Rabbits
Last Updated 16 May 2024
Rabbits are complicated little animals that have gotten short shrift in the past, but we now know better and that they deserve much more than a hutch! We can do a lot for our rabbits, including giving them different types of toys, tunnels, beds, hiding spots, and even health supplements. Our pet rabbits are also living longer thanks to advancements in husbandry and healthcare, and so we want to make sure that they can live their best bunny lives!
What does that look like? Rabbits are prey animals, and so even the most confident little buns still have an innate desire to hide and feel secure. Hooded beds and tunnels are a great option for satisfying this need. Rabbits also are natural tunnelers, and dark enclosed spaces help them feel safe. This also means that they love to dig and destroy, as well as rearrange their living spaces! Destroyable toys made of cardboard or other natural materials are a great way to let them redecorate to their heartsâ desires.
Rabbits also spend a lot of time foraging for food in the wild, and theyâre always on the lookout for the next good thing to eat. Although we may like our food presented to us, rabbits get a lot more out of working for their food, and they enjoy food puzzle toys just as much as dogs and cats! Many food puzzle toys designed for cats will also work for rabbits, and they can even be homemade. They also love to chew cardboard, and so small cardboard boxes can easily become food puzzle toys by placing a treat or two in them, closing them, and letting your rabbit go nuts.
Why is it important for rabbits to have toys?
Contrary to unfortunate popular belief, rabbits have complex emotional lives and are quite intelligent. Environmental modification is a normal behaviour for them as well, as in the wild, they dig tunnels, chew twigs and branches, and forage for food. Pet rabbits still need to perform these behaviours, and we can provide appropriate toys for them to do so in a human home. Rabbits that can't perform these behaviours will try to do so with carpet, walls, and furniture. Rabbits are also naturally playful animals, and they will often keep interacting with a food puzzle toy long after they've gotten all the food out of it. It can also be highly entertaining for their human caregivers to watch them go about their very important rabbit business - supporting rabbit and human mental health in one go!
From a welfare standpoint, it is incredibly important for rabbits to have toys and environmental enrichment. The public is much more used to the idea that dogs need walks and toys, and they are now learning that enrichment needs extend to other species as well. Just like people, rabbits also need enough space to run around, and also require engaging activities for a healthy mental state. Sadly, the misconception that rabbits are boring pets stems from rabbits kept in poor living conditions where they are stressed and have no enrichment, and so are unable to perform their natural behaviours and display their unique personalities.
Factors to consider when choosing rabbit toys
- Natural materials - materials like hemp, jute, dried grasses, and rattan are safe for ingestion, and rabbits love to chew these toys apart
- Safe play - avoid toys that are inappropriately sized, or that can potentially get limbs or heads stuck in them. Inspect all toys regularly for sharp edges. Inspect cloth toys regularly for loose string or thread that can become entangled around limbs.
- Encourages natural behaviour - rabbits are more likely to play with toys that allow them to display natural behaviours like chewing, digging, and foraging.
- DIY renovations - rabbits have a strong desire to construct hiding places and modify them, and toys that encourage this tend to become favourites
Results:
- Best with natural materials: Rosewood Woven Jumbo Play Rabbit Tunnel and Paws for Life Double Decker Cat House
- Best tunnels: Pawise Cat Toy Three Way Tunnel and Pawise Fun Tunnel
- Best snuffle mats: Paws for Life Snuffle Mat and Paws for Life Sushi Roll Feeding Snuffle Mat
- Best food puzzle toys: Scream Interactive Dog Fun Treat Barrel and Nina Ottosson Dog Brick Puzzle
- Best hidey holes: Paws for Life 2 in 1 Cat Bed and House and Zodiac Cat Scratcher Ice Cream Van
- Best DIY projects: Zodiac Cat Scratcher Milk Box and Zodiac Rainbow Cat Scratcher