I want to thank you so much for your video. About a month ago, we bought a little lop-eared rabbit. He is an indoor rabbit, and lives in my daughter's room. We have been trying to come up with the best way for him to have some space and still keep the room clean and poop free. This is by far the best and easies rabbit-condo I have seen so far. I am on my way to the hardware store to get the materials. Thanks again for a great video.
That was great, as an easy thing for.. not so "handY" rabbit owners.. the only improvement i'd suggest is a lip on the base so that bits of straw and what not don't constantly fall out. I'd also mention that this probably isnt the bEST cage for new bunnies that you're still training.. probably best to move them into this condo once they're fully litter trained. Awesome video! :)
One thing that will help is to make sure the "knot" of the zip strip is on the outside of the condo rather than on the inside. This will give the rabbits less of a surface to bite. Also, the trimmed ends can sometimes be sharp -- another reason to have them on the exterior.
We put rugs down on top of the tiles, and our rabbits like them too. We got small, cheap, washable rugs from Ikea for about $3 each. They are on all the floor surfaces except for the bottom. That's where the hay/litter box is, and it's lined with newspaper, as they quite often miss the litter box.
Although I have never heard of any rabbits having any trouble hopping around from level to level, you are certainly welcome to add ramps. As a matter of fact, there are some photos of condos with ramps on my website. The number of rabbits that can live in a condo depends on the size of the rabbits. Ours comfortably houses one large Rex and a smaller lop, but they have free fun of the house all day. Some use linoleum instead of tiles. Make sure you cover it with something not slippery, though.
We purchased durable white plastic drop cloths, trimmed to size and attached them to some side panels with zip strips. Some friends got discarded cloroplast panels free from a sign printer and use them.
I think the tile idea is a great idea.. Perhaps if people wanted to avoid escaped droppings.. (they are easy to sweep up but if you can avoid sweeping easily why not?) They could just get some small strips of tile.. maybe 3 inches high and line around he bottom... OR even better than that.. some long strips of exposed wood which would double as chewables for the lovely bunny! I think i might use this design myself, I'd like to expand my bunny Lou's cage a bit. Again Awesome video.
Thanks for posting this video. This video had help me out a lot. I did mine smaller & used outdoor carpet instead on vinyl tiles. it was cheaper :) I used a glue gun to glue it down. Also I add a ramp. because my bunny wouldn't jump up there & when I added the ramp he goes up there now.
Most of the "discards" go into their hay/litterbox, but to contain the mess, we put their box into a larger box we made by cutting down a corrugated cardboard carton. It is about 24 x 18 inches, with 5-inch high sides. We line it with newspapers to make cleaning easier.
@lilmissdaisy100 spay/neuter is great advice- that definitely helps. In a smaller space, they'll pick a spot and generally pee in the same place consistenty. Put the litter box there, maybe even allow some paper pellet litter to absorb some and then scoop it into the litter box so the smell already exists in the box. Once they are using it consistently, you gradually increase their living space. You'll probably always have some rogue poops. Poops are also used for territory marking.
Get a corner litter box. Rabbits like to potty in one corner of their living space. If she has already established which corner she wants to use, put the little box in that spot. If she changes potty spots, then follow her to that new spot with a litter box. This may take time to get used to and she may switch spots several times to get away from the litter box, but if you are consistent, she will understand what you are trying to do. My rabbit figured it out within a week.
The metal squares that support the wooden levels are attached the same way as everything else, with nylon ties. All of the various walls are held tight to the wooden base with the ties. Also the 3 wooden shelves help keep it all rigid. The screws are for attaching the five wheels to the bottom of the base. You could probably get away with buying 20 of them.
We use four latch fasteners to secure the door, three on the side and one at the top. I have not heard about rabbits chewing on the ties. We fasten them so the "knots" are on the outside, and make sure they have plenty of things on the inside that are better to chew than plastic.
The list of materials and prices are on the rabbitcondo website. We paid about $170 in 2007. Depending on what kind of vinyl tiles we chose, it could have gone up to about $200. I priced the wire squares last week and they have not gone up.
You're right, hay and bits of greens, as well as rabbit droppings do fall or get pushed through the wire and onto the floor, but all can easily be swept or vacuumed up. There are other versions of the NIC cube condo that use a plastic floor, but I found their instructions too hard to understand. Also the plastic is quite expensive. Anyway, thanks for your input.
