Starter cage or garbage cage?

So you all may have seen Petco's holiday ad for small animals and "starter kits" before it was pulled from the air.  Thanks to a public outcry and a petition signed by many concerned small pet parents, Petco made the right decision to take the ad off the air.

What if you purchased one of these tiny "starter cages" before you knew better?  Yes, I was one of those people many years ago!  Good news, you don't need to throw it away!  You can re-purpose it!  It may be a tiny pet prison as per its intended use, but there are several other ways to use it.

They make great litter boxes:
Yes, "starter cages" are MUCH too small for your small pet to live in, but they make a great litter box.

From tiny pet prison to luxurious litter box!

Post-surgery recovery room:
There is an occasion when you may need to keep your bunny confined in a small space: post-surgery.  We don't exactly want them to be jumping up on the couch or doing Bunny 500s post-surgery (and some bunnies will try!)  In this case, a "starter cage" could be a handy place for a convalescing bunny.  Just don't forget to let them have supervised time out of the cage, and let your bunny free as soon as she is better!

Travel accommodations:
A starter cage might be a bit more comfortable for your bunny on a long car trip.  Some bunnies do prefer the closed-in feeling of a traditional carrier, but others may appreciate having a little bit more room to stretch out.

A little garden:
Instead of keeping bunnies in, how about keeping bunnies out?  Plant an herb garden, and use the cage to keep hungry bunnies out!  They would appreciate it if you shared the bounty though!

Another alternate use for a starter cage garden is to use it for a butterfly garden.  Plant milkweed and other butterfly-friendly plants, and wait for the butterflies to come!  When you see caterpillars, place the cage on the tray to protect them from birds.  Soon, you will have some beautiful butterflies to free!

Do you have any other ideas to re-purpose a starter kit?  Let us know!  Rabbit rescues have an over-abundance of them since they get "donated" to us!  Oh, and please don't give them away to other people, since they really may be used as a tiny pet prison.

For more information on appropriate rabbit housing, please read this blog.  Contact us if you have any questions!