Very bored rabbit needs activites that are cheep

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Bentley

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Sep 21, 2009
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Central Minnesota, Minnesota, USA
Hey everyone,
just wondering my rabbit Bentley is getting awfully bored (I can tell by her attitude) and since I'm in school for 8 hours or so, and when I get home I have homework and other stuff, like chores, friends, ect. I don't have much time to take her out, that and I live in minnesota so its getting really cold outside and I can't bring her out anymore :( I'd let her run on the ground, but I can't cause she goes under the couches and doesn't come out, and it takes me hours to get her out D:< that and she poops/pees on the ground.. ._. her cage is small, and I had to take out her board that she use to jump onto out of her cage, cause its causing her arthrits. Anyone have some tips on how entertain her? Things inside of the cage? things outside of the cage? If your going to suggest toys please try to shoot for something under 5 dollars :/ im a highschooler, not much money coming in.. haha.
 
Toilet paper/ wrapping paper/ paper towel roles, anything to hide in, a box with a couple (more than one) bunny sized holes to jump through. Be creative wit cardboard stuff! They love to climb. To you have a room to limit bunny to? Mine started out in the kitchen since its easy to clean in there and there's not a bunch of stuff to hide behind. That can give you a start on potty training too. Just make sure if she's put up in a one room, her cage/litterbox should be there so she CAN pee/poo when needed.
 
I have her in our Laundry Room right now... we have a big house, so I couldn't limit her to one room cause they are like, to big of rooms. Lol, our kitchen connects to our entryway, our family room, and a hall that leads to all the bedrooms. I can't really block off the entrance cause theres a huge opening.
I have a lot of cardboard, but like i said her cage is small.. so idk if I could put a big box for her to climb in, cause it probably wouldn't fit very well and she's a fat rabbit so i'd have to be big XD
 
Have you tried giving her more room? You can use NICs or a puppy playpen to add a lot of space to the front of her cage. When I've had to keep my bun in a smaller cage (when he was at someone's house who was bunny sitting him) he was very destructive and bored. At home with his cage plus xpen, he's never destructive. Plus, with a bigger area you can add things like cardboard boxes that don't fit into cages.
 
yes, definitely connect a play area to the front of her cage, and let her roam and play in that. If she has problems with pooing/peeing on the floor, put a tarp or plastic tablecloth on the floor first, then an old rug or some grass mats over that. You'll protect your parent's floors that way, so they won't have a reason to complain :)

Plus your bunny will get more excercise, which will keep her heathy, as well as relieving boredom.
 
Toys don't need to be expensive, mine never plays with the expensive ones anyway :p

As was mentioned cardboard boxes and tubes, apple and pear (and other safe dried) branches, pinecones, a wicker ball or grass fiber mats (non-treated, can be found in craft stores or import stores sometimes), an old phone directory to shred, a paper bag with hay in it, cardboard roll with hay in it.
Some also like to play with hard plastic baby toys (plastic keys on ring, hard plastic teething rattle, etc). Those can be found cheap in dollar stores.
Mine like to throw around the lids of laundry soap bottles (the ones that look like kid's stacking cups, well washed first of course). I also hide little treats in/under those sometimes :).

If your bunny likes to dig, give him a cardboard box with hay or shredded paper in it. Some bunnies also like to "scoot around" old towels. Do make shure he doesn't shred and eat those first, though.

But the most important thing you can do to relieve his boredom, is add play space where he can roam during the day.
 
I would add onto the front, but her cage is off the ground and I don't believe you can buy ramps, plus if I put a ramp on, then she would probably jump off the side of the ramp or the ramp might fall off the cage if it was like homemade, and not attached properly.

I re-attached her hut today, and she likes that cause she can play with the blanket in there, so i think she's happier.
 
How high off the ground is her cage?
If you look in the cages section, you'll see some of the outdoor hutches some members have. They are quite high off the ground, but still have a ramp going down to bottom level, where the play area is. I have never heard of problems with that.

Can you put up a picture of your bunny's setup? We might be able to give more suggestions then.

Glad to hear she is a bit happier now, more play space is definitely good.
 
Her cage is at least a foot off the ground, sort of like the outside hutches, except I believe its made for inside cause its made out of plastic. I'll try and get some pictures up, but I don't think I will be able to attach anything. I've been meaning to get her a new cage, but I just don't have the money to right now :/
 
plastic easter eggs. Take one and fill it with a little bit of her feed so it makes a rattle sound. then if and when she manages to break it open she has a treat inside. My rabbits enjoy this, so maybe its worth a shot. :D


~Ginger
 
Hello everyone.. I'm always looking for new things for my bunnies to play with... unlike Bentley.. my bunnies have the whole living room to run around in 24/7.. so they are quite happy... the room is of course bunny proofed.. i used telephone books to block off areas like behind the TV.. The couch use to be a problem but as they grew bigger they don't fit under it anymore.. I use to cut cardboard planks to block off the couch area so that they couldnt get under it...

