How to Build a Rabbit Condo
Plan a design., Zip tie the individual walls together., Trim the excess length off each zip tie., Zip tie the constructed walls together., Make a door., Make a floor for the condo., Add a floor covering., Insert the wooden dowel rods., Place a piece...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Plan a design.
Purchase two boxes of wire storage cubes.
Once you remove all of the wire mesh grids from the boxes of storage cubes, you’ll know how many you have to use.
Each grid square will likely be 13”x13” or 14”x14”depending on the brand you buy.
A common design may consist of front and back walls that are both three grids high and three grids long with the side walls being three grids high and two grids deep.This design gives you space to build two or three levels up for your rabbit without commandeering a large portion of any room. -
Step 2: Zip tie the individual walls together.
This is the most time consuming portion of the whole project.
Build one wall at a time by setting the grids together in your decided formation and zip tie the ends tightly together.Place a zip tie at each end where the two grids come together.
This means that a 2x2 set of grids will have four zip ties in the middle where all four squares come together.Don’t forget to build one for the roof of the condo as well.
Make sure each zip tie is tight.
Use a pair of pliers for more leverage if you need to. , You don’t want to leave your rabbit anything hazardous to chew, so you should cut the excess length off each zip tie as closely as possible without breaking the tie. , Once you have each individual wall built, use the same process with the zip ties but at 90-degree angles to connect the walls and form the entire structure.
You may find it easier to start with the roof on the floor and turn the structure over once all the walls and roof are attached. , Once you have all of the walls connected, you will need to snip a few ties to make a door for getting your rabbit in and out of the condo.
If you clip the ties in an upside-down L going up two grids and across one from the bottom center of the condo, then you’ll easily be able to swing this section open for letting your rabbit out and also getting in to clean the condo.In order to keep your rabbit from pushing the door open once you’ve completed the project and moved your pet in, you can simply use three small spring clamps to hold the door shut.For an even more cost effective option, you can even use something as simple as 1 1/4” binder clips to hold the door shut., You most likely do not want to set the condo on top of your carpet in a room since rabbits tend to be messy.
Instead, take the floor measurement of your completed design and purchase a piece of plywood that you can set the condo perfectly on top of.
If you tack short pieces of plywood around 6” high to the outside of the flooring base, the condo will fit inside this lip, which will give it more stability, and it will also keep hay and anything else inside the condo and off the surrounding flooring.If you don’t have access to tools for cutting the plywood, you can take the measurements to the home improvement store where you purchase the material and have them cut it for you. , Since rabbits may try to gnaw at the wood or, at the very least, soil it, you want to cover the plywood with something a bit more rabbit friendly.
A cheap and simple solution is a roll of vinyl shelf liner that will be both easy to install and clean. , The 1” wooden dowel rods will make a foundation for the upper levels of the condo.
You can easily slide the rods in the spaces between the mesh before cutting them to size.
If you plan to make a level that is only one or two grids wide, then you can use two rods (one in front and one in back).
If you plan on making a larger level, then you should insert additional support rods.
Use 1” rods or supports because they’re sturdy enough and anything larger might not fit through the mesh in the grids. , You’ll probably want to cover this piece of plywood with something easily cleaned such as the vinyl shelf liner as well.
However, you can always put a towel or something more comfortable for your rabbit on top of the liner.
If you build the second level slightly higher up, you can always use another board as a ramp for your rabbit to reach it, though a hop will suffice in most instances. , Never place your new rabbit condo in a spot that isn’t rabbit proofed.
A corner close to electrical cords, for instance, can still lead to your rabbit chewing on something it shouldn’t. , If you didn’t add pieces of wood to the flooring base, you can simply place short (maybe 6”) pieces of plywood around the base of the condo at this point to keep hay and other objects inside., If you want your new rabbit condo to be mobile so you can move it between rooms (or even just move it to clean behind it), then you can easily screw castors to the bottom of the piece of flooring plywood.This will make it very easy to roll the condo around.
Make sure there’s a lip around the base to hold the condo in place as you push.
Otherwise, you’ll just push the structure off the base.
Ensure that none of the screws penetrate all the way through the floor of the condo since the sharp edges can hurt your rabbit. , Remember that rabbits will chew just about anything they can reach, so keep the condo free of anything that could be potentially hazardous. -
Step 3: Trim the excess length off each zip tie.
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Step 4: Zip tie the constructed walls together.
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Step 5: Make a door.
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Step 6: Make a floor for the condo.