The great thing about this way to build a rabbit condo is its flexibility. You can make it any size you want. Different rabbits can jump different heights, depending on their size, age and agility.
Peel and stick vinyl tiles. You could also use linoleum. It should be something that is easy to clean. If the rabbits are going to be on the surface, it should be not slippery. Otherwise, cover it with cheap, easy to clean rugs, towels, etc.
As I recall, we used about 350 zap straps on the first condo. When we built the 2nd, we bought a bag of 1000 straps, because that was cheaper than buying 4 bags of 100 each. You don't need real long ones, because most of each one gets trimmed off.
The distance between levels is about 10 inches, and even our oldest gal can jump easily from one to another. We had a tiny dwarf boy who could easily jump 28-inches onto the bed from the floor.
We used two boxes of squares that came with 23 per box, and that ran us about $60. The fill detailed price list is on the rabbitcondo website. You can sometimes find people selling them used. Try Craigslist.
Hello, I plan on making this exact cage next weekend. I have a question about the levels, how do the metal squares attach to the actual frame, and how does it stay put and not sway when the wood/vinyl tiles are put on? Also I recall your list of materials says 100 screws? What are these for? Thanks!
We have never put ladders or ramps connecting the levels of any of our rabbit condos. Even the smallest dwarf bunny had no trouble jumping the 10-inch distance between levels. Our big rex often jumps 23-inches from the third level to the floor.
Great tutorial. I'll definitely try this. How long with this cage last? Will I ever have to replace the zip ties? I just don't want it collapsing on my bunny!
If you are running a dowel horizontally beneath the large platform all the way across so it sticks out on both sides, you probably would not need a vertical support for it. The only reason I used the vertical board was to hold up the horizontal 1x2 on its right side.
A rabbit condo is not a home until you add the furnishings, and one of the most important is the litter box. We line the bottom of Priscilla's with pine wood pellets, and then add a big bunch of nice timothy hay, which we keep filled. Rabbits are naturally neat and clean, and are quite easy to litter train, provided they have been spayed or neutered.
Why not? The tiled levels of our two rabbit condos are covered with either a layer of newspaper or inexpensive, washable cotton rugs. If you don't cover the tiles with anything, then make sure you have chosen tiles that are not too slippery for little bunny feet. Get textured ones that permit traction so they can jump from level to level without slipping.
Yes, pull the walls very tight and leave the door hinges soft. This is discussed in the video. The price list of materials (from 2007) is on the website.
This looks like exactly what i want to build for them but my only concern is I expect my rabbits to chew through all those plastic ties(or most in one section) you use and it come crashing down hurting them or letting them loose while i may be at work. Im considering a wooden frame, i seen in other home built ones. Am i thinking to much about this? i know the ties are cheap to replace. Thanks alot!
Hi Would like to ask, what if the rabbit starts chewing on the wire of the condo? I've bought a few of such wires cubes and my rabbits have chewed the rubber coat till you can see wires. And what's worse is that the wires have rusted. Please give some feedback on what should be done? Thanks a lot! Appreciate this video
In the video we say that you can use linoleum instead of peel-and-stick tiles. Just make sure you give your bunnies a non-slip surface, by putting down newspaper or towels for them.
how much is all of the materials that you needed ( not including the tools)? also, should you pull the zip ties tightly for the walls, and softly for the doors?
I have never heard of a rabbit falling off one of their shelves, either in one of these condos nor any of the 100s of rabbits in shelters that have shelves in their cages. Once, though, when our big rabbit was lying at the foot of our bed, she rolled over and fell to the floor. She was surprised and maybe a bit embarrassed, but was not injured.
Can you use shower curtains as the floor? I was looking at the price of the flooring and its expensive! Suposibly shower curtains can be used insted of your floor type. What do you think?
As I mentioned in the video, we chose tiles that had rough surfaces for best traction. Still, we cover all our shelves with cheap, washable rugs we got from Ikea.
Ramps? We have never put ramps connecting the levels of any of our rabbit condos. Even the smallest dwarf bunny had no trouble jumping the 10-inch distance between levels. Our big rex frequently jumps 23-inches from the third level to the floor.
