How to make a dwarf rabbit play
Whether it’s bowling or playing with a ball, rabbits love to play. And since every dwarf rabbit has its own personality, your initial goal will be to discover how your four-legged friend likes to have fun.
Here are some suggestions for games that, in my experience, have been really appreciated.
Bowling
You should know that rabbits enjoy playing with games that cater to their natural tendencies. Bowling is one of them, as it meets their desire to be mischievous. This time, however, they will be allowed!
All you have to do is buy a plastic bowling set, similar to those games that are brought to the beach. Place the pins as you wish, you can decide to create a slalom or simply distribute them around the room. You will see that your dwarf rabbit will have fun knocking them all down.
Ball
As you may have already understood, rabbits are not dogs or cats, so you cannot expect the same behaviors from them. However, it will surprise you to know that rabbits love balls just like their larger friends.
A plastic ball or one of those that they can nibble on will be the perfect gift if you want to make your bunny happy. You can play with them by pushing the ball and even using your fingers. Be careful not to steal it from them too often, or they won’t want you to join in anymore.
Cardboard tube with hay
Another game that entertains your dwarf rabbit well and prevents him from getting into mischief around the house is a cardboard tube filled with hay.
All you have to do is wait for the toilet paper roll to finish at home and not throw away the cardboard it was wrapped around. Once you have retrieved the cardboard, you simply need to stuff it with plenty of hay. The more you put in, the longer your friend will take to pull it out, nibble on it and play.
You can also decide to cut the ends of the tube into small strands, which will make the game even more original.
An alternative to the simple cardboard tube can be the cardboard castle. You can take a look at the article dedicated to it if you want to learn more about the useful materials and how to build it.
Tunnel
Super apprezzato dai coniglietti esploratori il tunnel è un passatempo che potrebbe non finire mai. Ho visto conigli nani passare delle ore entrando e uscendo da questo tubo in plastica o vimini.
Ne puoi inventare di fatti a mano arrotolando cartoni o avanzi che hai in casa, oppure decidere di acquistarli online o dal tuo negozio locale. Ce ne sono di mille tipi, con più o meno passaggi e di varie dimensioni. Ma ricorda, più sarà articolato, maggiore sarà il divertimento!
Games for excavators and chewers
One of your dwarf rabbit’s favorite activities will probably be digging or chewing. Don’t worry, if you want to keep your belongings intact, just provide them with a fun pastime.
Exceptional in these cases is the straw mat that helps, but a box full of old cut-out documents will also do. The only recommendation is to avoid recycling newspaper sheets. The inks used for printing could be toxic to your rabbit.
Some types of wood treated with varnishes could also be poisonous. From this point of view, I recommend wooden toys suitable exclusively for rabbits. There are hundreds of them for diggers and chewers.
Intelligence games
Finally, as a curious animal, your four-legged friend will love intelligence games. That’s why it’s important that you help him develop his skills by providing him with games with all kinds of rewards. If you want to learn more about this topic, you can read the article on intelligence games for the dwarf rabbit.
To conclude, what I would like to invite you to do is to play with your dwarf rabbit whenever possible. It is essential for them to spend time together playing and cuddling, especially if they are not in a pair or if they spend a lot of time without you during the day. Finally, it might be a good idea to leave some games in their enclosure that do not require your supervision even when you are out for work or fun. It will keep them busy and prevent them from getting bored.
What kind of toys can I make for my rabbit to play with?
Many rabbits seem to enjoy playing with objects and jumping up and down from things. Here are some ideas for homemade toys that your rabbit might enjoy. Many rabbit toys also offer the opportunity to chew, which is essential for their teeth. And most of the following rabbit toys are free or low-cost household items:
• An old phone book that is not rich in ink
• A toilet paper roll stuffed with hay
• A feeding dish filled with hay
• A ball
• A round oatmeal cardboard box with the ends removed
• A coconut mat or other fiber mat to rest and chew
• A short-sided cardboard box with pine shavings. The shavings provide temporary comfort. The rabbit will eat some and soon destroy the cardboard.
• A chain of wooden blocks with a bell, hung from the top of the cage
• A safe tree branch with some leaves on it
When you decide to use household items as a toy for your bunny, make sure the items are not contaminated with chemical toxins or disease-carrying germs from other rabbits. Also, while cardboard and paper can be fun for rabbits, if they eat too many paper products, they are at risk of developing intestinal obstruction. Not to mention the effect it could have on their nutritional state. If your rabbit doesn’t play with toys, don’t worry. Some rabbits like toys, but some are not interested at all.