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Step 7: Add a floor covering.
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Step 8: Insert the wooden dowel rods.
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Step 9: Place a piece of plywood on top of the dowels to make the level.
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Step 10: Place in a rabbit-proofed spot.
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Step 11: Place small pieces of plywood around the base of the flooring either inside or outside.
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Step 12: Screw casters to the bottom of the flooring.
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Step 13: Furnish your rabbit’s new condo with rabbit-friendly accessories.
Detailed Guide
Purchase two boxes of wire storage cubes.
Once you remove all of the wire mesh grids from the boxes of storage cubes, you’ll know how many you have to use.
Each grid square will likely be 13”x13” or 14”x14”depending on the brand you buy.
A common design may consist of front and back walls that are both three grids high and three grids long with the side walls being three grids high and two grids deep.This design gives you space to build two or three levels up for your rabbit without commandeering a large portion of any room.
This is the most time consuming portion of the whole project.
Build one wall at a time by setting the grids together in your decided formation and zip tie the ends tightly together.Place a zip tie at each end where the two grids come together.
This means that a 2x2 set of grids will have four zip ties in the middle where all four squares come together.Don’t forget to build one for the roof of the condo as well.
Make sure each zip tie is tight.
Use a pair of pliers for more leverage if you need to. , You don’t want to leave your rabbit anything hazardous to chew, so you should cut the excess length off each zip tie as closely as possible without breaking the tie. , Once you have each individual wall built, use the same process with the zip ties but at 90-degree angles to connect the walls and form the entire structure.
You may find it easier to start with the roof on the floor and turn the structure over once all the walls and roof are attached. , Once you have all of the walls connected, you will need to snip a few ties to make a door for getting your rabbit in and out of the condo.
If you clip the ties in an upside-down L going up two grids and across one from the bottom center of the condo, then you’ll easily be able to swing this section open for letting your rabbit out and also getting in to clean the condo.In order to keep your rabbit from pushing the door open once you’ve completed the project and moved your pet in, you can simply use three small spring clamps to hold the door shut.For an even more cost effective option, you can even use something as simple as 1 1/4” binder clips to hold the door shut., You most likely do not want to set the condo on top of your carpet in a room since rabbits tend to be messy.
Instead, take the floor measurement of your completed design and purchase a piece of plywood that you can set the condo perfectly on top of.
If you tack short pieces of plywood around 6” high to the outside of the flooring base, the condo will fit inside this lip, which will give it more stability, and it will also keep hay and anything else inside the condo and off the surrounding flooring.If you don’t have access to tools for cutting the plywood, you can take the measurements to the home improvement store where you purchase the material and have them cut it for you. , Since rabbits may try to gnaw at the wood or, at the very least, soil it, you want to cover the plywood with something a bit more rabbit friendly.
A cheap and simple solution is a roll of vinyl shelf liner that will be both easy to install and clean. , The 1” wooden dowel rods will make a foundation for the upper levels of the condo.
You can easily slide the rods in the spaces between the mesh before cutting them to size.
If you plan to make a level that is only one or two grids wide, then you can use two rods (one in front and one in back).
If you plan on making a larger level, then you should insert additional support rods.
Use 1” rods or supports because they’re sturdy enough and anything larger might not fit through the mesh in the grids. , You’ll probably want to cover this piece of plywood with something easily cleaned such as the vinyl shelf liner as well.
However, you can always put a towel or something more comfortable for your rabbit on top of the liner.
If you build the second level slightly higher up, you can always use another board as a ramp for your rabbit to reach it, though a hop will suffice in most instances. , Never place your new rabbit condo in a spot that isn’t rabbit proofed.
A corner close to electrical cords, for instance, can still lead to your rabbit chewing on something it shouldn’t. , If you didn’t add pieces of wood to the flooring base, you can simply place short (maybe 6”) pieces of plywood around the base of the condo at this point to keep hay and other objects inside., If you want your new rabbit condo to be mobile so you can move it between rooms (or even just move it to clean behind it), then you can easily screw castors to the bottom of the piece of flooring plywood.This will make it very easy to roll the condo around.
Make sure there’s a lip around the base to hold the condo in place as you push.
Otherwise, you’ll just push the structure off the base.
Ensure that none of the screws penetrate all the way through the floor of the condo since the sharp edges can hurt your rabbit. , Remember that rabbits will chew just about anything they can reach, so keep the condo free of anything that could be potentially hazardous.
About the Author
Michelle Webb
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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