I did not use Coroplast for several reasons: It was quite expensive at my local Rona/Revy store, the large sheets would not fit into my compact car, and I could not find satisfactory information about how to work with the stuff. That's why I used plywood, which they cut for me at Home Depot.
HI i would like to know if you would sell me one of thoes condos but first i need to know the measurements of the bottom if it is too big can i customize it? Please respond. Thanks, Meg
If you need to strengthen the top there are several ways you could do so: adding more criss-crossed nylon ties, making the top fixed rather than openable, or putting a support brace such as a dowel or 1x2 under it.
Do you absolutely need two stories? I'm thinking of just have a 2x4 or 5 then putting stuff in it such as cat condos and such and having 3 or 4 grids high so they won't jump out. Oh and how high can rabbits jump?
The squares we purchased are metal, covered with a strong enamel finish and are very durable. We did not use the NIC brand, which is the most popular, so I do not know their composition. If you keep it well stocked with more interesting things to chew, your bunnies will probably ignore the condo's components.
@cedarcottage My bunny had a bedroom all to herself, my dad made a chicken wire wooden framed gate that fit inside the doorway and we attached it to the door frame with a piece of wire. She took one look at that and snip, bit right through the wire and pulled open the gate. So funny, we had to use a hook and eye closer to keep her in the room. My mom and I laughed at that for years.
Just wondering, can you put a list of tools that you used? My boyfriend and i are planing on building a condo for our little Willow and Clea and would love to know the tools so we can get them from my mom. Thank you so much for posting and making your site! I cant wait until i can see my little fur babies happy in their new home (:
Could i use coroplast instead of tiles? I have a bunch of coroplast in my house and it goes to waste sitting there. I was thinking about getting a Guinea Pig, but my mother hates rodents..... DD:
I use the wire squares as a base on which to put the shelves, but you should never leave them uncovered, as walking on wires is very bad for rabbit's feet.
Before I built mine, I did a lot of research on the internet. I found several instructions for using a waterproof plastic material called coroplast as the base and some siding. None of the instructions I saw were clear enough to follow, so that is why I made my video. Maybe somebody has now done a better video about using coroplast. I suggest doing a search.
Real quick im just wondering my rabbit likes to chew on anything and everything plastic wood paper carpet lol. so would keep her from chewing threw the zip ties and making a break for the carpet to do some more chewing lol.
I want to thank you so much for your video. About a month ago, we bought a little lop-eared rabbit. He is an indoor rabbit, and lives in my daughter's room. We have been trying to come up with the best way for him to have some space and still keep the room clean and poop free. This is by far the best and easies rabbit-condo I have seen so far. I am on my way to the hardware store to get the materials. Thanks again for a great video.
That was great, as an easy thing for.. not so "handY" rabbit owners.. the only improvement i'd suggest is a lip on the base so that bits of straw and what not don't constantly fall out. I'd also mention that this probably isnt the bEST cage for new bunnies that you're still training.. probably best to move them into this condo once they're fully litter trained. Awesome video! :)
I have never seen a rabbit hutch like this available at any store. The beauty is you can custom build it to fit any size in your home.
One thing that will help is to make sure the "knot" of the zip strip is on the outside of the condo rather than on the inside. This will give the rabbits less of a surface to bite. Also, the trimmed ends can sometimes be sharp -- another reason to have them on the exterior.
@Lagolop I'm glad i ran into this comment i was hesitant to make this cage because of the plastic ties but J clips look perfect.
We put rugs down on top of the tiles, and our rabbits like them too. We got small, cheap, washable rugs from Ikea for about $3 each. They are on all the floor surfaces except for the bottom. That's where the hay/litter box is, and it's lined with newspaper, as they quite often miss the litter box.
Although I have never heard of any rabbits having any trouble hopping around from level to level, you are certainly welcome to add ramps. As a matter of fact, there are some photos of condos with ramps on my website. The number of rabbits that can live in a condo depends on the size of the rabbits. Ours comfortably houses one large Rex and a smaller lop, but they have free fun of the house all day.
Some use linoleum instead of tiles. Make sure you cover it with something not slippery, though.
We purchased durable white plastic drop cloths, trimmed to size and attached them to some side panels with zip strips. Some friends got discarded cloroplast panels free from a sign printer and use them.
