DIY Rabbit Toys Ideas for Tunneling, Chewing and Logic

Do they need them?

Rabbit toys are an essential part of your furry friend’s life since they will help reduce boredom, stimulate their mind, make them play, and encourage their natural behaviors which include exploring, foraging, and digging. They will also foster a social bond with owners. Remember, bored bunnies tend to be more destructive.

You can choose from the many available brands in the market which will work perfectly well or decide to make some at home. You can also use a few baby toys as well as those meant for other small pets such as cats or dogs if they are not harmful.

But safety first!

Before you try any DIY bunny toy idea, you may find it online. You need to ensure it is safe for your rabbits, i.e., it will not harm them if ingested or hurt them physically. Anything chewable should be bunny-safe and free of any harmful chemicals.

Secondly, rabbit-proof your house and ensure they cannot destroy your valuable if they are indoor and reign free.

Finally, if you notice your bunny interested in ingesting something that might be harmful if consumed a lot, provide them with toys that can be chewed without affecting them.

Let us explore a few tutorials, ideas, and DIY rabbit toys.

Willow and apple twigs for chewing

To help keep your furry friends busy, wear down their ever-growing teeth and reduce destruction. Make them this perfect chew or gnaw toys since they also roundup as food. A Farm Girl in the Making has a stepwise guide on how you can use willow and apple twigs to make a chew toy.

Also, the Rabbit House has steps for making willow rings that will be fun too.

Toilet paper roll as a logical toy

Therabbithouse.com has several rabbit logic toy ideas using kitchen or toilet rolls tubes. You will get images and a stepwise guide on each of these ideas. These toys will help in stimulating the bunny’s mental ability and boost their general health and happiness since it will work as a logic or puzzle toy besides stimulating activity.

The first one will require four toilet paper tubes and your rabbit’s favorite treat. See the steps and pictures on how to go about while making it.

The second idea is making a treat ball. It will require empty tissue roll, a treat, and a pair of scissors. You will cut the tissue paper tube into loops which you will put over each other in such that they make a ball with a treat enclosed into them.  Here is how to make this logic game plus a video below.

The last idea is straightforward. You need hay and an empty toilet paper roll.  Just fold the edges of the toilet paper rolls in a way to hide a treat and some hay inside. See the steps to follow.

Using pine cones

The simplest DIY chew rabbit toy is giving them pine cones. You can either place it on their hutch floor or hang it. You need to ensure it is pesticide-free and thoroughly dried.  Janet Garman has steps for preparing pine cone into a great treat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2-d0-uXCQ4

Alternatively, you can buy the FarmerDavePetSupply Apple Wood & Pine Cone Chew Toy for Small Animals.

Burrow box and tunnel ideas

Rabbits are curious and intelligent animals that love exploring. A burrowing tunnel will go a long way in ensuring they remain entertained and have a chance not only to explore but also to hide and have some privacy. Here are a few ideas for you.

Digging box

To make your rabbit digging box, you need a large cardboard box which you will fill it with shredded paper (magazines and newspaper) and hay. wikiHow will help you give you all you need to make a perfect cardboard box for digging.

Also, best4bunny.com has steps to follow in making fun cardboard boxes with materials readily available at home.

 

Concrete tube tunnel

All you need is a concrete tunnel that is long enough to give your furry friend a place to explore, hide and have its privacy. Here is how to make it.

Kitchen rolls or inner tissue paper roll filled with hay

This is a chew toy stuffed with hay that your rabbits will enjoy eating as they roll and toss it around. Here is a quick video on making it.

Phone books for shredding and tearing

All you need is to provide a phone book with the glossy front and back pages removed. You can also remove the spine of the book and let your furry friends tear and rip it apart. It will keep them entertained and busy. Ensure they do not ingest a lot of these papers.

Here is a video you can watch these critters tearing and chewing a phone book directory.

Bunny Approved DIY

Bunny Approved has many ideas for fun and simple rabbit toys ranging from logic to chew hanging to tunneling accompanied with steps and pictures. They range from using rubber or plastic mats, toilet paper rolls, wooded logic boxes, empty cardboard containers, among many others.

They also have a video, provided below for more ideas.

Other homemade bunny toy ideas

Besides the above, here are more ideas on how to make great toys that will cost you almost nothing.

• Old stuffed animals – They are good for ripping, cuddling and tossing. Remove eyes, buttons or small attachments that may choke your bunnies. Also, supervision is recommended while using stuffed animals to avoid ingestion.
• Old towels and blankets – They will enjoy kneading, smoothing and digging these blanks and old rags. Ensure they do ingest them.
• Cat toys – If you have any that can be tossed or rolled, they will be ideal. Ensure they cannot be chewed or have small attached parts that can quickly come off as these small parts may be ingested.
• Parrot toys – Find those that can be flung or tossed.
• Baby toys – Go for rattle and keys, stacking blocks or cups, fish links and others that cannot be chewed but can be knocked or tossed. Wooden ones such as letter blocks will be good for gnawing if they are made from untreated rabbit-safe wood.
• Untreated wicker baskets or tunnels – If you happen to have any, they will make great for chewing, tunneling and for playing.
• Paper bags – Remove their handles and fill them with hay and other treats. If they are large, they could be for your rabbits’ hiding, and digging as they eat hay and treats inside them.
• Woven straw and hay balls and mats – If you are good at weaving, you can weave mats and balls made from straw and hay since these two are safe even if ingested and it will help wear down their teeth.
• Dried branches and sticks – Find rabbit-safe twigs and branches and give them to your furry friends.
• Mirror – It will help combat loneliness and will keep your bunnies enchanted. However, their effect may be short-lived. Remove them after a while and ensure they are safely mounted.
• Flower pots – They are good for digging if you do not mind your rabbits being a little dirty. Fill it with the earth. Alternatively, you can fill it with hay and shredded paper.

More DIY rabbit toy videos

Here are additional videos that will give you some ideas for some DIY rabbit toys that will be fun.