The Bored Bunny - How To Entertain Your Rabbit
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A bored bunny is a bad bunny, and many rabbits are bored simply because their owners have little appreciation for how smart they are, and how much they need to play and 'work' their brains. If you got a rabbit because you thought they were a dull but pretty creature that would sit in a small cage all day, then you chose the wrong pet, and should think about getting a goldfish instead!
The good news is that there are many simple ways to entertain your rabbit, stimulate its mind, and keep it out of trouble. Read on to find out just how to keep your bunny healthy in mind not just body.
Flip and Toss
Bunnies quite often love to throw things around. Some rabbits will even attack things if you roll them towards them, much like a dog would do. There are a lot of small toys available for rabbits, usually made from some form of sisal or cane that are perfect for being picked up in a bunny's mouth and thrown around.
Chewing
Of course, a big part of a bunny's repertoire is chewing. If a rabbit doesn't have good toys to chew on, it will soon start chewing things it shouldn't. Obsessive chewing is also a sign of neurosis, which can develop when your rabbit is just plain bored with everything.
Remodeling
Giving your bunny something to 'remodel' will give its natural burrow building instincts a work out, and hopefully save your furniture. Cardboard boxes make excellent remodeling centers for rabbits. Tape them up, cut a couple of holes in them so the rabbit can run through, and you have a toy that the rabbit can chew to its satisfaction, not to mention run around, hide in and behind, and other fun bunny things.
Obstacles
Change your bunny' environment up a bit now and then. Cardboard boxes, as mentioned in the previous section, are excellent toys (as long as bunny isn't eating the boxes) because they are light, cheap, very bunny friendly, and they provide literally hours of entertainment for rabbits, who love to sprint around them, run through them, and nibble bigger holes in them to their hearts content.
What this all really comes down to is a need for play and toys. I have written a whole lot of hubs on this subject, including ones with more expansive toy suggestions and inspirations. Not all bunnies play the same way, but all bunnies do want to play. If your rabbit seems to sit there all day and all night never doing anything, then it is probably bored out of its skull and going slowly mad.
Check out these hubs for more hints:
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Just read this hub enjoyed it very much:) good stuff
Awsome, I have bunnies and I never knew till the vet told us that they needed play and this was great-full of ideas!
My bunny gets like really mad if i mess with anything in his spot.He's smart but he's never cooperative when i try to get him to play.Is there abnything i can do to let him step out of his territorial phase?? if i even accidentaly throw a ball into his HUGE territory he runs over there and just attacks it.You would think hes trying to have fun but he just gets madder and madder until hell start boxing and grunting!!
thanks alot I just do one of your tips
tofresh4u, sounds like you need to give your bunny the snip, will be alot kinder for him as he wont be so mad all the time...but if you have already had him done, then...sorry, cant help!
Yes! You are so right. Also, artificial (wood) tunnels should keep them going. They need exersise and to be played with. They aren't supposed to be just kept in a cage or hutch their entire life.
some one just said ur bunny castle look shit. its perfectly fine to me. anyway the bunnies will chew it up.
Just to say this is poor. I have 7 rabbits that have plenty of toys and lots of stimulation, each is given lots of love and attention but they all like to lay down and relax throughout the day. This does not mean they are bored out of their skull and going mad. Its their choice. I suggest you find a new job.
my rabbit loves to lay on air vents and im a little worried it will get to cold and get sick. should i be worried
I have two dutch bunnies that love chasing each other around and laying down. I never really thought about buying them toys since they have so much fun together but maybe I'll buy them some chew toys and a hut for this Christmas ;]
my rabbbit is called willow who is only 8 weeks old, when i try to put things like cardboard obstacles in her cage, all she does is eat them how can this be stopped?
You can't stop rabbits from biting cardboard its just something they like to do. Also she could be biting the cardboard because she's bored herself to a thrad and she needs something to do
Help my rabbit dose not play at all I've tried cardboard boxes balls all he dose is move his food ball and the ocassionall run
enjoyed reading this, it's good to have a few ideas I've had my bunnies since this past summer and their my babies but they always get bored with what I give them :)
I have a bunny she is so cute! she always has this ball to playu with and it haas holes in it and she throws it back to us :) soo cute!
we have this huge thing around the side of our house i was gonna use it as a play pen but it has a few sunflowers. are they aloud to eat them or do i got to get rid of em?
Loved it, so did my bunny thank you sooo much. my bunny used to be a sad bunny , now its hopping around playing with everything and loves coming out of its hutch. Thank you!!!!!
my bunny is a little aggressive. one time i was sitting on the floor playing with a balloon with my friend and she came over and started grunting a pawing at the balloon. she will also grunt when i mess with her food bowl to fill it up when there is still a little bit left in there. she will some times play with me but normally she wont.
i have a bunny and he was things to throw around and run through and he doesnt play with them, all he does is lay down. He does run around a lot. Just because rabbits don't play with toys, it doesnt mean they are bored or going mad..... you never know they could play with them in the night
My bunny is so cute but she is getting quite aggressive- any ideas of what i could do. she is turning 1 in a couple of months.
guidebaba 3 years ago
Great Hub.