I think the tile idea is a great idea.. Perhaps if people wanted to avoid escaped droppings.. (they are easy to sweep up but if you can avoid sweeping easily why not?) They could just get some small strips of tile.. maybe 3 inches high and line around he bottom... OR even better than that.. some long strips of exposed wood which would double as chewables for the lovely bunny! I think i might use this design myself, I'd like to expand my bunny Lou's cage a bit. Again Awesome video.
Thanks for posting this video. This video had help me out a lot. I did mine smaller & used outdoor carpet instead on vinyl tiles. it was cheaper :) I used a glue gun to glue it down. Also I add a ramp. because my bunny wouldn't jump up there & when I added the ramp he goes up there now.
Most of the "discards" go into their hay/litterbox, but to contain the mess, we put their box into a larger box we made by cutting down a corrugated cardboard carton. It is about 24 x 18 inches, with 5-inch high sides. We line it with newspapers to make cleaning easier.
@lilmissdaisy100 spay/neuter is great advice- that definitely helps. In a smaller space, they'll pick a spot and generally pee in the same place consistenty. Put the litter box there, maybe even allow some paper pellet litter to absorb some and then scoop it into the litter box so the smell already exists in the box. Once they are using it consistently, you gradually increase their living space. You'll probably always have some rogue poops. Poops are also used for territory marking.
I bought the stuff and we are making the cage. Wish me luck! We got 3 for 1$ tiles at the Dollar store!
Get a corner litter box. Rabbits like to potty in one corner of their living space. If she has already established which corner she wants to use, put the little box in that spot. If she changes potty spots, then follow her to that new spot with a litter box. This may take time to get used to and she may switch spots several times to get away from the litter box, but if you are consistent, she will understand what you are trying to do. My rabbit figured it out within a week.
The metal squares that support the wooden levels are attached the same way as everything else, with nylon ties. All of the various walls are held tight to the wooden base with the ties. Also the 3 wooden shelves help keep it all rigid. The screws are for attaching the five wheels to the bottom of the base. You could probably get away with buying 20 of them.
We use four latch fasteners to secure the door, three on the side and one at the top.
I have not heard about rabbits chewing on the ties. We fasten them so the "knots" are on the outside, and make sure they have plenty of things on the inside that are better to chew than plastic.
The list of materials and prices are on the rabbitcondo website. We paid about $170 in 2007. Depending on what kind of vinyl tiles we chose, it could have gone up to about $200. I priced the wire squares last week and they have not gone up.
Yes the floor is done the same way as the other levels. Although you could use linoleum, we used peel and stick vinyl tiles.
You're right, hay and bits of greens, as well as rabbit droppings do fall or get pushed through the wire and onto the floor, but all can easily be swept or vacuumed up. There are other versions of the NIC cube condo that use a plastic floor, but I found their instructions too hard to understand. Also the plastic is quite expensive. Anyway, thanks for your input.
The great thing about this way to build a rabbit condo is its flexibility. You can make it any size you want. Different rabbits can jump different heights, depending on their size, age and agility.
WOW this is amazing!
..I wish I saw this before I got that expensive rabbit cage... but it'd like to make it bigger now! :D
Peel and stick vinyl tiles. You could also use linoleum. It should be something that is easy to clean. If the rabbits are going to be on the surface, it should be not slippery. Otherwise, cover it with cheap, easy to clean rugs, towels, etc.
As I recall, we used about 350 zap straps on the first condo. When we built the 2nd, we bought a bag of 1000 straps, because that was cheaper than buying 4 bags of 100 each. You don't need real long ones, because most of each one gets trimmed off.
The distance between levels is about 10 inches, and even our oldest gal can jump easily from one to another. We had a tiny dwarf boy who could easily jump 28-inches onto the bed from the floor.
It's also on the list of materials on the rabbitcondo website.
Good idea . . . I was going to go buy a cage like that but now I'm just going to make it :)
We used two boxes of squares that came with 23 per box, and that ran us about $60. The fill detailed price list is on the rabbitcondo website.
You can sometimes find people selling them used. Try Craigslist.
Hello, I plan on making this exact cage next weekend. I have a question about the levels, how do the metal squares attach to the actual frame, and how does it stay put and not sway when the wood/vinyl tiles are put on? Also I recall your list of materials says 100 screws? What are these for? Thanks!
