A Warning: 'Ferplast style' Indoor Cages.

This warning is not intended to scare owners nor to dissuade them from using these cages but simply to point out a couple of safety issue's which should be addressed for the sake of your rabbits wellbeing. Ferplast style cages are extremely useful as an indoor housing source being attractive and easy to clean but please bare these points in mind before housing your rabbits in them.

1.The side door.

The standard opening mechanism is for the wire door to open downwards. This would not be a problem except that house rabbits are often encouraged to jump in and out of the cage on their own. We have heard several reports of rabbits limbs becoming entangled in the door causing fractures and other injuries, some of which have lead to an amputation being necessary.

We advise that owners using these cages in this manner use a pair of pliers to remove the door and then either re-hang it from the top of the cage door frame so the door opens upwards (and can be secured open with a peg if needed), remove the door permenantly or simply remove the door when the rabbit is exercising, as if the hooks that function as hinges are left 'open' the door reattatches and closes repeatedly without issue's.

2.The top door.

A hidden danger with a slightly more traumatic outcome. Please ensure that the upper door is always secured shut by it's hooks, all the time. We have heard of rabbits persicoping, pushing the door upwards with their heads and then trying to retract them and becoming stuck. This in effect leaves the rabbits hanging and either suffocates them or if they struggle, breaks the neck. It can only take a few seconds of unattended time for this to happen, please don't take the risk. It is also not unheard of for rabbits to escape from an unsecured lid.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, it could save somebuns life.

Thanks Sooz, I always put a towel on my door, however Chance is known to pull it off. They aren't ideal though x

Good post Sooz, I wish people would listen when they're told this

We also put a piece of plyboard and/or an old blanket or duvet cover on top of the cages cos a few of our buns like to sit in high places and it's very easy for a bun's leg to slip through the bars.

I wonder if a email to the manufacturers might be in order

I have one such indoor hutch and my rabbit has so far been fine throughout the sizes.

Guess he is one of the good boys that likes the safety of this little haven :-)

OMG, the second point has really shocked me. I have one like that for my "exceedingly spare" cage and never even thought about that one.

I had these cages for many years & have now got one thats doors open upwards instead of downwards.This is much better,though they do have to jump more to get in & out.

i have 1 of these cages and the side door opens upwards....also mine has no top door!!

Hes only little at the min so i help him in and out but when he gets bigger im sure he'll be able to jump it.

Scarey thought that the home that is suppose to protect your baby when your not about could actually do our bunnies some harm....Hope people listen a correct the poor manufacturing

Do Ferplast know about these problems?
Jan

This is a very old post, Thumper's new Ferplast cage isn't like this

They now have two doors on the front which open upwards.

Thanks for the info love.

Hugs

JO xx

We have a couple of Ferplast indoor cages and we always take the door off them and put them the other way round. We do it on a few indoor cages not just Ferplast mainly for safety.

Thumper2001 wrote:This is a very old post, Thumper's new Ferplast cage isn't like this

They now have two doors on the front which open upwards.

Thats how mine is....2 fairly big doors that open upwards and can easily be taken off

Have noticed that the wabs sometimes get bashed as the jump in or out of the downward opening door. Will change it tomoz. Thanks.

I have this brand for my house bun in the kitchen, the bars are close together tho on the top opening, maybe they changed the design.

If you have a Ferplast style door just take it off and hang it upside down so the hinges are at the bottom, we take them off altogether when the buns are playing out and put them back on when they go back in their indoor cage for the night.

Its a top opening 1 we have for bunny, want a better 1 as cant get a water bottle on it, stupid design the bottle just falls off, the stupid holes to hold the wire for the bottle are to high up, seen a plastic hutch that was thinking about getting but need to sort kitchen so it can fit, need to figure out where to keep the food tubs had to bring bunnies in it was going off but dont have space for 4 bins (rubbish bin, recylce bin, dog food & bunny food) along with drawers for t towels etc its a long kitchen, where he is the floor space is about 2 mtrs wide then narrows to about 1 mtre, but about 8 mtrs long (was 2 sep rooms when moved in utility room off kitchen) put new kitchen in but did the units have drawers NOPE.