homemade toys

[flippersmom]

 Please be kind as I am new here, as well as a relatively new bunny mom (6 months).  My 12 yr old son has been having a ton of fun checking out sites all over for toys he can make inexpensively for our buns.  As a former bird mom, I know alot of their toys are also just enjoyable for the buns, but I am wondering about some of the materials and their saftey when bunnies are involved.  Particulary loofah, coconut shells, coconut mats (the kind you can line wire flower baskets with), and untreated, made in the USA small rawhide bones????  I’ve seen no mention of these materials, although I have seen them on some comercially made toys marketed for rabbits.  Also, if anyone would share their bunnies favorite homemade toys, my son would love it!!!!!!  He’s doing such a great job, that he is considering making them for our local bunny shelter to share with their bunnies and/or sell to raise $$$!!!!!!  Thanks in advance!!!!!

[jerseygirl]

Welcome! That’s wonderful that your son is so involved! There is a section under the BUNNY INFO tab called “Toy Test” that may give some ideas. I’m not certain about coconut fibre (is that coir?). Also about rawhide bones! I’m surprised they’d market a bunny toy made from that to these herbivores. Having said that though, I do have a bunny that likes to chew leather!

Cardboard is by far the safest, cheapest and most versatile toy making material. You can use untreated seagrass mats, dried apple wood, willow wood, pinecones (have to bake them first I think). With any safe rope type material you use, just take care the rope can’t be wrapped around the head, neck or limbs that might cause injury.

Post pictures of the toys he makes here if you like. It’d be good to see what he comes up with. He’s likely more creative than me!

[Hedi]

Hi!

The only thing that truely is safe that can cross between bunny toys and bird toys is the shredders.

I know of people who sell loofah but there is no documentation to prove it is safe for buns to have. Coconut shells, mats, and bones are also things we have never seen any documentation on. Bunny jaws just arent as strong and wouldnt be able to gnaw on things like a bird would.

Like Jersey said…cardboard like Toilet Paper tubes are a favorite.If you go thru our store here on BB you may get some other ideas for things?

[flippersmom]

Thanks guys, I kinda thought the same things!!!! I felt a little silly asking (as I am a vet tech), but you know how 12 yr old can be – they get something in there heads and won’t let it go – and, of course, mom never know’s what she’s talking about!!!!!
He’s actually already made a great diggy box out of the plastic bottom of a small bunny cage that got great reviews from our test panel. Yesterday he tried the treat bag, our male was quite perplexed with that one – too funny!!!! He’s also very good at finding bunny approrpriate materials at any dollar store we go to!!!!!! There are also floor plans in the work for new enclosures made from the NIC grids – inspired by this site!!!!!! Trust me, he loves his bunnies and spoils them rotten!!!!!!

[jerseygirl]

that got great reviews from our test panel.

lol !
I think this is so good. Hope your son remains a bunny lover and always has 1, 2 or 6 in his life.
A vet tech? woo hoo! One of the forum leaders here is also a vet tech and she’s a fountain of knowledge. I do hope you frequent this site often and share your expertise too.

[Hedi]

SOmething I thought of the other day and forgot to mention…what about saving up toilet paper tubes and paper napkin tubes then use a hole puncher and punch holes throughout them and string raffia thru the holes. Raffia is messy but thats ok. bunnies dont mind.

If your son cuts up the rolls into smaller rolls then there will be more to go around. This is probably one of my bunnies favorite toys.

[flippersmom]

Aahh yes, paper towel/toilet paper tubes – his favorite medium!!!! You wouldn’t believe what he can do with those!!!!! Currently the buns are playing with one the looks like a submarine (although he calls it a ship!!!) . He also found a rafia grass skirt at the dollar store which he divided and put sections across the cage doors – think beads in the doorways in the 60’s!!!! Our male bunny binkies in and out and in and out through it!!!

He just got an email today from the bunny rescue we got our Reese from and they are definately interested in putting some of his toys in the shelter’s boutique!!! They are will to work out a trade for a new cage or accessories or what ever he might need/want for his bunnies – he, of course has his eyes set on another bunny that is currently there!!! He told me I should ask you guys “how many bunnies is too many???”

[jerseygirl]

He told me I should ask you guys “how many bunnies is too many???”

