How To Make A Rabbit Cage From A Dog Crate (8 Simple Steps)

When making a rabbit cage from a dog crate you first need to clean the crate and make sure that it’s big enough for a rabbit to be comfortable and feel safe in. Next, add a comfortable base such as a towel or a blanket for added comfort, and provide a hidey hole to provide your rabbit with an extra sense of security. Make sure to also add a bunny bathroom to keep your bunny’s cage cleaner for longer, and provide fresh water in a dispenser tube. Don’t forget the toys and a hay station, as they can help your bunny to stay happy and healthy. You can also add a second story to the cage to give your rabbit more space to move around.

So you’re thinking about adding a rabbit to your family and you may be wondering, “is it okay for you to turn dog crates into rabbit homes?” One of the most important considerations that you need to take into account when you want to get a new pet is where they are going to live. There are many rabbit cages and hutches available but choosing what would be right for your home can be difficult. I believe that the best thing to do would be to learn how to make a rabbit cage from a dog crate since most dog crates are larger, taller, and often better all-around for housing than your typical rabbit cages.

Your rabbit deserves a safe, comfortable, and healthy place to call home. A few specifics can help give that dog crate a fabulous new home for your special new pet. To help you get started, I will guide you through eight steps to help you turn your large dog crate into the perfect rabbit cage.

1. Clean the Crate

Bunnies make great indoor pets because they are clean, cute, and affectionate. When repurposing used dog crates for your fluffy friend, wash them to remove dirt, bacteria, and other residues from the cages’ previous life. 

Note the crate’s features, such as which sides have opening doors, whether the door locks work correctly, and how the dog cage folds up. You don’t want the enclosure to accidentally fold up or collapse with your bunny inside. Note that the largest dog crate measures 42” long x 28” wide x 30“ high but any size that would fit your bunny comfortably would be a perfect rabbit home.

2. Add a Comfy Base Layer

Use an old, soft blanket or towel and fold it into a few layers. This process makes the bottom bars of the cage more comfortable for your rabbit to sit and walk on and prevents its haunches from getting chafed or sore. Even if the cage has a wooden board bottom, the blanket or towel adds comfort and can be easily changed out when cleaning the cage.

3. Provide a Hidey-Hole

Inside your bunny cage, you can add a cardboard box with two holes, an upside-down plastic bin with an entry and exit hole, or another similar container to provide a hidey-hole for your bunny. In the wild, rabbits live in dens underground. Providing a faux den provides a safe place and a sense of security for your rabbit’s home.

In the wild, rabbits are prey animals. They must have a small safe spot to hide to keep them feeling secure and happy. Bunnies that do not have dens in their cages could develop anxious behaviors such as biting or excessive chewing. Turning a heavy-duty dog crate into a rabbit cage may help with chewing problems due to the sides of most dog crates being made out of cable ties or wiring.

4. Add a Bunny Bathroom

You can litter-train pet rabbits to use a litter box just like cats. Rabbits take to it quickly, and this training makes it easier for you to keep your bunny’s cage clean far longer. Rabbits need to spend a reasonable amount of time outside of their cage, so litter training also ensures that you won’t find bunny poop all over your floors.

You can get various plastic tubs or deep trays made just for bunnies at big-box stores and fill them with regular cat litter. It’s better to use a deep tray so your bunny can easily turn around without knocking litter out of the tray.

5. Provide Fresh Water

You can place a water bowl in the bunny cage, but depending on your bunny’s activity level, the water can become foul quickly with food particles and bunny poop. Many pet stores carry water dispensers for rabbit cages, including a closed water reservoir with a dispenser tube. 

For easy refills, you can get a water dispenser that mounts on the outside of the cage. These dispensers have a drinking tube that goes through the cable ties or wires for your pet to access inside.

6. Set Up a Hay Station

Domesticated rabbits mainly eat hay, and this grass is vital to keep your rabbit healthy and happy [1]. Hay is not the same as straw, and straw has little nutritional value. Timothy hay has a coarse texture and helps keep your rabbit’s teeth in good condition. Orchard hay is another option, although due to its softer texture, it’s not as beneficial for your pet’s teeth.

You can get a wire hay storage box and attach it to the outside of the cage. Let your bunny have fun pulling the hay through the box’s bars. If you add hay directly into the rabbit’s cage, such as a layer on the crate floor, your rabbit may destroy the hay by urinating on it. You can get the materials for making this kind of hay box at most home improvement stores.

Here’s a bunny fun fact: Rabbits often poop out the old while eating the new food, so some people recommend putting the hay storage box over the deep tray litter box or even putting the hay right in the box. This way, your fluffy pal can eat and go #2 to their heart’s delight without messing in the cage.

7. Add a Second Story to Your Bunny House

Adding a wire floor platform or shelf inside your bunny crate increases your pet’s space to hop around inside the cage, like adding a second story to its home. You can create a shelf out of wood or purchase wire shelves that attach to the crate walls. If you think your bunny would like more floors, most large dog crates are big enough for you to add extra shelves or flooring, which may help make your rabbit’s home more comfortable.  

Along with the shelf, don’t forget to add a ramp inside the cage for your rabbit to use. The ramp gives him a way to walk up to the platform. Make sure the ramp’s surface has rungs or a non-slip surface for your bunny to grip onto.

8. Don’t Forget the Toys

Rabbits, like other pets, need intellectual stimulation and playtime. Bunnies also have an instinctual drive to chew on wood objects such as sticks to keep their ever-growing front teeth from getting too long. Experiment and see what kinds of toys your bunny seems to enjoy. If pups need the best interactive dog toys, so do rabbits.

Stores that sell pet toys typically have many choices. Rabbits especially love toys made with willow, aspen, or applewood. You can also provide fresh, untreated pine lumber. Hay, another good chew toy for rabbits, comes in compressed cubes and sticks, which offer the dual benefit of food and playtime.

To give your bunny more places to hide, you can get them corrugated plastic tubes which can come in a variety of different colors. To give your bunnies a place to burrow, you can provide cardboard boxes or paper bags filled with torn or shredded paper and junk mail. Add cardboard rolls from paper towels and toilet paper too. Bunnies love to dig, and untreated wicker baskets make sturdy burrows for digging, chewing, and hiding fun.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. How do you make a dog crate into a rabbit cage? 

Choose large dog crates and make sure to clean it before converting it into a new home for your baby rabbit. Check that the cage can close securely and can’t be chewed through. Next, lay an old blanket or towel on the bottom to protect your pet’s feet. 

Add a den, so your bunny has a hiding place like their home out in the wild. You can also attach a shelf or extra floors inside with an access ramp to give your pet more space and a two-story home. Add a hay rack to hold their food, then add water, some toys, and a litter box. You can also add untreated wood sticks for your rabbit’s chewing pleasure.

2. Can you use a dog crate for a rabbit cage? 

Yes, you can use a dog crate for a rabbit cage. In many cases, the dog crate works better because it has a higher ceiling and overall more room for your rabbit to move around in. Put food and water inside, and don’t forget that your rabbit needs to have a den to feel safe and secure. You can also cover the cage at night to help your rabbit get used to the cage and feel calmer and safer.