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Forum HABITATS AND TOYS I need some toy ideas for my rabbits

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    • Bianca
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        Hello everyone! 

        I’m still new to this forum, and to owning rabbits. If anyone wants the history of my rabbits, then feel free to check out my profile, or the thread I created in the welcome section of this forum. But to sum up, they are rescue rabbits. We are in the process of providing them with new living and play quarters, because their little hutch obviously isn’t good enough. It was just better than nothing at first, so that my partner could rescue them in the first place.

        I know this is a forum focused on indoor rabbits, but at this stage Weatherwax and Ogg will have to remain outside. They will be in a large safe hutch (which I am buying when I get paid later this week) with two stories, and will have regular access to an even larger play pen for exercise. There are no predators where I live – the only risk would potentially be a fox, but they would have to be desperate to come all the way to my house, and then my dog would chase them off if they tried anything. I plan to invest in some cooling tiles for the hotter days, and we always give them access to ice packs (covered in a tea towel) on warm days. 

        My main reason for posting here though is for toy inspiration. Obviously with all this new room they will have, there will be a lot more room for toys. From what I have seen so far, Weatherwax and Ogg are huge fans of things they can carry around (and chase each other for), and things they can destroy. When they have more room, I would also like to provide them with some tunnels, and other things they can hide/burrow in, because I feel like they would love that too. 

        What are your rabbits favorite toys/what would you suggest for my rabbits? I am still learning about rabbit safe toys, but I have seen photos of people here using things such as cat balls? Despite the fact that my rabbits will have to live outside, I am trying to do the best I can for them. I would absolutely love to see photos of anyone’s rabbit toys, if you have them.

        Thanks in advance!


      • Mocha
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          Rabbits can live outdoors, but they are MUCH friendlier indoors. They are also much healthier indoors, and a vet bill is very minimal (at least for me, my rabbits are indoors, and they haven’t had any major health issue in their entire lives).

          My rabbits love Snak Shak logs, willow tunnels, willow balls, apple orchard sticks, seagrass mats, treat stuffers, cardboard boxes, toiletpaper rolls, and cat balls (as long as they can’t break them and get to the small rattaly part, or eat the ball).
          I also like buying forage type things for my bunnies (they have lots of them on Bobby’s Bunny Boutique.com), to mix in with their hay.


        • Bianca
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            Thanks! Unfortunately we don’t have any room inside the house for rabbits, so at this stage they have no choice but to be outdoor bunnies. So far we haven’t had any health issues outdoors, although we will be having them desexed soon, because I don’t believe that they are.

            I did just give them a couple of those paper cups you bake cupcakes in, stuffed with some veggies, then twisted a little at the top to keep them shut. They thought it was a great game to play tug of war with them until veggies went flying everywhere, and then play chase over the veggies. It was really funny to watch!


          • Flabebe
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              Every bun is different, so some may like chewing more or throwing things… and some toys will be unused for a month and then devoured over night!

              My bun likes things that make sound that she can throw around so I have a few cat balls that I rotate in her play area (she cant chew through the plastic or swallow it) I also have baby rattles (once again I rotate the rattles and its made of a really hard plastic) I have a set of baby keys, too.

              Toilet paper rolls cut in a myriad of ways are really fun (and are often times more popular than expensive toys)

              Also, hanging chews! If my bun wont touch a chew stick I just hang it up and she becomes far more interested!

              There are a variety of toy options and it just takes trial and error to find out what works best!

              Ps. Another thing to kepp your buns cool on hot days is a large frozen waterbottle (I use a 2 liter) and so long as you take off the plastic its fine to keep unwrapped incase your buns want a quick lick of water

              Its understandable that you donthave room right now, but do you have plans for winter?


            • Bianca
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                Thanks! I do like the idea of the cat balls, and I feel like Weatherwax at least would like them. She appears to be the more playful of the two.

                Hanging toys are a great idea! They both love it if I hold up the toilet roll for the to grab, so I bet they would enjoy a hanging toilet roll!

                The water bottle is a great idea – we often have spares lying around so that is easy enough to do! How are rabbits with frozen treats – like a bit of carrot that has been in the freezer or something? My horses love it, but is it safe for rabbits too?

                And we just came out of winter (today is the first day of spring) – I live in Australia. We have a fully enclosed pergola – even the side can be kept shut, but there is still room for a play pen during the day. That, and lots of extra bedding of course! Weatherwax and Ogg coped fine with this over the winter we just had. Honestly, it’s sometimes warmer outside than inside the way our house is insulated.

