Bunny Boxes
Box them in! Rabbits love boxes. Cut out a front entrance and a hole in the top of the box, and your pet rabbit might use it as a retreat or something to chew.
Parrot Toys Too
Some wood and plastic toys designed for pet parrots make good rabbit toys, too. The dye used to color the wood is nontoxic, and the material is sturdy and made from safe plastic. Rabbits and parrots both like to chew up wood, and the hard plastic used in large-parrot toys is quite durable. Better yet, some parrot toys are designed to be hung from the cage β perfect for your bunny to nudge and to get it standing on its hindfeet.
Playtime
Rabbits have been known to play a game of chase with their owners. These frisky bunnies will run around a corner, stop and wait for their people to find them. Then, the rabbit will chase after its person when he or she turns to walk/run away.
Grazing
Take a look at the wild rabbits nibbling on your shrubs or garden, and you’ll see that rabbits are natural grazers, searching for delectables as they make their way across their territory β and your yard. Pet rabbits, on the other hand, have their meals served to them ... no need for them to dig or chew to reach food. An edible foraging toy like the one described below is just one way to satisfy your rabbit’s curiosity and taste buds. You can also hide treats in paper bags for your rabbit to rip apart or under hard-plastic stacking cups for it to knock over and reap the benefits of its conquest. Some rabbit rescue groups and online boutiques offer rabbit-safe treat toys made of twigs, baskets and more, to keep your bunny happily working for its reward.
Make This Toy!
What you need:
- 1 cardboard center from a paper towel roll or toilet paper roll
- Hay
- A treat such as a small piece of carrot, sprigs of parsley, cilantro or a piece of broccoli
What to do:
Stuff the hay halfway into the tube
Place treat in the middle of the tube
Fill the rest of the tube with hay
(*Variations: Fold up the edges of one end of the tube to prevent the contents from falling out if your rabbit picks it up or tosses it around. Or put a hole in the top and hang it from your rabbit’s cage so it has to do some work for its reward, which is a good way to keep your rabbit happily occupied.)