OH NO! (lol) He shouldn’t ask US that! Most of us are a baaad influence!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I make toys for our shelter buns! I use raffia and sissel rope to tie, popsicle sticks, apple twigs, cardboard, toilet paper rolls and balsa wood peices. I bought all that in a craft store for thirty dollars and have made over a hundred toys with a box full of supplies still going!

If he wants to get more creative, he can soak the balsa wood in pure 100% apple juice (or orange!) to give it flavour too! (just watch that those peices are used right away!)

[osprey]

We make very simple hay rolls fairly often for our guys, and my daughters and I make 400 or so (!) each year at Christmas for the shelter bunnies in our area. We take a toilet paper core and cut it into thirds. Then, we use the cut rolls like napkin holders, grab a handful of oat hay and one of a grass hay, fold the hay stems in half and push the folded end through the roll. It is much easier to stuff them if you push in the folded end.

[ZooLady]

Bunnies appreciate having something to destroy in my opinion. Give him a box with a small hole that he will have to widen to get at some goodies inside! Rabbits also like to dig….so if you can make him some sort of a digging box, he willl be happy indeed!

[ZooLady]

Posted By jerseygirl on 04/18/2009 08:41 PM

He told me I should ask you guys “how many bunnies is too many???”

OH NO! (lol) He shouldn’t ask US that! Most of us are a baaad influence!

HAHAHA….true that.   They can be expensive to feed (I’m off to buy fresh greens every few days) and remember, vet bills can pop up anytime!

 

[poppydot]

My house bunny Poppy Dot loves her sleeping bag… because of the shiney slippery surface she runs around on it slipping, sliding and rolling around and doing binkys till shes tired then has a snooze till shes ready to do it again.

[Carrot Lane Bunny]

DJ’s favorite is a mason jar ring . I guess its not really making it but they still have tons o fun with it.

[Dee]

My buns love a big cardboard box with two door holes cut in it. They sleep/hide in it, and also chew at it for hours a day. Only problem is they’re not such great architects- they eat the corners completely away and then their bo collapes when they jump on it. But it works for a while.

I’m gonna try the ideas that I’m finding here- I think I’ll start with the Mason jar ring cuz I’m lazy and it’s late. Tomorrow I’ll gather up all my materials and really get into it.

I would LOVE to make a deep digging box that would be so cool. One of these days…

[RabbitPam]

I was going to make a diggy box out of a peeled willow laoundry basket I got at a craft/fabric store, and put blank newsprint in it, but she ignored it.
Then I turned it upside down one day and cut the handle holes bigger, and she is in it every day! I put it on top of a yellow pages phone book. She shreds the phone book, decorates under there, and chewed a window hole on one side so she can look out the patio door window.

Phone books are excellent for paper to cut or use for shredding. They are made with soy based ink and unlike glossy magazines, they are perfectly healthy for the bunnies to chew.

Your son sounds ingenious. Can you post some pix of his toy creations?

[flippersmom]

Hey guys – thanks for all the new suggestions!!! I’d forgotten all about this thread (it was my first!!!). I will have to get some pictures up of my sons toys!!! They are actually very nice and go quickly at the shleter!!! Sometimes they even take orders if the supply is low!!! We actually just spent the whole day at the shelter having a yard sale with all proceeds going directly to the buns!! We had a great time (little sunburned though) and made enough $$ to feed the buns for approximately 1 month!! Not bad for just getting rid of some junk!!!!!! My son and I both have a favorite at the shelter and are currently sponsoring them – but that might be changing soon, as we may actually be bringing one home to be a full fledge family member!!!!! I’ll have to keep everyone posted!!!!!! I’ll try to get some pictures up of the toys, as well as current bun family members (I’m always taking pictures and never get around to posting them!!! Sorry!!!)

[Hedi]

Ooooh! We still want those pics of those toys!!!

[morciod]

Very interesting… new to bunny stuff and toys sound great. so far we have just purchased balls. I wonder about the string you all have been talking about. Are you tying the toys to the cage or just adding string to the toy.

for example the paper towel holder… did you just add string to an end and insert hay??

for the mason jar ring,  did you just give it to them as is or tie that to the cage???

[Carrot Lane Bunny]

I just toss the jar ring in and he goes nuts tossing it.

[Author]

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