Here in the Habitat forum, we get so many awesome threads and posts about different housing options, along with lots of pics, and questions about what the “best one” is… The “best” varies from family to family, and what works for one bunny might not be the ideal choice for another.
There are many options for housing including:
pet-store cage
wooden hutch or cabinet (indoor use; manufactured or DIY)
dog crate
NIC condo
NIC pen
xpen
free roam 24/7 (I know this isn’t an actual habitat, but for some people it is the final choice and should be counted…)
AND there are variations that include combinations of the above (for example: a pet-store cage with an attached xpen).
A poll is included in this thread, and the question is pretty simple…
I want to know how many *separate* set-ups and set-up combos you have gone through, but also if you are HAPPY with the current set-up (meaning: you are not changing it for the foreseeable future, besides minor renovations/additions).
If you are NOT HAPPY with the current set-up, and you will likely change it in the future, please select the “exploring” option…
I know there are different variables when dealing with outdoor > indoor transition, but seeing as this is a house rabbit community, we’re only counting the habitats you’ve gone through since your rabbit has been indoors… (I listed “wooden hutch” as an option above because some people DO use a hutch inside the house).
If you have bonded rabbits, things can get even more complicated! A temporary housing situation during bonding does not count. We’re counting the housing types you have considered permanent… even if you eventually changed your mind and decided to upgrade to something better!
Habitats may change often, but the poll is for the number of major habitat changes, not minor renovations/additions. If you have changed your NIC condo ten times with different shelves or a larger/taller space, that still counts as one “type” of habitat, a NIC condo. However, new combinations of two different habitats should be counted… (for example: you started with a NIC condo but then added an xpen…)
Do we got it?!
Here is OUR brief housing history:
1) Started with an XL “Marchioro” plastic-bottom cage when we just had Meadow.
2) This transitioned to a combo of the XL cage with NIC grid pen attached.
(When we adopted Max, we switched to two side-by-side xpens, but I’m not counting this since it was only temporary during bonding…)
3) After they bonded, the two temporary xpens were merged into one giant, permanent, 4×8 foot “super xpen” and we’ve been happy with it ever since!
(Even though Max has since passed, we have not considered reducing Meadow back to one xpen, she’s used to the extra space and I don’t feel as guilty if we have a crazy busy day and she has to stay penned inside…)
So for MY choice, I pick “three and happy!”
After voting, feel free to comment and detail what your transitions were, and what you chose and why…
And if you’re still exploring more options, what options are you considering and why?