Enrichment
Enrichment and play are important for a rabbit’s mental and physical health. Rabbits are social, curious, and smart. Providing a choice of activities can help your rabbit lead a happy and active life.
Why enrichment?
Rabbits are active, inquisitive, social and intelligent animals. They need enrichment to avoid boredom and stress. Enrichment should be tailored to suit your rabbit's environment and personality and should encourage them to explore and exercise. Giving them activities that encourage running, jumping, foraging, digging, chewing, pulling, tossing, and socializing can help keep your bunny happy and healthy (and save your stuff).
Types of play
Different rabbits enjoy different types of activities. Observing your rabbit and learning about their personality can help you decide what types of play they prefer and the kinds of toys or enrichment that would be most fun for them.
Pulling
Hang hay above the litter box in a rack so your bunny can pull the strands out.
Tuck Kraft paper or newspaper under or around heavier objects.
Hang toys on an exercise pen, fence, or play bench.
Tip: Hang toys where your bunny is chewing where he/she should not to provide a fun distraction and re-direct behavior.
Chewing
Provide bunny safe chew toys such as cardboard, pine pieces, willow sticks, apple branches, seagrass mats, palm plates, and yucca.
Different types of hay and hay cubes can provide variety.
Willow wreaths, balls, and baskets are favorites for many bunnies.
Tossing
Toilet paper or paper towel rolls stuffed with hay make great toss toys.
Small willow balls, palm leaf toys, and small paper boxes are fun to toss.
Tip: Give plastic baby keys or stacking cups with treats during supervised play time.
Digging and Foraging
Put pellets or pieces of treats inside boxes or brown paper lunch bags filled with hay.
Digging boxes can be created by stuffing Kraft paper or newspaper in a plain cardboard box (remember to remove all tape and cut two “doors” in the box.
Grass mats and forage mats are great for hiding pellets or treats (they also slow down bunnies who tend to eat too fast).
Logic
There are many types of logic toys, including puzzle toys made for rabbits.
Puzzle toys made for dogs can also be enjoyed, though many of them are plastic so use during supervised play time.
Logic toys can provide a great challenge for rabbits.
Many toys can also be made into logic toys by hiding treats or pellets inside.
Tunneling/Hiding and Remodeling
Enrichment also includes making sure your bunny has a place to feel safe and take a break from busy activities.
Wood castles, maze havens, cat condos, and cardboard houses are good hiding spots. Many bunnies also enjoy crinkle tunnels usually sold for cats.
Often bunnies will decide to remodel their space - that cardboard box with two doors really could use some windows and a skylight!
Climbing
People may be surprised to learn that some bunnies like to climb! The couch, bed, or other furniture might be fun to explore.
It’s important to make sure that they have a safe spot to get down (bunnies do not have very good depth perception).
Remember to look up for bunny-proofing if you have a mountain climbing rabbit! They can get into things above the floor.
Pulling
Many bunnies enjoy pulling against resistance (forbidden grasss, e.g. carpet, anyone?).
Hang hay above the litter box in a rack so your bunny can pull the strands out.
Tuck Kraft paper or newspaper under or around heavier objects.
Hang toys on an exercise pen, fence, or play bench.
Tip: Hang toys where your bunny is chewing where he/she should not to provide a fun distraction and re-direct behavior.
Chewing
Chewing is an important natural behavior for rabbits. Their teeth never stop growing and chewing helps to keep those teeth in top shape.
Provide bunny safe chew toys such as cardboard, pine pieces, willow sticks, apple branches, seagrass mats, palm plates, and yucca.
Different types of hay and hay cubes can provide variety.
Tip: Willow wreaths, balls, and baskets are favorites for many bunnies.
Tossing
Toss toys can be fun for rabbits. They may enjoy throwing them around, chewing them, or hoarding them in their hide box. Beware the pirate bunnies who like for their toss toys to walk the plank into the water bowl!
Toilet paper or paper towel rolls stuffed with hay make great toss toys.
Small willow balls, palm leaf toys, and small paper boxes are fun to toss.
Tip: Give plastic baby keys or stacking cups with treats during supervised play time.
Digging and Foraging
Digging and foraging are other natural rabbit behaviors. Letting bunnies forage for treats or pellets helps to prevent boredom.
Put pellets or pieces of treats inside boxes or brown paper lunch bags filled with hay.
Digging boxes can be created by stuffing Kraft paper or newspaper in a plain cardboard box (remember to remove all tape and cut two “doors” in the box.
Tip: Grass mats and forage mats are great for hiding pellets or treats (they also slow down bunnies who tend to eat too fast).
Logic
There are many types of logic toys, including puzzle toys made for rabbits. They are intelligent animals and logic toys are great for keeping their mind engaged.
Puzzle toys made for dogs can also be enjoyed, though many of them are plastic so use during supervised play time.
Logic toys can provide a great challenge for rabbits.
Tip: Many toys can also be made into logic toys by hiding treats or pellets inside.
Climbing
People may be surprised to learn that some bunnies like to climb! The couch, bed, or other furniture might be fun to explore.
It’s important to make sure that they have a safe spot to get down (bunnies do not have very good depth perception).
Tip: Remember to look up for bunny-proofing if you have a mountain climbing rabbit! They can get into things above the floor.
Tunneling/Hiding and Remodeling
Enrichment also includes making sure your bunny has a place to feel safe and take a break from busy activities.
Wood castles, maze havens, cat condos, and cardboard houses are good hiding spots. Many bunnies also enjoy crinkle tunnels usually sold for cats.
Often bunnies will decide to remodel their space - that cardboard box with two doors really could use some windows and a skylight!
Tip: Some bunnies enjoy a cozy bed or fleece pad in their hiding spot. Be sure to check regularly to be sure they are not chewing it.