Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 2Plan the cabinet
The cage body is basically a modular cabinet. The technology is already the only way kitchens and cheap storage furniture is made these days. The connectors and sheets of plywood are readily available in Jerusalem and everywhere else on the planet. What you need to do is go to the nearest wood warehouse and ask for prices. For this project, a 17mm sheet of pine or poplar plywood is perfect. Don't use MDF! Rabbits chew. The glue in the MDF is toxic and the material is carcinogenic if crumbled.
After deciding on material and knowing size of sheet (normally 1.22x2.44 metres or 4x8 feet) and thickness (17-19mm) you can plan the cutting for the wood store. Here they're happy to cut it for you. But there's a catch: you can only get rectangles. If you can get a worker in such store to cut diagonals for you, you're lucky. I had to use my jigsaw to remove the corners of the shelves.
The design is simply a closet with shelves that don't span the entire width of the closet. The "missing" edges create steps that allow the rabbit to jump from level to level. When Stella stands under a hole, she can stretch upwards and when she's under a shelf, she gets the tunnel effect that makes her feel safe and at home.
Some measurements from my cage (metric figures are accurate):
Height: 160cm 5'3" total, 120cm 3'11" cage itself
Depth: 60cm 2ft
Width: 103cm
4 shelves divide the inner cage equidistantly to 5 levels.
The diagonals are not necessary. They just make the step wider for the rabbit and a little more aesthetic.
The copper foil you see in the picture was intended to keep the rabbit from chewing the edges of the shelves. The joke is on me. Now the copper is in tatters but the shelves are intact.
Get your cutting plan ready and give it to the wood store.
After deciding on material and knowing size of sheet (normally 1.22x2.44 metres or 4x8 feet) and thickness (17-19mm) you can plan the cutting for the wood store. Here they're happy to cut it for you. But there's a catch: you can only get rectangles. If you can get a worker in such store to cut diagonals for you, you're lucky. I had to use my jigsaw to remove the corners of the shelves.
The design is simply a closet with shelves that don't span the entire width of the closet. The "missing" edges create steps that allow the rabbit to jump from level to level. When Stella stands under a hole, she can stretch upwards and when she's under a shelf, she gets the tunnel effect that makes her feel safe and at home.
Some measurements from my cage (metric figures are accurate):
Height: 160cm 5'3" total, 120cm 3'11" cage itself
Depth: 60cm 2ft
Width: 103cm
4 shelves divide the inner cage equidistantly to 5 levels.
The diagonals are not necessary. They just make the step wider for the rabbit and a little more aesthetic.
The copper foil you see in the picture was intended to keep the rabbit from chewing the edges of the shelves. The joke is on me. Now the copper is in tatters but the shelves are intact.
Get your cutting plan ready and give it to the wood store.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
3
comments
|
Add Comment
|
Oct 19, 2007. 2:15 PMmeismeems
says:
Wow, this is a great project. Makes me want to get bunnies!!! I'm guessing the reason Stella doesn't chew the walls is because she can't find an edge to chew on. What do you give her to gnaw? Can she chew up jeans or other heavy fabrics? I didn't see how you attached the shelves. What holds up the 'free' edge? Thank you for sharing this great idea! Kim
Reply
1
Oct 21, 2007. 7:59 PMkakungulu (author)
says:
Thanks Kim, I built this cage using 17mm plywood. The free edge is hanging in air but the 3 connectors are strong enough to keep the shelf from bowing to Stella's weight. I used blum connectors for modular cabinets. All the cage is assembled / taken apart by rotating a series of screws. I didn't invest too much on hardware with this model. The cage is functional but not so elegant. I think I did better job with the current model (see last step). It is "frame and panel" cabinet style. Thanks for your comment.
Reply
Oct 19, 2007. 2:18 PMmeismeems
says:
Oh, another thing I wanted to add...you might think about using small 'open end' eyehooks instead of the screws on top to hold the shelves. They would be sturdy, yet allow you to remove the doors if you needed to. You might even be able to use them on the sides if you wanted them for 'hinges', to swing the doors out horizontally. Kim
Reply
 |
Add Comment
|
