Rabbit toys should not be missing in your living room. After all, a rabbit not only needs a minimum of three to four hours of exercise outside the cage per day, but it is also necessary to make the space in which it moves interesting enough. You do this by placing toys for your rabbits in the living room or the run and changing them regularly. That way you keep your rabbit physically and mentally fit and healthy. Rabbits like boxes, newspapers, a sandbox, a tunnel, and many other objects. Most things don’t even have to cost anything. What are suitable toys? Which toys are dangerous for a rabbit and should you not give them?
Why do rabbits need toys?
A rabbit needs toys for various reasons and you can never give too much. Too few toys, on the other hand, almost always lead to behavioral problems.
Mental stimulation
Rabbits need mental distraction and stimulation. A rabbit that is not given a toy will soon become bored. Boredom, in turn, leads to a naughty bunny.
Without toys, your rabbit will enjoy himself on the sofa, table legs, or the wallpaper. You can say that your rabbit is ‘naughty’, but the real fault lies with the owner.
gnawing material
In addition, some types of toys are necessary to provide your rabbit with gnawing material. A rabbit’s teeth are constantly growing and must close properly to prevent dental problems.
Exercise
Toys are also necessary for the exercise of the animal. By placing objects in the living room or run to crawl on, through, or under, your rabbit has movement and you keep your animal healthy.
How much is it?
You can find nice things in the pet store. They are often expensive for what it is. An alternative is to make your own toys. Often your rabbit will have the most fun with simple toys. But it doesn’t have to be expensive at all.
pet store
In a pet store, you will find a lot of fun rabbit toys. Only buy these if you are sure your rabbit likes them. There is often a price tag attached to it and every animal is very different: what one rabbit likes, another will find nothing.
make it yourself
Most things that rabbit-like are free or you can make yourself. Of course, not every rabbit likes the same thing. You will have to try different things to find out which toys your rabbit likes.
Suitable rabbit toys: 9 ideas
1. Cat tunnels or tubes
Most rabbits really like cat tunnels. That makes sense since they constantly dig tunnels in nature. Put a few cat tunnels in the living room or large pipes in the run and you will notice that your rabbit uses them regularly. It becomes even more fun when you connect two cat tunnels together so that you have a very long tunnel.
You can also easily and cheaper make a cat tunnel yourself if you have a large, preferably long tube that you place in the living room.
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2. Cardboard boxes
Cardboard boxes to climb or crawl into will also be appreciated by your rabbit. Mind you, a rabbit will not like to be in a box with only one entrance. It is best to make a second exit in another sidewall of the box, then the rabbit will feel safer.
A fun variant is a maze. For this, you need a large cardboard box that is big enough to fit smaller boxes. The advantage of this is that you can change the places of the boxes from time to time so that it remains interesting for your rabbit to explore again and again.
3. Old Newspapers or Old Phone Books
Rabbits often enjoy tearing. Put some old newspapers or an old phone book on the floor. You will have to vacuum afterward, but your rabbit usually loves it and has a lot of fun.
4. A sandbox
This is especially suitable as a toy in a run outdoors, but you could also place a small sandbox in the room indoors. Many rabbits enjoy rolling and digging in a sandbox. Just play sand for children is fine. Make sure that the sandbox is sturdy enough and cannot tear.
5. Grass nest
A grass nest for hamsters that you can buy in the pet store is often a nice distraction for rabbits. They can push the nest and gnaw on it.
6. Old towels
The rabbit also uses an old towel on the floor to play with. He will try to tear the towel or scratch it under the paws. Make sure that your rabbit does not eat the towel. Not all rabbits do this, but if your animal does, you should stop giving towels.
7. Cardboard Toilet Roll
Has the toilet paper roll been used up completely? Don’t throw them away but put them somewhere on the floor. A rabbit likes to throw things and will sometimes take the cardboard roll in its mouth and throw it away.
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You can also fill a low box completely with toilet rolls or kitchen rolls and newspaper. A rabbit will enjoy throwing the rolls out of the box or digging around thoroughly.
8.Baskets made of untreated reed and other gnawing material
Rabbits like to chew on untreated reed baskets. Seagrass mats are also often popular. Also regularly put some twigs of unsprayed apple tree or willow in the room or cage. The animals usually like this and, moreover, such toys are important for wearing down the front teeth.
9. Balls
Some rabbits also like balls. Again, this is different for every animal.
Unsuitable rabbit toys
Rubber and latex toys
A rabbit can gnaw off and swallow pieces that can cause life-threatening blockages in the intestinal tract. So you should never give rubber or latex toys to your rabbit!
A wheel or ball to walk in
This may be fun for a hamster, but for a rabbit it is life-threatening. Their backbone is not as flexible and does not bend like a hamster. A rabbit can become paralyzed in such toys.