To solve the pee problem u will find once u fix ur rabbits they will only pee in their litter box/cage.. so you might want to keep that in mind if u havnt fixed them..


Hazel-Mom: ". Some bunnies also like to "scoot around" old towels."

What do you mean by scoot around? like burrow?


Ginger: " plastic easter eggs"

is it possible to add a photo or a link as to how these look like? are you refering to the little things inside kinder surprises?
 
Oh, well I'm not letting her run around our house.. we have two dogs and a cat. and I'm afraid for her.. plus she's lived in a cage her whole life.. now probably wouldn't be the best to change that. Anywho, I'll try the other suggestions.. thanks!

BTW: We don't have the money to get her fixed.
 
Richard0600- Plastic easter eggs..like the ones that are used for easter egg hunts...

Bentley- Yeah, don't let the rabbit run around esp if you don't feel comfortable with your other animals being around her unsupervised. I am with you on the having the rabbits fixed..that can be a costly proceedure.

things will work out for you Bentley, no worries :bunnydance:
 
Where is the cage? If it is in a bedroom you could rabbit-proof the bedroom and teach bently how to jump in and out of the cage it is also very simple to litterbox train them. Flurry loves to chew on twigs and throw toilet paper rolls.
 
Check out in the section LOCATIONS and check out the awsome bunny supplies in the topic "Virginia Rabbitry." Eden Farms has a wonderfull selection of authentic and edible rabbits toys. Their prices are very cheap - but the quality isn't! Bun Bun loves their toys more than anything you can find in petstores.

They have fully edible toys, and you know that rabbits want a toy that they play with and eat at the same. Their new chew-a-ball is Bun Bun's favorite. The chew-a-ball is like a twig ball but mixed with tasty vines that hold it together for a longer lasting play compared with regular twig balls.

Not sure if they ship out of state though. If you're interested, give them a call and ask if so.
 
A foot is not all that high, it would be easy to take a piece of thick wood and make a ramp. If you used the cheap compressed chip kind it would be less slidey, too.

It is easy to block things off, not to sound rude but if it is because you do not feel like doing it then shamey on you. If you have no time for her you should seriously think about her and her happiness - can you make time? if so do, if not maybe rehome her? get the family involved with her? ect. You can get wood, wire or NIC grids and block things off, if you are not looking to or unable to spend much use cardboard and replace as chewed. You can get free boxes from most stores/places on stock days. As for door ways baby gates and NIC grids can be used. I have the grids up around my bed because Chiron(dog) would potty under it and it has just been so handy to keep the buns out from under it. I use babygates to block off the rest of the house from my room, the bathroom and my sister's room so the buns can have that space to be free.

We live in a tiny house and make room, sounds like you have plenty of room. If you really wanted to you could probably easily block a place off for her.
 
I have 2 cats and a dog and don't feel comfortable letting them together unsupervised, but I let my rabbit run around part of my bedroom all day long and just leave the door closed so that the other animals can't get in.

Instead of building a ramp, could you find a cardboard box that is about half the height from the cage to the floor and use it sort of as a step instead of building a ramp? Also, check the building a cage section because it may give you some ideas on how to build a cheap gate or pen so that your rabbit will feel secure running around even with other animals around.

I know you worried about your rabbit being bored during the day while your at school, but I assume you are in school during the day? That is when rabbits don't tend to be very active anyway. If you can interact with your rabbit before school or in the evening, that is when they are most active. Even if you are just laying on the floor doing your home work while the rabbit hops around you, they enjoy the company (but watch your books - bunnies love to chew on books!).
 
bunnybunbunb wrote:
A foot is not all that high, it would be easy to take a piece of thick wood and make a ramp. If you used the cheap compressed chip kind it would be less slidey, too.

It is easy to block things off, not to sound rude but if it is because you do not feel like doing it then shamey on you. If you have no time for her you should seriously think about her and her happiness - can you make time? if so do, if not maybe rehome her? get the family involved with her? ect. You can get wood, wire or NIC grids and block things off, if you are not looking to or unable to spend much use cardboard and replace as chewed. You can get free boxes from most stores/places on stock days. As for door ways baby gates and NIC grids can be used. I have the grids up around my bed because Chiron(dog) would potty under it and it has just been so handy to keep the buns out from under it. I use babygates to block off the rest of the house from my room, the bathroom and my sister's room so the buns can have that space to be free.

We live in a tiny house and make room, sounds like you have plenty of room. If you really wanted to you could probably easily block a place off for her.
uhmm.. if you haven't forgotten, its a RABBIT.

i don't need to be worried about her happiness, cause she is happy. and I'm not going to give her away... she's perfectly fine in her cage, and she doesn't need a whole house to run around in... again its a rabbit.

I love her dearly, and I have nothing against animals, but I'm a person and she's a rabbit. My happiness and satisfactory comes first... and she gets enough love.

Anywho, I've found her new toys. and I've been taking her out more, so yeah. things are back to normal.
 

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