What are some SAFE NATURAL TOYS?

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Kinai

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Hi all.

First off it's been a LONG time since I've posted.

Second what are some SAFE NATURAL TOYS for buns?

AJ is not a stick muncher of the ones from the pet store. I did make him a treat ball from a toilet paper tube and put a hole in it and filled it with pellets so he had to push the tube to get the pellets. Don't remember if I made it square or not.

AJ does not like Lilac branches/twigs either. Or he doesn't like fresh ones.

To give you an idea of what I know we have around my area. I know there are pine cones, acorns in fall (not counting on acorns as safe), there is other stuff my brain is drawing a blank.

Thanks in advance!
 
I remember your username. :)

Pine cones can be an option but they need to be prepared first. This is what I pulled off the web:

Gather the pine cones from outside and make sure that they have not been treated with pesticides or any other chemicals harmful to rabbits.
 Wash the pine cones in a sink full of warm water and 1 cup of vinegar. Using your hands, make sure that you scrub off any dirt, sap, or bugs on the cones.
 Rinse the pine cones thoroughly with fresh water and place them on paper towels to air dry.
 Air dry for 3-4 days
 Or speed up the drying process by baking them in the oven for 200 degrees for 2 hours—lined with a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil in a single layer. Keep a close eye on the oven in case of fire or smoke
.


The TP tubes work great by themselves as well. Or they can be stuffed with hay. That way you don't need to worry about offering too many pellets.

Seagrass mats are another great natural option for chewing. They just aren't free.
 
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The best toys are ones that deal with their natural instincts of digging, chewing, foraging, and hiding.

My rabbits favorite toy is their dig box. I use a cardboard box, cut a hole higher up on the box but low enough for bun to hop in, line the bottom with layers of newspaper, then rip up and crumple several sheets of it as well, and put it in the box. They'll go in there and rip and shred some more, and dig around in the shredded paper. I know of some people that will use sand, peat moss, soil, etc, for their indoor dig boxes, but that's just to messy for my situation. Soft hay is also an option to fill up a box with for your rabbit to dig and chew it's way through. If you use newspaper, you just have to make sure your bun doesn't try and eat too much as it poses an intestinal blockage risk. But usually my buns will just grab hold with their teeth and rip, with maybe the very smallest bit actually chewed and swallowed, not enough to worry me.

An old phone book can be another fun thing for them to rip up. Just be prepared to clean up a huge mess though, but luckily it's just paper. They also like cardboard tunnels to explore, hide in, and eventually destroy. If you have access to willow or apple trees(pesticide free), those are my rabbits favorite branches, and fresh is preferable to buns. One of my buns likes having a blanket to dig around in and rearrange. I prefer to use fleece fabric as it is less likely to produce loose strings that could get tangled around a foot or swallowed. Though if your bun does start to chew holes in it, if the holes get big you will want to replace it as larger holes can get dangerously tangled around a bunny foot or even head.
 
My bun is funny I've done the filled TP tubes but he won't touch empty.

The dig box I never thought of and might just be a hit. He digs up the paper off the bottom of the cage some nights so I know he's got digging in him lol. I'll try the phone book too (when I can get one since I personally don't have one)

I also want to try the pine cones.

I can't wait til spring. I can go foraging for greens for him again. And go searching for stuff to keep him busy. Ie twigs and cones and stuff.
 
I tried pine cones but my rabbits don't care for them. They like seagrass / cisal mats - it makes quite a mess, but that love destroying them. Also, carboard boxes are always a hit : they run inside and outside, sleep in them (especially in the summer, when they like to be in the shades) and will destroy the bottom by digging. Wicker toys can also work. It's not really natural, but Aki likes those wooden puzzles for dogs where you put food inside little labyrinths or the like (Tybalt mostly waits until she solves it to try and still the food... ^^').
 

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