I have two house rabbits and they both love to devour anything that happens to fatefully fall within their grasp. They have free range of our upstairs and love to chew on our baseboards. I know rabbits are supposed to have a lot of inventive toys and chewing options but what is something I can give them that is cheap and will amuse them. I heard somewhere that a big phone book is a good idea, but is eating that much paper really safe for them? What other kinds of paper can I give them and will ink harm them?
I stuffed crumpled newspaper into a small space to keep them from getting into unwanted areas where they chew my carpet and get stuck, but they immeadetly had a lot of fun pulling it all out and getting at the carpet again. Is there anything else I can stuff back there that they won't take out but is still safe for the occasional nibble? What can I do with newspaper which they seem to love to play with? Thank you so much!
2006-11-09 10:48:05 · 6 answers · asked by Liz 3 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Try cardboard boxes.
Take a box that's just big enough for them to crawl in... cut a door into it and its something they can hide in an chew on and rip apart.
Other nice things are cheap wicker baskets. My Gabby use to love chewing up my wicker baskets... so finally I had to buy her one of her own so she'd leave my expensive ones alone.
I bought an untreated cheapie small little one, filled it with her timothy hay, and it was a great toy / treat.
Instead of crumpling up the newspaper... lay the news paper out and let them rip it apart, shred it, tear at it.
Make the newspaper into a tent. They love things they can crawl into and tear apart at the same time. Or things they can throw around and chew.
Phone books are also good, they chew down their teeth on them.
My rabbit never actually ate the paper. Usually they'll chew it, rip it, but eventually they spit it out. If you have a problem with them eatin it... I'd go with the wicker basket/hay idea.
Sadly- Carpet is always going to be a temptation for them. When Gabby was a baby- I had to pull out my carpet in the living room (where she had free rein to run around as she pleased) and put in all hardwood floors.
So these are going to be distractions- but not cure alls for carpet pulling. if carpet chewing gets too bad, you'll have to find another area for them to play in... baby gate them into a room without carpet if you have one. not only is it bad for the look of your room, but its bad for their stomachs as they will not be able to digest carpet and it will turn into something that may need to be surgically removed if they eat too much of it.
2006-11-09 11:00:38 · answer #1 · answered by Aravyndra 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Take a cardboard box and cut at least two holes in it (big enough for bunny to fit through). Then fill the box with crumpled newspaper. They'll have a ball burrowing through it. My rabbit enjoys his phone books too... do your rabbits actually EAT the paper or just shred it. Typically they don't eat much of it... so it's fine (according to the websites).
Apple branches (among other tree branches... but check to make sure they're safe as many are toxic) are a beloved chew toy. Drill holes in chunks of apple wood and string sisal rope through it to hang in their cage. Baby toys (hard plastic) are another good toy... they love to toss them. Smaller cat toys (hard plastic balls with bells, etc) are also popular... just make sure to take it away when it becomes damaged.
UNTREATED wicker baskets are also fun... I hang an untreated wicker wreath (from a craft store or dollar store) in his cage and he loves chewing it up. I also use wicker trash bins for his "house"... which he eventually destroys.
Check out www.rabbit.org for more ideas and links to cool bunny sites. Also, look at "rabbit toys" on ebay or elsewhere to get ideas... they're expensive but they look SO easy to make, so I usually just "idea shop" then go make it myself. :)
2006-11-09 19:02:51 · answer #2 · answered by kittikatti69 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My bunnies liked cardboard tubes, they could throw it around and chew it up. Anything cardboard. I used to make little houses and cut out shapes for them to chew. As for the carpet an old towel. My oldest bunny has claimed one that i got from good will, he drags it around like he's a lil kid. but he only chews that not the carpet. For my lil ones i tied an old wash cloth to the cage and they tear at it and then hide under it and sleep. You know those mail-in forms that always fall out of magazines? Ball them up, they tend to be more fun to chew than news paper.
2006-11-09 19:28:52 · answer #3 · answered by Ashley M 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I get really creative when it comes to my rabbit and I usually make toys for him.This is a easy one........ give them a toilet paper role they'll love it [my rabbit does].For outside u could get some $1.00 flowering pots and put timothy hay in it and and hide stuff like carrots,grapes,any kind of fruit or watermelon rinds they love them!! Hide no mess food where the rabbits play at they will absolutely love it!! for further information contact me at animal_expert101@yahoo.com GOOD LUCK!!!!
2006-11-09 19:22:17 · answer #4 · answered by Devin B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cardboard boxes, toilet paper or paper towel rolls,wooden blocks(so their teeth dont grow so long and so you dont have to clip the teeth),you could roll up newspaper
with paper things,they dont acually eat it they just shread it
good luck
2006-11-09 20:15:58 · answer #5 · answered by Bean 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cardboard and wood
2006-11-09 19:31:06 · answer #6 · answered by saharadesert 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