Playing with Your Pet Bunny

Bunnies love to play. As you discover your rabbit's unique personality you will come to find the type of games he/she likes to play.

Some bunnies will play fetch just like a dog. It is best to have toys that they can grip with their teeth for this. Toys for birds are good for this, as are paper towel rolls cut into smaller rings. They will pick up their toys in their mouths and throw them with a flick of the head, or carry it back to you. Some bunnies enjoy playing a nice game of chase. Your bunny may prod you with his/her nose until you chase them around the room only to turn around and chase you.

My bunny, Buka, loves to start on one side of the room and try to run to the other side while I stand in the middle and try to catch him. (I always let him win.)

Bunnies especially like being mischievous. They will sometimes steal something you are holding and running away with it hoping you will chase them. While you may find it slightly irksome that your important papers are now clenched in the teeth of your bunny he/she will find your vexation amusing.

There are many benefits to playing with your rabbit. For you it may offer relaxation or amusement. For your rabbit it offers a chance to bond with you and foster a relationship. Playing provides your bunny with mental stimulation and physical exercise, both of with are essential to bunny health.

When you are away from home your bunny still needs to play, so it is a good idea to have a selection of toys for him/her. One of our bunnies favorites is their cardboard castle. (See our article on Building a Cardboard Castle for your Bunny.) They love to dash in and out or laze about away from the bustle of the household in their castle. They also love to chew on the walls and scratch at the floors.

Toys are best when they address a bunny behavior, like the cardboard castles. Straw mats and boxes full of paper shreds are good for digging. Cardboard tunnels address their burrowing instincts. Cardboard boxes or cat boxes make great toys to climb or jump onto. Wicker baskets are great for chewing and climbing on. For more information about chewing and digging behavior, see How to Deal with Chewing & Digging.

Other toys can include untreated wood products, hard plastic baby toys, plastic balls with bells inside, pine cones, oatmeal boxes and paper towel rolls, and hand towels. There are toys made specifically for bunnies and most of these are good too. A note of caution: some types of wood can be poisonous for rabbits. These include cherry, redwood and peach.