Rabbits are adorable, but they’re also super-curious and have plenty of energy to burn. The best way to keep your rabbit busy is with chew toys. Below I’ve listed some of my favorite homemade chew toys that I’ve made for my rabbits over the years.
They’re all made from things you can find around your house or at a thrift store. You’ll want to supervise your bunny when he’s playing with these toys (especially if he’s teething), but most rabbits love them so much that it won’t be hard to convince him that ripping into paper towels is worth dragging themselves away from his hay rack for a few minutes.
If you own a rabbit, then you know that chewing is one of their favorite things to do. Unfortunately, most of the toys that are available at pet stores are not very safe for rabbits to chew on. That’s why we created this list of homemade chew toys for rabbits.
Wood Toys
Sure, there’s plenty of fun to be had with a few pieces of cardboard and some paper scraps. But why not take your rabbit’s toys to the next level? Wood toys can be made from many different materials, pine, hazel, apple, and other fruits/vegetables that you’d like to feed your rabbit occasionally, and are all generally safe for chewing.
However, You’ll want to make sure that any wood toy you give your bunny isn’t painted or varnished (or at least not very heavily). The chemicals in those coatings can be toxic if ingested by rabbits (and other animals).
Rope Toys
The best way to introduce a rabbit to a new toy is by putting it on the floor, letting him sniff it, and then picking it up and giving it back to him. You can also use treats like hay or pellets as an incentive to encourage him to play with his toy.
Rabbits love playing with toys that they can chew on and shred. This helps them keep their teeth healthy while trying out new things in life. A great homemade bunny toy is a rope ball made from natural material such as sisal twine or cotton clothesline rope.
Cardboard toys
The first item on our list is one you might have sitting around your house: cardboard. Cardboard can make for a really fun chew toy for rabbits, and it’s also easy to find lying around the house. Here are some examples of types of cardboard that are great for rabbits:
- Boxes (of all shapes and sizes)
- Tubes (like toilet paper or paper towel rolls)
- Balls (the kind you get from wrapping paper or tissue paper)
- Rolls (also called scrolls, they’re tubes cut in half lengthwise)
Paper towel roll toy
To make a paper towel roll toy, cut the paper towel roll in half. Glue a small piece of cardboard to the bottom of each half (the part that will be in contact with the ground). Then glue another piece of cardboard on top of each half (the part your rabbit will be gnawing on). Finally, glue small pieces on either side so that they’re not just hanging there looking lonely and unattached.
When you’re done with this project, you’ll have two long tubes with lots of little compartments where treats can hide out until it’s time for them to be discovered.
Willow rings
A willow ring is a great chew toy for rabbits. It can be used as a foot toy or a chew toy, depending on the size of your rabbit. The way the rings are made is simple: you just need to wrap the branches around each other until they form an oval shape, then secure them with wire or twine.
You can choose from any variety of willow branches depending on what you have available in your backyard (or if you live somewhere where there aren’t any willows growing). Willow rings can be hung from their cage, attached to one side of it so that they’ll swing freely, or simply placed on their flooring so that they can dig and chew at them whenever they want.
Hard plastic toys
Hard plastic toys are the most durable and long-lasting of all rabbit chew toys, which means they’re perfect for rabbits that love to gnaw on things. They’re also safe for your rabbit to chew on since they won’t splinter into sharp pieces or break apart in their mouth.
Because these toys are so hardy, you can expect them to last for years of chewing fun. If your rabbit does happen to wear down a spot or two, then simply replace that area with some super glue or another material that will stick to the plastic (see above).
My bunnies love all of these toys
You’re welcome to your bunnies. I mean, you don’t have to buy them toys if you don’t want to, but it’s a nice thing to do. And besides, if you don’t get them toys, they might just try chewing on your furniture or other things that aren’t safe for them. So go ahead and get some toys for your rabbits. They’ll thank you later (and maybe even stop chewing on your stuff).
Conclusion
Rabbits love to play and they’re always looking for new toys. Making your own chew toys is a great way to keep them active and happy, as well as save money on buying expensive store-bought treats in bulk. You can even use some of these homemade options for other animals in your home or out on the farm.