Rob used the basic rabbit condo plans on my video as his starting point and then designed and built an expanded, luxury condo that is four panels wide (56-inches). The picture on the left is Rob’s first condo for Lara. (You can click on the thumbnail to see a larger photo.)

But, after they added Harrel to the family, Rob used his computer designing skills to dream up an even bigger, fancier rabbit residence.  You can see more of Rob’s pictures and plans on a 6-page booklet he created, “Conceptual Living for the Modern House Rabbit.” Rob has very kindly given us permission to make copies of his booklet available at no charge. Click here to download the booklet.

If you find this information valuable, please consider helping VRRA by downloading the new ebook, “Little Mutt.” Your $7 donation will be shared by VRRA and AMREF. Click here for more about the “Little Mutt” book.

There are actually two reasons why it’s a good idea to brush your rabbit to remove loose fur. Of course there is the aesthetic one, of not wanting your guests to see huge dust-bunnies rolling like tumbleweeds across your living room floor. And the rabbits also look tidier when they don’t have tufts of loose fur sticking out of their coats.

But even more important is the health issue. Hairballs in rabbits can be very serious. They can cause blockages in the digestive system that can be fatal. That is why, if your rabbit ever stops eating and stops using its litter box (of course your rabbit never leaves little droppings anywhere else) it should be given immediate medical attention.

Our rabbits spend a lot of time grooming themselves as well as each other. And that means they probably are swallowing some loose fur. So if we can remove that loose fur first, there will be less of it available to potentially form hair balls in their delicate little tummies.

OK. Now that we’ve decided that we need to groom the rabbits regularly, that leaves the question of what tool to use. We’ve got a drawer full of different combs and brushes that either didn’t work very well, or that the rabbits didn’t like having used on them. But we are very happy to have found one brush, or comb, or fur-removing device that works like a charm. It’s called the Furminator. They come in at least three different sizes, each of which is color coded. We use the smallest size, which comes in blue.

There’s a bit of a drawback, though. They work great, it’s true, but they’re on the pricey side. I think that our local pet supply shop retails them for $42 (plus tax)! But there is also good news. We were visiting some folks yesterday, delivering some hay for their rabbit, and noticed they had a blue Furminator — just like ours — sitting in their rabbit supply basket. Our friend said she got hers for about half price from an online auction site. Although it took a few extra days for delivery, it saved her nearly 20-bucks.

Well, this morning I thought I’d see if I could find Furminators for sale on eBay, and I did. 662 of them, to be precise. Most of them were too big, and most of the small blue ones either didn’t tell the delivery price, or they posted a delivery price that was sky high. But, after a few minutes of searching, I finally managed to find one person who was selling them for a very good price.

Merchants and offers on eBay are constantly changing. So here is a general link to help you search for a Furminator on eBay.

And good luck to you in keeping your rabbits well groomed and healthy.

He used wood from an old queen sized futon base that was about to be thrown away. Coincidentally, the queen size wood slats were pretty much the perfect size to fit four of the square metal grids along.

Because Lara is a small rabbit, they made her condo two grids wide by four long and two high. They always have the option of adding another layer if necessary. (They are thinking about finding a companion rabbit to bond with Lara.)

The base is built from a box frame re-enforced in the corners with the right angled metal brackets you can pick up at the Home Depot for pretty cheap. There are two ply bases, one about half the thickness of the plywood that I used, providing a solid base to put the trolley wheels on so it’s easy to move, and the other about a quarter the thickness. These are screwed together with some wood screws, drilled and screwed through to stop the wood splitting.

Then they have a layer of thick gym quality rubber tiles over the top for easy clean and water proofing, soft for rabbit feet, always cool but warm if you put your hand on them for a reasonable time. They are made from recycled car tires apparently. Rob figures they’ll be sturdy enough to resist digging. He is also thinking about using slate tiles for a nice cool surface during the summer months.

The platforms are supported in exactly the same way I did but using the thinner plywood. He used a broken Ikea shoe rack. They retail for about $6, and are untreated and therefore perfect for chewing. He drilled then screwed through the plywood, through the carpet (off-cuts from Home Depot about 6 dollars, rubber backed) and into the wood.

The bedroom, a cardboard box courtesy of a delivery to his work, perfect with no printed labeling on it at all, along with a faux sheepskin rug and an old towel for comfort padding.

In total, Rob says they spent about $160 - $180, and it was the best fun he’s had in ages. The time it took was two solid days, plus a couple of extra evenings. The most expensive component was the rubber floor matting.

Thanks for sharing your pictures and rabbit condo building tips, Rob. We hope Lara (and possibly her companion to-be) will enjoy her posh new home.

Click on the thumbnails to see the photos at full size.

Salad Lady and Tall Guy shot video footage while they were making the condo, and Tall Guy edited it into a video, which he also narrated. All his videos are now on the “Video” page.

Besides giving more details that didn’t fit into the video, this website also has other important information, such as how to support Vancouver Rabbit Rescue and Advocacy (VRRA), the kind people who rescued me and cared for me until I was adopted.

Hopefully, Salad Lady will write an article about bunny bonding, because every rabbit should have at least one other rabbit in their life. But bonding rabbits is a tricky business. Fortunately, Salad Lady and her friends have learned a lot about bonding, so I hope they will share those ideas on this website.

As well, I want to include links to other sources for information about how to care for house rabbits besides their shelter. We’re very different from dogs and cats, you know. Some of us may look cuddly and adorable, but we’re not stuffed toys. We have unique care requirements, and too many of my fellow lagomorphs aren’t as lucky as Red and me.

So, although this may be called the “Build a Rabbit Condo” web site, most likely it will grow to include other information about making sure you have happy, healthy bunnies in your house.