A Holland Lops cage should be no smaller then 24" by 24". Wire cages with wire bottoms are the most convenient and sanitary. Wooden bottom cages can be used but need to be cleaned and disinfected often to prevent bacteria from settling in the wood.

 

Out door cages: Rabbits must be protected from wind, weather and sun. They can tolerate cold temperatures much better then hot. The entire cage should be covered to keep them out of direct sun light. A shady, cool spot is best. During extremely hot temperatures a soda bottle can be filled with water and frozen. When placed in the cage, the bunny will lean against it to cool down.

 

A wood and wire coop, with a little hutch for the rabbit to go in to get out of the elements is fine. Remember, make sure the yard area has a roof over it. A rabbit will not sit in direct sunlight if it is very warm out. You will force the rabbit to sit inside its house which could be too hot. Under a shade tree is ideal.

 

The rabbits coat provides good protection in very cold temperatures. But wind and dampness can be fatal. Take care with out door cooping not to cover all four sides of your coop. You want to be very careful when protecting your rabbit cage from the elements that you still have adequate ventilation in the coops. A rabbit's urine can build up toxic ammonia and cause respiratory problem

 

Indoor cages: There are many different models of indoor cages available. Stacking cages have become very popular. These are cages that can sit two or three on top of each other. Each cage has a drop pan under it to catch the droppings. This is what we use in our barns. The drop pan should be filled with exorbitant material like pine shavings. Cedar shavings have oils that can damage the liver and should not be used. Drop pans need to be cleaned every five to seven days.

 

Individual stacking cages are good for rabbits being kept in the house. They come with metal or plastic pull out pans. Take it from us, the plastic pans are so much better then the metal. Plastic cleans easier, does not rust or get sharp edges, they are lighter and dry quicker.

 

The best way to sanitize is bleach in a bucket of water. All feces should be scraped away. A scrub brush dipped in bleach cleans the wire, kills any bacteria and is great for getting up any hair the rabbit has shed in the cage.

 

Crocks and Water bottles should be scrubbed and soaked in bleach. We do this once a month. The rabbit should be removed from the cage during cleaning and returned when the cage is completely dry.

 

Before we add a new rabbit to my cages, we do all of the above and let the cage sit empty a few days just to make sure it is completely sanitized.

 

The key to healthy rabbits is sparkling clean cages.