This looks very nice I would like this. If I had a rabbit.
We have never put ladders or ramps connecting the levels of any of our rabbit condos. Even the smallest dwarf bunny had no trouble jumping the 10-inch distance between levels.
Our big rex often jumps 23-inches from the third level to the floor.
Great tutorial. I'll definitely try this. How long with this cage last? Will I ever have to replace the zip ties? I just don't want it collapsing on my bunny!
If you are running a dowel horizontally beneath the large platform all the way across so it sticks out on both sides, you probably would not need a vertical support for it. The only reason I used the vertical board was to hold up the horizontal 1x2 on its right side.
A rabbit condo is not a home until you add the furnishings, and one of the most important is the litter box. We line the bottom of Priscilla's with pine wood pellets, and then add a big bunch of nice timothy hay, which we keep filled. Rabbits are naturally neat and clean, and are quite easy to litter train, provided they have been spayed or neutered.
Why not? The tiled levels of our two rabbit condos are covered with either a layer of newspaper or inexpensive, washable cotton rugs. If you don't cover the tiles with anything, then make sure you have chosen tiles that are not too slippery for little bunny feet. Get textured ones that permit traction so they can jump from level to level without slipping.
Hi, i don't actually have one of these, but yes, you can customize size. All you have to do is overlap the wire mesh panels.
One of the names is NIC cubes, or "Neat Idea Cubes" and I got mine in the storage section of Home Depot.
me and my wife had a similar idea until she found your video thanks for a more detail plan :)
Yes, pull the walls very tight and leave the door hinges soft. This is discussed in the video.
The price list of materials (from 2007) is on the website.
Have you tried the Home Depot? We got ours at the Home Depot in Vancouver.
is there something you can use as side pannels so that the food and hay does not skatter onto the floor?
This looks like exactly what i want to build for them but my only concern is I expect my rabbits to chew through all those plastic ties(or most in one section) you use and it come crashing down hurting them or letting them loose while i may be at work. Im considering a wooden frame, i seen in other home built ones. Am i thinking to much about this? i know the ties are cheap to replace. Thanks alot!
If your bunnies have trouble jumping between levels, you can add ramps for them to move up and down.
Hi
Would like to ask, what if the rabbit starts chewing on the wire of the condo? I've bought a few of such wires cubes and my rabbits have chewed the rubber coat till you can see wires. And what's worse is that the wires have rusted.
Please give some feedback on what should be done?
Thanks a lot! Appreciate this video
In the video we say that you can use linoleum instead of peel-and-stick tiles. Just make sure you give your bunnies a non-slip surface, by putting down newspaper or towels for them.
how much is all of the materials that you needed ( not including the tools)? also, should you pull the zip ties tightly for the walls, and softly for the doors?
I have never heard of a rabbit falling off one of their shelves, either in one of these condos nor any of the 100s of rabbits in shelters that have shelves in their cages. Once, though, when our big rabbit was lying at the foot of our bed, she rolled over and fell to the floor. She was surprised and maybe a bit embarrassed, but was not injured.
I can't seem to find the wire squares. Is there another name for them? I figure they'd be in the section where the fences are.
Can you use shower curtains as the floor? I was looking at the price of the flooring and its expensive! Suposibly shower curtains can be used insted of your floor type. What do you think?
We bought ours at Home Depot. If you can't find them elsewhere there is a link on the rabbitcondo website to get them from Amazon.
As I mentioned in the video, we chose tiles that had rough surfaces for best traction. Still, we cover all our shelves with cheap, washable rugs we got from Ikea.
As stated on the website, we got ours at the local Home Depot. We also have links on the website to get them from Amazon.
It was completed over one weekend, but of course we did not work steadily. We also spent time shooting the video!
My bunnies chew at and destroy the plastic straps! Do you suggest anything else that will hold the squares in place and cannot be chewed at?
How much were the stick and peel tiles and did you buy it online or in store ?
You could use them as supports for the "shelves".
Ramps? We have never put ramps connecting the levels of any of our rabbit condos. Even the smallest dwarf bunny had no trouble jumping the 10-inch distance between levels.
Our big rex frequently jumps 23-inches from the third level to the floor.
They're flat squares, not cubes. As stated on the website, we got them at Home Hardware. They're available online through links on the website.
