Bunnies get bored very easily, and when left to their own devices, they will start “bun-struction” projects all over your home. A few nibbles on your baseboard… some chewing on table legs… crunch, crunch, crunch…
Rabbit toys, however, can be expensive. Here at the shelter, we don’t have a huge budget for rabbit toys, but we have a huge number of rabbits who need an enriching environment. So what can we do?
We can make free rabbit toys from items that would normally be discarded!
If it’s free, it’s for me!
We give our bunnies so many free bunny toys that they don’t bother chewing on anything else. Not only is that a relief to our maintenance budget, but it is safer for the bunnies in our care.
1. Heat-Sealed Box Hides
Bunnies are prey items in the wild, so they love to hide in and under boxes. All you have to do is cut a hole in the side. Look for heat-sealed boxes, not boxes that are sealed with tape. Even if you remove the tape, the residue can be toxic to animals. If you don’t buy items in large boxes, you can even ask at your local grocery store. Most just crush and dispose of boxes, so they don’t mind giving you a few.
2. Smaller Boxes Stuffed with Hay
You can use smaller heat-sealed boxes, such as boxes from cereal, granola, soda, pasta, crackers, etc., to create toys. Stuff them with Timothy hay, so you’re adding more to their diet (remember, you should offer your rabbit its body weight in hay every single day). For an added bonus, you can put a small treat in the middle of the hay or use edible, non-toxic scents to make the box even more interesting for your bunny.
3. Cardboard Tubes
Speaking of “stuffed with hay”… you can also stuff cardboard tubes with hay for your bunny (they type that are leftover from paper towels or toilet paper). Bunnies love to chew on them and throw them around. Keep your eyes out for large cardboard tubes as well, which are big enough for your bunny to run through.
4. Old Cotton Towels, Sheets, and T-Shirts
Many bunnies like to burrow and build nests. No need to buy brand new blankets for your bunny. Instead, just ask your friends and family to save old cotton towels, sheets, and t-shirts for you and toss them around for your rabbit to rip and burrow. Just make sure to remove any pieces they rip off so they don’t eat any pieces or strings.
5. Newspapers
Shredded newspaper can be a fun free bunny toy for your furry friend. To easily shred, take a section of newspaper and hold the fold up, toward your face, then rip down. This will create strips that you can toss into a pile for your bunny to play and burrow. (If you try to rip strips with the fold of the paper facing the side or bottom, you’ll rip pieces, but not nice strips. Strips are more fun for playing!)
6. Paper Bags
Get paper bags at the grocery store instead of plastic bags. Not only is paper better for the environment, but you can recycle them as toys for your bunny! Keep them empty for a fun hide to explore or stuff with hay to create a bag that can be ripped to shreds (which is so much fun!).
7. An Outside Environment
Last but not least, this isn’t really a “toy,” but your bunny can be very entertained by spending time outside. Before you go outside…
- Make sure that it isn’t too hot or cold.
- Take a bowl with fresh water.
- Inspect fences to make sure your bunny can’t escape.
- Block off crawl spaces or any other areas where you don’t want your bunny to go.
- Provide shade.
Always supervise your bunnies when they are outside to make sure that there are no predators such as hawks, and to make sure that your bunny doesn’t dig out of your yard. You might be surprised how fast your bunny can dig under a fence!
I hope the above ideas give you a few different options for enhancing your bunny’s life without breaking the bank! Remember, if you do shop for bunny toys on Amazon, always use our Amazon Smile link! It doesn’t cost you a dime and every time you do, Amazon donates a small amount to our shelter.
