Minimum x-pen height?

[Elliriyanna]

I have 2 42″ pens and they are proving to not be so easy for me … The doors are pretty small. 

Whats the lowest I can go on an x-pen? I have a 4 lb holland lop who hesitates to even hop over the side of his litter box ( I cut it down on one side to be easier for him) and will be getting a Lionhead rabbit who will only be 3 lbs fully grown. 

I do have other pets in the house … a 10 ish lb terrier mix, and a cat. But neither are allowed in the room unsupervised. Actually I have a small shelf ( 12 inches) blocking the door right now to allow air flow and neither has even attempted to jump it. If I go with a lower pen that will be replaced with a baby gate though. Just to be safe. 

[Sarita]

It really depends on how high your rabbits can jump or if they are climbers. So size doesn’t always have anything to do with the height – also youngsters tend to be more active and fearless than older rabbits.

I’ve had the 24″ but it was for a senior rabbit.

[Elliriyanna]

well height corresponds to weight of the pen … So It kind of does matter if they can push around a smaller pen.

Tenzin is pretty mellow and doesn’t even like to take big hops.

[Sarita]

Your rabbits are pretty small though….those pens though aren’t that light even the short ones – it might be easy for a young strong rabbit to push the shorter one around but honestly I’ve seen rabbits push the tall ones around too….

The thing with a pen too and a young small rabbit like a lionhead is that they can many times push through the bars of the x-pens….I’ve had that happen too.

[JackRabbit]

We have the 48 inch xpens, and yes, the doors are pretty small — you should have seen me lifting a carrier with two bunnies in it over the xpen since it won’t fit through the xpen door!

36 inch is about the lowest you want to go and that’s assuming you have no jumpers (they can surprise you at the worst times). Some people buy the xpens that have no doors and just use the ends where they connect together as a door. Have you tried doing that and just not using the door?

[Elliriyanna]

I use a plastic flooring, So I couldn’t use the pens with no doors. It would CONSTANTLY mess up the flooring and when its creased its a nightmare to clean.

I don’t think a 8 week old lionhead will be fitting through my pen bars but if he can maybe I should reconsider getting him.

[Sarita]

Don’t let that be the reason you don’t get him….you can put cardboard around the bottom until he’s larger. I’ve had full grown Netherlands though fit through x-pens though much to my surprise.

You may have to eventually reconsider your flooring…I think that’s just what happens when you get into the “thick” of it just like with the tall x-pen…you may have to make changes that are more suitable to you. You ended up getting that carpet protector film type flooring didn’t you?

[Elliriyanna]

Yeah I got the roll of carpet protector … 2 actually and double sided taped them together and it works perfectly

I really cant consider other flooring option, vinyl rolls are too slippery and I cant just have him on the carpet as my boyfriends mother wants to protect her carpet.

with the x pens … a friend gave me one and I bought the second to match. I personally would have chosen shorter caging but free is always nice. 

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