Make Homemade Rabbit Toys
Rabbits are curious animals that need toys to challenge and entertain themselves. You can buy toys from a store, but you can just as easily make toys at home for free. You'll want to be sure that the toys you give your rabbit satisfy the expressive needs he has, such as digging or chewing, but with a little creativity you can provide your rabbit with everything he needs.
Contents
Steps
Making Toys for Digging and Burrowing
- Make a burrow box. Rabbits are natural burrowers, and when kept in captivity they may need to exercise these hardwired instincts to dig. You can make a quick and easy box for your rabbit that lets him feel like he's digging and burrowing in the wild.
- Find a large box. It can be a deep cardboard box if you don't have any other options, but an old dish bin, wicker basket, or litter box will last longer.
- Fill the box with hay. If you don't have hay or don't want hay inside your house, you can shred newspaper or magazines instead.
- If you're comfortable letting your rabbit get a little dirty, you can also use a flower pot or a litter box filled with clean topsoil. Just be careful where you leave this box, as your rabbit's digging may send soil flying all over the room.
- Try giving your rabbit a litter box filled with clean, child-friendly sand. But just like the litter box filled with topsoil, this burrow box could get messy if you're having your rabbit play in a carpeted room.
- If your rabbit tends to dig at the carpet in a certain spot in your home, you may want to cover that spot with the burrow box until your rabbit gets used to using the box as an outlet for his digging compulsions.
- Build a tunnel. In the wild, rabbits tend to dig tunnels underground. If you build an artificial tunnel for your rabbit, he will probably take a liking to it immediately.
- Buy a cardboard concrete tube. You should be able to find one at most building supply stores, and it shouldn't cost much money. If you can't find a cardboard concrete tube, try using a long, narrow cardboard box instead.
- Stuff one end of the tube (or box) with crumpled up newspapers. Your rabbit will either hide in the tube or shred and "dig" at the newspapers, making him feel like he is tunneling in the wild.
- Lay out a scratching surface. If your rabbit tends to dig at the carpet, try laying out a grass mat on the floor. It will allow your rabbit to scratch and "dig," without damaging the rug or floors of your home.
- Lay out a pile of polar fleece blankets for your rabbit to dig and burrow in. He'll love being able to scratch at the plush blankets, and the fibers on polar fleece are short enough that they won't cause digestive issues in the event that your rabbit swallows some of the blanket fuzz.
- You can also try laying out old magazines for your rabbit to scratch at. Just be sure that your rabbit doesn't eat any of the paper, and make sure there are no staples in the binding that could injure your pet.
Making Toys for Chewing
- Give your rabbit pinecones. Untreated wood like a pinecone makes a great chew toy for rabbits. Rabbits need to chew on wooden objects to help wear their teeth down, and pinecones are a source of wood rabbits would easily find in the wild. You can find pinecones for free in the wild, or for a small price at most pet stores. It might best to put pine cones you gather from the wild in the oven for a bit to get rid of any bugs that might have taken up residence.
- Cut a tree branch for your rabbit. Rabbits love fresh, untreated wood. Apple wood is a particular favorite for most rabbits. If you have access to an apple tree, try snapping off a branch for your bunny and let him chew to his heart's content.
- Give your rabbit old toys. If you or someone you know have children who have outgrown their toys, some of those toys might be suitable for playful rabbits. A hard plastic teething ring would make an excellent, durable chew toy for a bunny, and would give him hours of entertainment.
- Make sure the toys do not have any small parts such as eyes or button noses that could be swallowed, and cause a bowel blockage.
Making Toys for Shredding and Tearing
- Give your rabbit an old hand towel. Some rabbits enjoy shredding fabric, while others simply enjoy bunching and "sorting" fabrics. An old hand towel or a couple of wash cloths would allow your rabbit to bunch and tear as much as he likes. Just be sure that your rabbit doesn't eat the fabric, as it could make him sick or create a choking hazard.
- Let your rabbit tear up an old phone book. Once you've removed the front and back covers of a phone book, your rabbit can shred, bunch, and sort scraps of paper from the phone book. Rabbits should only play with phone books under close adult supervision, however, as you'll want to be sure your pet doesn't eat any of the adhesive along the spine of the phone book.
- Make a toy out of a cardboard tube. The tube inside a roll of paper towel or toilet paper can make an excellent toy for rabbits to shred. It's soft enough that it will be easy to tear, yet thick enough that it will provide some resistance. For even better results, stuff a cardboard tube with hay or shredded paper and hide treats in the middle. Your rabbit will shred and tear, and will eventually find a reward inside!
Warnings
- Don't let your bunny chew on wires of any kind.
- Do not give your bunny toys with sharp edges.
- Be careful with the food you put in toys - look online or ask an expert for information on foods that are safe for rabbits.
- Be careful that the paper doesn't get swallowed, especially paper that has ink printed on it.
- Don't give your bunny toys that would be harmful to him if it chewed them.
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