Rabbit Enrichment

[Elizabella]

I have been on a big bunny enrichment kick. I have tunnels, toys, sticks, hay balls, and just added a “clothesline” with fresh veg 2X a day for my bun-bun, Pickles. But what do y’all do to keep your buns interested, engaged, and (most importantly!) not bored? I would love to see homemade toys or even product recommendations. I know there are tons of products out there (toys, tunnels, etc.) but any suggestions for well made, natural options would be appreciated!

 

[Popsicles]

I use a treat ball for my bun when she gets her pellets, keeps her busy for about 3 minutes as opposed to 30 seconds haha.
The clothesline looks great, good idea!
Have you tried providing a digging box? Some people use earth or sand, I just use shredded paper in a cardboard box as I don’t have the commitment to clean up all that mess! But can scatter some pellets/veggies in there to encourage some foraging behaviour.

 

[John Wick]

Essentially any toilet paper roll gets either cut up into rings (to make a treat ball) or has it's ends tucked in as something that needs to be thrown and open in order to get treats out. When they become flimsy and don't hold their shape, they get thrown into a shallow "forage" box, where I sprinkle pellets inside and my rabbit needs to pull out random, distorted cardboard rings in order to get the food, haha.

 

[Elizabella]

Thanks for your suggestions! I bought a great ball today and upgraded our litter box and am converting the old one into a dig box. My bun is solo so I want to be sure she has things to keep her active and entertained.

 

[samoth]

I bought some long planter boxes and planted grass, cilantro, parsley, & dandelion in them. I leave them on the floor next to a window or slider for munching. (Don't put them outside for sun -- bugs get in them.)

Ikea Hols are popular in Europe for rabbits, so I imported a couple of those to the US and have those for living in/chewing on in a couple rooms.

 

[katlupe]

"Rabbit" has never been much into playing with toys. But he really enjoys the various tunnels I have made with my furniture and one from a cardboard box. I live in a studio apartment so I arranged the furniture so he has little hallways between or behind it. That way he has private hallways that he can hide, sleep or eat (he sometimes carries a mouthful of hay there) there. He likes to dig on a sheet that I keep around the bottom of his cage, on the outside, because he is not locked in the cage ever. I made him a digging box and he totally ignored it. I sometimes go out to the forest and will cut blackberry stalks for him because he loves to chew on those or even a piece of firewood with the bark on and if I can get green wood that is even better.

 

[Mackenzie Salm]

My rabbits have never really been into toys so I have always given my rabbits apple sticks from my apple trees. I found that rabbits don't tend to enjoy those small ones you can get from kaytee they would prefer bigger ones and it entertains them much much longer then those little ones. I try to give my rabbits about a 1 foot long apple stick once a day. It also helps keep their teeth down. Just make sure if you get some that the trees aren't sprayed with chemicals. If they are I soak them in water for a while then set them out to dry. If you can just ignore the sprayed trees altogether.

 

[Elizabella]

I use pear sticks! I have three pear trees on my property- not sprayed- and Pickles loves them.