Baby Marshy and the Wire Bottom Cage
Who is Marshy?
Marshmallow, or Marshy as we called her, was a baby rex rabbit. My boyfriend and I found her at the Farmers Feed store here in Stockton while getting supplies for Wilmington and Ollie. This store has food and hay in bulk which comes in handy when you have multiple pets or farm animals. Farmers Feed also sells different kinds of animals, including rabbits. That's where my boyfriend picked up Marshy and he bought her right away. He said she looked like a marshmallow and decided to name her that. Marshy was a very sweet and funny rabbit. She was charming and made everyone fall in love with her.
What happened to Marshy?
Marshy lived with my boyfriend in a trailer on his uncle's property. There wasn't much room in the trailer for a cage plus, he lived alone so Marshy could be a free-range rabbit. It is also important for you to know that my boyfriend is not from Stockton so, whenever the semester ends or a break is coming up, he goes back home to Southern California.
Marshy came into our lives near the end of the Fall semester. My boyfriend couldn't take her home so, he asked me to take care of her. I told him I would but, Marshy needed a cage in order to stay in my home. My dogs sleep indoors, especially during the winter. Marshy would not be safe if she was free-range in my home.
Rabbit cages are not cheap if sold in pet stores. Most cages cost $60 USD but, some cages cost up to $90 USD. One tip to help you find a rabbit cage for cheap is through yard sales and Craigslist. The great thing about yard sales and Craigslist is you can negotiate prices. Some sellers will try to sell you a used and beat up cage for $55 USD. That's just five dollars off and as a college student five dollars is pretty hard to stretch. Do keep in mind Craigslist will display different kinds of cages in and around your current area.
So, my boyfriend and I looked through Craigslist. We found a wire cage for $20 USD. We thought this was the perfect idea. The cage was cheap and big enough for Marshy to stand up, lay down and stretch herself out. What we didn't know was that wire cages can be dangerous for baby rabbits.
After Marshy got settled in my room, my mom told me her uncle passed and we were going out of town to attend his funeral. By this time, the semester ended and my boyfriend was back home. My family and I relied on my grandma to care for all the animals.
While my family and I were in Southern California, my grandma was in charge of all the animals in our home. My grandma always took great care of our animals. She cared for our animals the same way we did. Sadly, the morning after the funeral, my grandma called my dad and told him she found Marshy dead. She said she found her foot twisted and stuck in the cage.
Marshy lived with my boyfriend in a trailer on his uncle's property. There wasn't much room in the trailer for a cage plus, he lived alone so Marshy could be a free-range rabbit. It is also important for you to know that my boyfriend is not from Stockton so, whenever the semester ends or a break is coming up, he goes back home to Southern California.
Marshy came into our lives near the end of the Fall semester. My boyfriend couldn't take her home so, he asked me to take care of her. I told him I would but, Marshy needed a cage in order to stay in my home. My dogs sleep indoors, especially during the winter. Marshy would not be safe if she was free-range in my home.
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| Here's Marshy in one of her favorite spots. |
So, my boyfriend and I looked through Craigslist. We found a wire cage for $20 USD. We thought this was the perfect idea. The cage was cheap and big enough for Marshy to stand up, lay down and stretch herself out. What we didn't know was that wire cages can be dangerous for baby rabbits.
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| This is how a wire cage looks like. They come in many styles and are preferable because of their cleanliness. |
After Marshy got settled in my room, my mom told me her uncle passed and we were going out of town to attend his funeral. By this time, the semester ended and my boyfriend was back home. My family and I relied on my grandma to care for all the animals.
While my family and I were in Southern California, my grandma was in charge of all the animals in our home. My grandma always took great care of our animals. She cared for our animals the same way we did. Sadly, the morning after the funeral, my grandma called my dad and told him she found Marshy dead. She said she found her foot twisted and stuck in the cage.
What I learned after Marshy.
I felt a great responsibility for Marshy and I was heartbroken to hear the news. Even with the bad news, there was some good in it. I learned some important tips to share with you all.
The first tip is, try avoiding a wire bottom cage for your baby rabbit. Although wire cages are easier to clean and keep your rabbit cleaner, baby rabbits can get their foot stuck in the wire bottoms. What if you already have a wire bottom cage?
Do not worry, you can place plastic mats on top of the wire bottom. These mats come in different styles, materials and colors. The purpose of these mats is to protect your pet's feet and allow urine and droppings to pass through. They can be interchangeable for different species. You can see the different types of mats Amazon sells here.
If you don't have any money to spend, you can use an old bed sheet to cover the wire bottom. I do this for Wilmington (she moved into the wire cage). The downside to this tip is that the old bed sheet will hold onto any urine or droppings. You will have to wash the sheet whenever you find urine stains or droppings on them. Rabbits can be litter box trained, but it takes them a while to learn to use a litter box.
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