Dresser to bunny hutch makeover
HOW DO I END UP NEEDING AN ATTRACTIVE BUNNY HUTCH?
First off let me share that I am just the kind of mom that has to learn some lessons the hard way. Despite my mom's wisdom, I just have to get in the fray a little bit before I know it may not be the best idea.
My daughter Brooke is somewhat of an animal whisperer. The lost pets of the world just manage to seek her out. We have found the homes of at least 8 dogs, a pregnant cat & her litter, a lost kitten in our palette wood pile, and even a wayward bouncy bunny.
The bunny was sweet & seemed like an easy enough pet. In the two hours he lived with us my daughter named him and walked to Target using her allowance to buy bunny food.
She basically hated us when we took her to the area the bunny was found and found his family.
Christmas was around the corner & her dad decided that she needed a bunny...and then, of course, the bunny needed a friend so we would need 2 bunnies. Meet Thumper and Sammie. They lived in my closet for about a month waiting for Christmas.
Tools used to turn this dresser into a bunny hutch
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I love our pets, but I am not a fan of pet products like plastic crates or wire cages. I decided to make a bunny hutch that would blend in the house.
The hunt always starts on Craigslist. I found a cheap ugly dresser that was solid & had tons of possibility! It was $50, slightly more than I had hoped to pay, but I didn't want to be a Grinch at Christmas time.
My first plan included keeping the door & just putting mesh on the sides. I like to be practical & there was no way that we would be able to clean to the right and left of that small door. So instead I cut all of the wood below the top 3 drawers out. I used a jigsaw to cut them.
I then made framed in & made 2 new cabinet doors with 1x1 boards and wire mesh to screen it all in.
The interior floor was replaced with a new piece of plywood (we used boards that were not going to leach any chemicals, especially since bunnies are chewers. I ran a border of 1x1 boards on the interior. I then tiled the base with peel and stick linoleum, running them up the border that I made & caulking the seems to help prevent any leakage. A better plan would be to make a removable pan...but my skill level could not accommodate that.
Bead-board was added to the back and sides. All wood was painted Derby with Pure Home Paints. This is super important because not only did the paint look amazing! It was not hazardous to our bunnies. Drawers were lined and new crystal knobs were added.
YES, I KNOW THE BUNNIES BELONG INSIDE;)
I suppose if it were in my living room I might choose a different color interior, but I love everything else about how this came out! he bunnies are still a lot of work & take lots of nagging kids to take care of...But, making their habitat was one of my favorite projects.
Rabbits are easy to litter train so you don’t need to have bedding all over. Easier clean up. You can carpet the floor for a soft cozy place they can lay down… Just less messy. Looks great. Hope they get roaming and running space outside the cage too.
Bunnies have very sensitive respiratory systems, so you were right to select your paint carefully. However, for those trying to built a rabbitat, keep in mind that self-stick vinyl tiles have pretty toxic glues to stick them down and the vinyl itself offgasses. Plexiglas sheets with some caulking at the joints might be a better option, or just low plastic bins that fit, like those for underbed storage, with an opening cut for rabbit entry. Flooring is indeed difficult for rabbits, since much manmade flooring offgasses (including carpet), and some can be rough and cause sore hocks. Seagrass or other fiber mats are a good option, although they may cause problems if eaten. I can only urge people to research options carefully!
Thank you for your care and input!