Wire Flooring for Rabbits - The TRUTH (Tips for the best rabbit cage flooring), by Teal Stone Homestead on YouTube. 12 min 48 s.
- Video length
- 12 min 48 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Choose 14 gauge welded wire with 1 by 1/2 inch openings. Holes that size stop feet slipping through, and the thicker wire holds a rabbit's weight without sagging.
Cut the wire to fit your hutch frame with wire cutters. Wear gloves, because cut wire ends are sharp and spring back.
Stretch the mesh tight across the frame and fasten it with J-clips every few inches. Loose, sagging wire is what causes sore feet, not the wire itself.
Bend or file down any sharp wire ends so nothing pokes into the hutch. Run a gloved hand over the whole floor to check.
Cover part of the floor with a resting mat, a solid board or a piece of plastic. Your rabbit needs somewhere off the wire to lie down.
Put a litter box filled with hay in one corner. Rabbits pick one spot to toilet, so this catches most of the mess.
Check your rabbit's feet every few days. Look for bald patches, redness or sores on the hocks, and move the rabbit to solid flooring if you see them.
Clean weekly by scraping droppings through the mesh, then wiping or hosing the wire and drying it fully before the rabbit goes back in.
Tips and common mistakes
Wire flooring works best for short-haired rabbits in a well-supported cage, and heavy breeds need more solid resting space.
Never use chicken wire for a floor. It is too thin, rusts fast and cuts feet.
Give your rabbit a hide box or shelf so it can rest fully off the wire for part of the day.
Check the wire for rust and sagging every few months and replace any section that has stretched.
Questions
Is wire flooring cruel for rabbits?
Not on its own. The problems come from thin wire, wide gaps, sagging mesh and no solid area to rest on. Set it up tight with a mat and a litter box and most rabbits do fine.
What size holes should a rabbit cage floor have?
Aim for 1 by 1/2 inch openings in 14 gauge welded wire. Smaller holes suit small breeds, and larger holes let feet slip through.
How do I stop my rabbit getting sore hocks?
Keep the wire tight, add a resting mat or board, keep the floor dry, and check the feet often. Move the rabbit to solid flooring at the first sign of redness.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