I did not use Coroplast for several reasons: It was quite expensive at my local Rona/Revy store, the large sheets would not fit into my compact car, and I could not find satisfactory information about how to work with the stuff. That's why I used plywood, which they cut for me at Home Depot.
@southport97 Rabbits can be litter box trained quite easily
Where did you get the storage cubes
where did you find your metal cubes?
How much time did it take you to make the one in the video?
Great video i can use this idea for any kind of animal can make a good bird cage or ferret cage.. :) somthing big enough to walk in also
where do you buy the coroplasts?
What type of tile did u use
HI i would like to know if you would sell me one of thoes condos but first i need to know the measurements of the bottom if it is too big can i customize it? Please respond.
Thanks,
Meg
If you need to strengthen the top there are several ways you could do so: adding more criss-crossed nylon ties, making the top fixed rather than openable, or putting a support brace such as a dowel or 1x2 under it.
what are the measurements for 2 higher shelves?
How much time did it take you to make the rabbit condo from the video?
how much is ll of the materials that you needed ( not including the tools)?
about how tall would you say the condo turned out to be?
wont the rabbits chew through the plastic connectors?
Will the rabbit chew through the zip ties?
My rabbits have me very well trained.
you have a very nice voice!
Watch the video again and pay attention to the part about crossing two ties in the centre of groups of four for extra strength.
Thanks this really helped!
how many hours or minutes did you take to build this condo?
Do you absolutely need two stories? I'm thinking of just have a 2x4 or 5 then putting stuff in it such as cat condos and such and having 3 or 4 grids high so they won't jump out. Oh and how high can rabbits jump?
The squares we purchased are metal, covered with a strong enamel finish and are very durable. We did not use the NIC brand, which is the most popular, so I do not know their composition.
If you keep it well stocked with more interesting things to chew, your bunnies will probably ignore the condo's components.
Ours is 44-inches, but you could add another level and make it 14-inches taller if you so desired.
I'm not sure If my bunny will understand the litter box. What could I do for siding?
@cedarcottage My bunny had a bedroom all to herself, my dad made a chicken wire wooden framed gate that fit inside the doorway and we attached it to the door frame with a piece of wire. She took one look at that and snip, bit right through the wire and pulled open the gate. So funny, we had to use a hook and eye closer to keep her in the room. My mom and I laughed at that for years.
Thanks! Its a good idea !
Just wondering, can you put a list of tools that you used? My boyfriend and i are planing on building a condo for our little Willow and Clea and would love to know the tools so we can get them from my mom. Thank you so much for posting and making your site! I cant wait until i can see my little fur babies happy in their new home (:
All the tools used are shown in the video.
They are peel-and-stick tiles. You just remove the paper backing to reveal an adhesive surface that sticks to the wood.
Could i use coroplast instead of tiles? I have a bunch of coroplast in my house and it goes to waste sitting there. I was thinking about getting a Guinea Pig, but my mother hates rodents..... DD:
I use the wire squares as a base on which to put the shelves, but you should never leave them uncovered, as walking on wires is very bad for rabbit's feet.
this really helped!
Does anyone know where in the condo I should place the litter box? I know away from the food but should it be on the the bottom floor?
@GoldfishLight - That's what's stupid. Bunnies are excellent jumpers.
I've always found lumber yards have the coarsest rip blad in their saws and do a lousy job of cutting. Ingenious design though.
Love the music!
If the ties are attached with the square connector, and the potentially sharp cut-off end outside the condo then the hazard is reduced.
You can adjust the dimensions by overlapping the metal squares rather than butting them together.
Before I built mine, I did a lot of research on the internet. I found several instructions for using a waterproof plastic material called coroplast as the base and some siding. None of the instructions I saw were clear enough to follow, so that is why I made my video. Maybe somebody has now done a better video about using coroplast. I suggest doing a search.
Real quick im just wondering my rabbit likes to chew on anything and everything plastic wood paper carpet lol. so would keep her from chewing threw the zip ties and making a break for the carpet to do some more chewing lol.
how much did this all cost?
Perhaps our four rabbits are more intelligent than others, but they have had no problems jumping from level to level over the past three years.
How much did this cost to build and is this big enough for two rabbits? I would love to build this for Lola and Lulu!