                On a different, really, really positive note – Weatherwax has made huge progress with me today! She has never been fond of being touched (I blame the kids she used to live with) and tends to be quite territorial and aggressive (which is why I suspect she is not desexed). Usually if anyone puts a hand near her she gets angry, sticks her ears back, and threatens to attack. Today I held onto the toilet roll and showed it to her, which is how I discovered her new favorite game of throw the toilet roll (at Ogg!). She got really confident with that, and then started sniffing my hand a lot and even brushing up against it (without meaning to, but it got her touching me). Sometimes in the past she has let me pat her head a few times with one finger, so after quite a few toilet roll games and sniffs, I started touching her head with one finger, and then three. Before I realised, Weatherwax was enjoying cheek scratches too! I didn’t push it though, I just did a few scratches then moved my hand away. But now she seems to be letting me scratch her head and cheeks whenever I like, although I need to be careful how I approach her. The last two scratches though, she let me move onto her neck and back. Yay!

                I know it won’t be instant cuddles with Weatherwax, but I am really excited that she has improved this much. Ogg is a little jealous though, and has been spending time reminding me that my loyalties (and cheek scratches) should be with her!


              • Mocha
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                  I make “ice cube treats” for my bunnies on hot days. I just take a rubber icecube maker, fill the cubes with water, put a fruit in it (strawberries, carrots, or grapes usually), and then put it in the freezer. They love it and it cools them down.

                  That’s great! My bunnies HATE being touched on the cheeks though. They absolutely LOVE being rubbed behind the ears, and being pet continuously from nose to bottom.

                  Make sure to get her spayed, for behavioral and health reasons (if she isn’t already).


                • Bianca
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                    Awesome! I do that for my horses, so it’s easy enough to make up extra for the rabbits too!

                    And wow, really? Ogg demands that her cheeks be scratched, and Weatherwax has been leaning into it now too. Mind you, Ogg now just loves being scratched/petted anywhere. But the cheeks are the favorite for her, she will push onto my hand until I scratch her cheeks!

                    Yes, I do plan on desexing, because like I said, I suspect that they aren’t. They didn’t exactly have brilliant owners before us – just someone who bought cute little bunnies for their children, and then the children lost interest. Probably when the rabbits refused to be handled because I expect the kids weren’t gentle with them. :/


                  • Flabebe
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                      (Oops, sometimes I forget about oposite weathers in other countries since im from america)

                      I am glad you found those tips helpful! I dont know about frozen carrots … (I will have to researchthat) but iI do get my fresh greens from the fridge, wash them, and serve still drippibg wet. This will help during the summer when they need extra hydration as well as when taking them somewhere (like a vet 2 hours away or when moving) rabbits tend to drink more water in the summer than eat and vise versa in winter.

                      I am really excited to hear of these breakthroughs! Its always heartwarming when you see real loving moments with your buns… I hope you have more exciting things to share in the future!


                    • Bianca
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                        That’s a good idea – they do love their veggies! They have a special love for celery, but I have read that should be fed only occasionally, so I am careful that they don’t get heaps.

                        Their other favorite game it seems, is to place all their toys in their water bowl. Because apparently all the cool rabbits do that.

                        Had a few more pats of Weatherwax today, but I find she is more interested in the morning – by evening she isn’t as social. Ogg is cool with cuddles any time of the day though, and seems to take great pleasure in reminding me. Can’t wait to get their new quarters later this week! Will be a bit roomier for them, and also will have the option of opening the door, and letting them come out into a playpen on their own. Ogg is cool with being picked up, but Weatherwax isn’t. Mum has even offered to pay towards some of their bills (including the desexing). I think she just wants more cuddles from the rabbits – she does absolutely love them and I think is a little disappointed that at this stage she can’t just sit down and have a cuddle with one. We will get to that point though, especially with Ogg I think!

                        I have also found an Australian family who make some awesome rabbit toys and sell them online. Might have to invest in some!


                      • litheandgraphic
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                          I’m so glad to see how much effort you’re going through to make these little buns happy. It seems like it’s really paying off, too, with how Weatherwax is warming to you! And it’s nice to see that even though they’ll be outside for now, they’ll have someone really taking care of them.

                          About the toys in the water thing, that IS something all the cool rabbits do… Theodore does it all the time. XD

                          The cardboard tube thing makes me think you should try one of Theodore’s favorites – just cut a few holes into the tube and put a few of their pellets inside. You can close the sides by fraying the edges and pushing the frays inside. Give that to them and see them go nuts. This can also be done with hay, if you just shove hay into the sides, but I find that makes a bit of a mess.

