; however, you can also place a cloth or other softer material over the cover to improve the comfort of the rabbit.
If you have decided to add a second floor even higher, you can always use a plank as a ramp so that the pet can reach it, although in most cases the rabbit is able to move from one level to another with a simple leap
Part 3 of 3: Finishing the Cabin
Step 1. Place the cage in a place suitable for the rabbit
Never put it in a place in the house that exposes the animal to danger; for example, if you place it in a corner where there are electrical cables, the animal may be tempted to chew what it shouldn't.
Step 2. Place small pieces of plywood around the base of the floor, inside or outside the cage
If you haven't built a border before, you can simply arrange 6 '' boards around the perimeter of the shed floor to keep the hay and other materials inside.
Step 3. Screw some casters to the base of the house
If you want to take it from room to room in the house (or just move it to clean the floor), you can simply add wheels to the plywood bottom; in this way, you can place the cage in different places without difficulty.
- Check that the edge of the base is able to hold the cage in place when you push it; if not, you need to apply pressure directly to the base itself.
- Make sure no screws have pierced the thickness of the plywood as this could pose a danger to the rabbit.
Step 4. "Furnish" the house with suitable accessories
Remember that these animals love to gnaw on just about anything they can reach, so avoid any potentially dangerous material.
Advice
- If you have any wire mesh panels left over, you can tie them together and make a handcrafted rabbit-proof gate to prevent access to certain areas of the house.
- Never follow a project that involves using chicken coop wire mesh; rabbits are able to gnaw on this material and can injure themselves by sticking their heads into sharp-edged holes.
- Clean the cage regularly.
