How to Build a Rabbit House Cage

Like people, pet rabbits enjoy comfortable, safe living quarters. While a rabbit's cage should be at least four times the size of the animal, the bigger the cage, the better. Ideal cages are well-ventilated and designed with metal wire. A solid floor can present problems with urine and water becoming trapped without constant cleaning. A wire-mesh floor is a better choice, but also can cause pressure wounds on your rabbit if the bottom is not covered. Making your own cage can take about an hour, at the fraction of the cost of purchasing a cage.

Things You'll Need

  • 1-by-2-inch-by-3-feet wire, 14 gauge, approximately 10 feet (for 30-by-36-inch cage)
  • 1/2-inch-by-1-inch-by-3 feet wire, 14 or 16 gauge, 2 1/2 foot length for cage floor
  • Needle-nose pliers
  • J clip pliers, or hog ring pliers
  • Wire or bolt cutters
  • Measuring tape or ruler
  • Wire latch
  • J clips, approximately 1 lb., or hog rings
  • J clip removers
  • Rabbit feeder (one that hangs on the outside of the cage)
Show More

Instructions

  1. Assembly

    • 1

      Cut the 10 feet of wire into the following sizes: 36-by-18-inches for the cage front; 30-by-36-inches for the top; two pieces, each 36-by-18-inches, for the cage sides; 24-by-18-inches for the back; 13-by-14-inches for the door; and the 2 1/2-foot piece is ready as is for the cage floor.

    • 2

      Lay the 30-by-36-inch piece of floor wire on a flat work space, such as a saw horse or work bench. Bend 6 inches of the side panels at a right angle around a 2-by-4-inch piece of wood or sawhorse, so the main piece is 30-by-18-inches.

    • 3

      Attach side panels to the floor with J clips or hog rings, then attach the back panel, front panel and top panel with either J clips or hog rings.

    • 4

      Cut a 12-by-12-inch hole in the front panel where the door will be located. Place the door cutout over the opening with the 14-inch length positioned vertically, and the 13-inch-length positioned horizontally. Don't overlap on the side the door will attach to, leaving a 1-inch overlap on the side that opens. The opening should be about 13 inches wide, 2 inches from the bottom and 2 inches from the top.

    • 5

      Attach the rabbit cage door and latch with J clips.

    • 6

      Cut the feeder opening similar to the door opening, about 2-by-8-inches, using your wire cutters. The feeder opening should be located on the front of the cage, approximately 2 inches from the floor. Most feeders will hang on the outside of the cage, allowing more space inside the cage for the rabbit.

    • 7

      Cover the floor with newspaper, hardware cloth, straw, grass mat or cardboard.