                          How are they on chew toys? Having some wooden and/or seagrass chews is always a good idea for their teeth. Also, a lot of rabbits really like balls of some kind. Some bunnies like noises – like Theodore, for example, for some reason loves the clink sound of his ceramic tiles hitting each other. This means he may like a ball with a bell. Others prefer silent things like hay balls they can push around.

                          Tunnels are great fun for most bunnies if you can put one in their playpen. Do they have somewhere they can hide inside the hutch if they get scared? If not, it may be a good idea to get a hide in which both of them can fit.

                          I swear by the frozen water bottle, by the way.

                          The cheek rub thing is funny. Some love it, others don’t. Theodore always looks a little confused when I do it to him. But he seems to enjoy it. :p


                        • Flabebe
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                            I’m really glad things seem to go well for you

                            And I do have to say Lilac enjoys putting things in her water dish but likes to put certain things (usually balls) in her litter box

                            And in the hutch: does it go to the ground where the grass is? I would recommend putting something sown (like chicken wire) to make sure they dont dig out. I’m thinking chicken wire since it has large enough holes that they arent forced to stand on it but still there to keep them from digging out. Most people dont realize how intense they can get when they want to get out….. I have caught my bun rip out grass from the roots with her teeth and then dig…. Its crazy what they can do!

                            And with the cheek rubbing thing.. I think it tickles my bun cause she likes it but she can take only a little at a time xD


                          • Mocha
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                              Flabebe- If Bianca decides to put the chicken wire down, I would personally burry it under the dirt, or put it on the base of the run and put hay on top. I’ve heard of rabbits cutting themselves on it, and getting their nails stuck and pulled out on it, ouch!


                            • Flabebe
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                                Oh yeah! It would be terrible if they hurt themselves on it


                              • Bianca
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                                  Thanks everyone!

                                  Yes, the new hutch will have a hidey place on the top story, which is split into two rooms. One room has a “window” they can see out of, and the other is fully enclosed so they can hide. The roof is made of asphalt, so no rain can get in.

                                  And I do also plan to put chicken wire on the bottom floor, because I don’t want to risk them escaping. But the plan is to put something over the top of the wire, so that they don’t have to stand on it. Mind you, if they can dig through the clay soil that’s in my backyard, I’ll be very impressed.

                                  The hutch will be going on the soil under some trees, where part of the hutch will still get some sun, but it will also be protected from the worst of the hot summer sun. It will be on the edge of the lawn though, so that the play pen will be on the lawn with partial sun, partial shade. I deliberately chose a hutch that has a wider bottom story than top story, so that my dog can’t knock it over. She would never do it on purpose, but sometimes when she is playing she doesn’t notice brick walls in front of her.. o_O

                                  Thanks for all the toy suggestions guys – I have so many to choose from now! I’m hoping to have a box full of toys that I can rotate around, especially in the play pen whenever it is set up.


                                • Flabebe
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                                    That’s wonderful! ^-^ I’m so glad you have everything figured out! The only thing left to do is post pics when you can


                                  • Bianca
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                                      Updates:

                                      1) I bought the hutch this morning, and have set it up. It looks awesome, and a fair bit roomier than the current one. All we need to do is set up a wire base for it on the weekend and then Weatherwax and Ogg can move in.

                                      2) Weatherwax is letting other people pat her besides me, and even showed my mum her toilet roll game last night.

                                      3) Ogg is still mostly being a sook, although she is a little sulky at the moment because Weatherwax is now getting pats and scratches too, which just isn’t fair!


                                    • bunnylovinggrl
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                                        One idea I found online was taking a cardboard egg carton and filling it with goodies so the rabbit has to figure out how to chew though/open the box to get to them. Some people have wooden boxes that close with a magnet, and the bunny has to figure out how to open the box to get what is inside. Another activity I do with my bun and my younger siblings is we play ‘Godzilla’. I have wooden blocks I got from the pet store (rabbit chew friendly), stack them to make ‘buildings’ and place apple pieces on top of them. My bunny has to knock them over to get to the apples. He sometimes tries to stack them afterward (he’ll pick one up with his mouth and put it on top of another, but that’s the highest he can build). Or we’ll build a city or houses out of cardboard. My bunny has his own room (renovated storage room) as he is litter trained.
                                        My other bunnies like to hop, so I have perches for them to jump on to. It gives them something to do, they like to hop up onto objects, then back down. Toilet paper rolls are also well-liked.


                                      • MoxieMeadows
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                                          I’m not sure if it’s already been said but I’d check out LongEaredLions toy making thread.

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                                      Forum HABITATS AND TOYS I need some toy ideas for my rabbits