wire castles in the air

The Coolest Toy in the World

So this weekend, I fulfilled a childhood ambition as well as started my project to build my own rabbit cages and invested in...

these.

Okay, if the link doesn't work, these are the Whitmore Storage Cubes, but I got mine at Target and they came in sets of six cubes, not four, and cheaper, and then again with a five dollar gift card per purchase. Shown in white, I got black. Twenty three roughly one foot by one foot square panels of wire mesh that fit together into cube shapes. They are kind of a miracle, and make me wonder about a civilization that doesn't give these to everyone immediately upon birth. Cause oh my God, these kick ass.

Okay, the connectors suck, and after working with them all of Sunday, my hands were killing me--not to mention I started developing proto-blisters--but the wire mesh panels! Coolest toy ever! This is better than building blocks. These things you can build into fortresses. I went looking online--where I got the idea in teh first place--and discovered cable zip things are better and easier to use, as well as make it easier to build designs, rather than the connectors.

I'm looking at random designs so far, but currently, with four unneutered rabbits and dark rabbit lust afoot, I'll temporarily make a four story cage, each floor closed off to the others, but each one still larger than the current cages. After The Great Snip Snip of 2006, I can rework the inside and create happy rabbit lounges and climbing and jumping areas inside and an atrium for them. It's intersting to see other people's designs--I got an intersting idea of putting teh whole thing on a permanent rolling platform to make cleaning easier, and build the entire thing with a front that swings open to facilitate easy cleaning--and while right now I'll use cardboard for all flooring, I want to eventually move to some kind of coated particle board for all walking and running surfaces that can be pulled out and cleaned--but oh my God. This is going to be so much fun. Child and I had a blast with it on Sunday, before we gave up on the connectors and decided to go with zips. I'll post pictures of Rabbit Condo as soon as it's done. The nice part is, I can add on. And one day, some nice people will come over, worried, to ask me about my Rabbit Castle that is, indeed, the size of a castle.

But seriously, this is so what I've been looking for to build for the rabbits.

I'm also trying to think of a way to build one giant water repository for the rabbits--right now, I'm working with three-four separate water bottles, but I keep thinking there has to be a way I could build the Big Water Repository of Maximum Rabbit Happiness and set it up so that they each still have their own nozzle, on each floor. It would save immense amounts of space and work, but I'm not sure it can be done easily. Hmm.

So far, the design for this time around will be simple. Four separate floors, four feet by two feet by about one foot each, with their beds adn food dishes and water bottles and random toys inside. For the front, which will be about sixteen panels, I'll hook them all together as one large panel and leave it unconnected to the interior floors if possible so I can open and close the entire thing, but honestly, I am not a visual person or an engineer, so this will be trial and error to see if the floors can be supported without the front directly hooked in.

And yeah, that's enough on Jenn's Rabbit Home Improvement Show. Tune in next week for What To Do About Blisters! And Other Tales of Life With Wire!

Comments

[researchgrrrl.livejournal.com]

AWESOME.

Those proto-blisters will hopefully soon transform into useful calluses. In the meantime, you can pick up moleskin pretty easily to protect your hands. (Good stuff to have around if you have to break in new shoes or do a lot of hiking, btw.)

"Dark rabbit lust afoot" is my favorite phrase of the day. Yes.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*smirks* it's getting scary in the warren. Everyone wants to mate. All that testosterone, so little time. *sighs sadly*

[researchgrrrl.livejournal.com]

So, okay. Unrelated but, yeah. The only thing that I could have possibly found more traumatic than that goddamned 'possum happened at work today.

Here (http://researchgrrrl.livejournal.com/37094.html). Feel good about your life.

*cries*

[reginagiraffe]

The only worry I have with zips is that they're plastic and not rabbit-proof. Couldn't the rabbits just nibble right through them and escape?

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I don't think so? It's the recommended binding by all the rabbit people I've been reading up on--other suggestions seem to be nylon cord, which isn't as stable, and J-clamps, which would work except are a bitch to pull apart again, while with the zips, I just have to cut them off.

I'll double check, but so far, that is the preferred method for eveyrone who builds rabbit hutches with these. Hmm.

[reginagiraffe]

Oh, okay, if it's the recommended thing then it should be okay. I had the impression you came up with the idea yourself. If it's already been tested then you probably shouldn't worry. Sorry. *g*

[eccentric-alex.livejournal.com]

Oh, we have those things- we just don't have rabbits or zip ties, so I guess ours aren't as cool. But I had a very similar reaction when my mother brought them home- toys! Awesome! 'Course, then I had to bang away at them...did not get blisters, but then again, I probably wasn't making nearly as many all at once. We've got a kind of pyramid design goin' on right now. :)

[ladyjanelly.livejournal.com]

Heh. Sounds like wire-mesh legos with rabbits inside. How cool is that!

[pentapus.livejournal.com]

There was a series of YA books I read with two sets of twins, but most importantly, with an unemployed father who spent his unemployed time making a house-wide interconnected maze out of pop bottles and PVC pipe for the family hamster. Sure, there was plot and ghosts and stuff, but the hamster tunnels -- even when only mentioned offhand a few times -- were the coolest thing ever.

So, yeah. Total envy for the rabbit castle.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

Your rabbits really do rule the house, don't they?

I know what it's like - Kirby and Teddy are tyrants, outrageous in their demands for attention and playtime and walks RIGHT THIS SECOND! Ahem.

[volari.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to see pictures of the rabbit condo. I hope it works out well! Though, experimenting ought to be fun...either way! Could you wear gloves to work with? That might cut down on the blisters.

I always enjoy reading your rabbit posts; they're always entertaining and enthusiastic.

[lemonbella.livejournal.com]

You know you're going to need to apply for Rabbit Plannning Permission if you're not careful...

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

I don't remember my rabbits chewing through zip ties, but it's a possibility. I'd watch them and if they do, use J-clips. If you get the zips tight enough and don't leave a lot of end to chew, they might just ignore them.

I always ordered all my cages from Woody's Wabbits (http://www.woodyswabbits.com) (or picked them up at shows). But, of course, I was raising anywhere between 25-80 rabbits at a time.

[anitac588.livejournal.com]

Tune in next week for What To Do About Blisters! You have no idea. Madelyn and you must compare notes!

[treetracer]

What? No indoor pool? ^_^

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

oh, that sounds totally cool!

can you post some links to these other folks' designs so we can get an idea of what The Warren may eventually turn out like?

[revelininsanity.livejournal.com]

OMG. I want to marry you for you mad Rabbit Skillz now.