Rehoming one giant rabbit and one normal one- ideas for enclosure?

wiggywoo9

I'm rehoming two rabbits who are bunnies at the moment, but one's a giant, the other a normal small rabbit. I've got a guinea pig too (she's hates other g-pigs so is on her own), so fairly prepped. The owner used a puppy encolsure for them and because the giant will grow to size of small dog, I can't get a hutch/cage big enough. They will be indoor all the time too as I have a flat.
I was going to get the largest dog cage possible (42'') which is for Greyhound etc, then just seen one at 48'' for Great Danes etc. I thought that will do them nicely, as I'm in uni 3 days a week, the rest of the time they can run free really.
What size is best? Anyone have other ideas? I'm trying to keep the cage cost under £50 if that helps.

MrsDrink

Can't offer any advice as we have a mini-lop but you'll have to share some piccies when you get them

MrsDrink

Saying that - when we got Bun a cage (before he was allowed total free rein) I did read that it's important that they can stand up on their back feet and be able to do a good couple of hops from one side to the other. That might give you an idea of how big a cage they'll need.

How are they housed at the moment? Together? Indoors/Outdoors?

wiggywoo9

They are a bonded pair so they are indoors and won't leave the other. I wonder if my guinea pig will talk to them if their cages aren't far apart? She might just be the ignorant neighbor

krlyr

You can get even larger crates than 48" but I don't think they're that cheap. Gettingready got one for her GSD, through Amazon I think.
My trio of rabbits had a dog crate with a puppy pen attached for extra room - though being a Netherland Dwarf, Mini Lop and Mini Rex, they were all on the shorter side compared to a Giant!

wiggywoo9

Hmmm, well if I did get a 42 or 48, is that enough for the pair, considering they can roam free most of the time? Any other considerations?

penguin83

We have an extra large dog cage for our giant and our lionhead which we bought off Ebay. It is perfect for them at night and when we are out and the rest of the time the door is left open for them to free range.

Have a look on this thread for ideas on indoor homing. xx

Fosterdog

have a look here http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/forum.php

The Housing section has loads of photos of suitable setups for indoor and outdoor buns.

A 48" crate may be big enough as long as they are only kept locked in it for a few hours max and have lots to do otherwise a playpen attached would be best so they don't go mad with boredom. Even better if you can close off an entire room just for them.

wiggywoo9

Ok had a look and would it be ok if I got a 36'' dog crate with permanently attached huge pen? That's for under £50 and I don't really want to exceed that. I think that'll be okay, plus free time every other day.

juliebunny

Do you have any car boot sales near to you - I got a MASSIVE dog crate at one near me for £12. I use it for foster feral kittens.

Aw at your massive bunny!!!

krlyr

I don't think a 36" crate would be ideal for a giant breed on its own, let alone sharing..they are huuuge when lying down outstretched! An adult Flemish, for example, can be up to 2.5' lying down - OK, yours may not be quite as big but once you've got litter trays, bowls, etc. in the crate it does minimise the floorspace. If you're going to attach it to a pen permanently, you might as well just get another or a larger pen and not have to worry about the crate walls limiting the floorspace/layout.
You could look at puppy pens as well as crates - often they come with some kind of lid. I've seen kitten pens quite large too. Or even just a large, lidded outdoor rabbit run that's tall enough for a giant breed to stand up in - laid down on a waterproof rug/mat.
Don't just consider rabbit cages or dog crates, a bit of thinking outside the box could save money and get a bit more space. For example, have you seen the "C&C" cages, often recommended for guinea pigs? You build your own cage to any dimensions using these metal grids originally made for storage shelves. Made taller, they can be suitable for rabbits, and you can often pick the equipment off Ebay cheaply
http://www.guineapigcages.com

Alternatively, don't dismiss outdoor housing for indoor bunnies. Aviary panels could be used to create an indoor pen. Or some 2x2 and weldmesh to make your own custom sized pen.

Try to think of other items that could be used for housing. Fireguards instead of puppy pen panels, for example. Furniture that could be converted - I know rat owners often convert wardrobes or bookcases into highrise rat cages, maybe something similar could be used for bunnies