Question about Stuffed Toys for Bunnies

[MiaP]

I've seen lots of bunnies with stuffed toys in their cages in photos here on RO. I am wondering if we could provide some for our shelter bunnies to play with, but before we do, I want to make sure to ask about safety.

A main difference in providing toys for our shelter rabbits is that 23.5 hours a day, they are in a room without any people in it, so there is nobody to notice if a toy gets chewed or something in a way that makes it dangerous. So I feel like we have to play it very safe.

Another difference is that shelter staff don't always recognize a "toy" and so they just toss whatever is in the cage all at once when cleaning cages, so things like toilet paper tubes, hay-stuffed boxes, etc. are often discarded. Good thing they are free!

So, up to this point, we have provided toys that attach to the cage, like wooden bird toys. But if the bunnies would enjoy cuddly toys and they aren't a danger, I'd like to give them each one. I am guessing that shelter staff will be able to identify a stuffed animal as a toy and not throw them away.

Any guidelines for choosing them, warnings, or advice? Thanks! Mia

 

[maherwoman]

Best idea: to get a stuffy that doesn't have any hard parts on it that can be chewed off and swallowed. You can get GOOD ones in the baby aisles, that have stitched eyes and nose.

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

I know someone posted something about donating stuffed animals to local shelter , try looking in the search for it, it might have been in the rescue section.

I would be worried that no one is in there to keep an eye on a bunny that might chew and get the stuffing out of a stuffed animal?



But PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE let me know if you would like some i will go through my kids stuffed animals. I have three kids, and my sister has four kids and i am sure we could come up with a few :biggrin2:stuffed animals,lol. Then i will get them there some how, either the next time i come down to philly or send them with someone in my family. Also let me know what else might be needed and if i can i will grab some more stuff for the buns and bring it along with me. It would be my pleasure since i cant get there to volunteer i would like to help another way. Please let me know

 

[maherwoman]

Is this the thread you mean?

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=28091&forum_id=1

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

BINGO that is it !!!!!!!

 

[Meghan]

I don't know if this would help you, but we make a lot of our own toys for our bunnies. Our buns chew and eat everything thatgoes into their cages. And what doesn'tget chewed up mysteriously goes missing after cage cleanings or needs to be tossed due to being soiled.That way we know that the materials are safe if the bunnies chew them up. And a big plus is that it saves a ton of money!

We take old cotton socks or inexpensive fleece bought from a fabric or craft store, stuff it with hay, and then sew it up. We can make them small or large and the bunnies use them as pillows, chew toys, and as balls - fetching and tossing them around.

I know if you're a shelter volunteer you probably don't have a lot of time. But it's a thought and could be done easily enough and it would be a lot cheaper in the long run than purchasing stuffed toys from the pet store. And if they accidentally got thrown out, it wouldn't be a tremendous loss. I know our buns love them and we've never had a problem, so it might be a safer option for rabbits who aren't supervised all the time too.

 

[MiaP]

That is helpful. With hay as the stuffing, we wouldn't have to worry about problems that come from eating it. I have a sewing machine and a bunch of crafty kids, so it wouldn't be hard to whip up a bunch.

What happens if they chew up the fleece or sock fabric? Does is just pass through, or is it likely to block their digestion at all?

 

[MsBinky]

Hmm yeah I'm not for that idea sorry :?I believe they shouldn't be allowed to chew materials as a general rule. I believe the stuffies are fine as long as the bunnies don't eat them but the socks filled with hay is just going to make them eat the material to get to the hay.

 

[Meghan]

I can completely understand why you'd be concerned with the bunnies eating and digesting the material used to make the homemade toys. I don't think I explained it very well because our rabbits don't eat the fabric - they play with the toys for a while and then eventually tear them apart. But the fabric isn't eaten, it's just kind of tossed to the side.

On the off chance that the material is ingested, there shouldn't be any trouble. Our vet who is rabbit savvy has assured my parents that if the buns should eat their toys, it wouldn't be overly harmful and that the material would pass through their digestive system without causing trouble. Of course it would be best that they never ate the toy and that they were supervised and the stuffies removed from the cage before it got to that point, but it's reassuring to know that if they were eaten that it wouldn't be a health risk.

All I know is that it's worked for us. We've never had a problem with the homemade toys and my parents have had rabbits for their entire lives. And I'm also almost 16 and I've never seen a problem related to the toys. That doesn't mean it couldn't happen I guess, but it's just another option.