Lazy AF Bunnies?

[Kitty and the Buns]

Is it normal that my elop does not like toys? He doesn’t even like to chew on wood!

The only enrichment he likes so far is having his pellet breakfast in a slow feeder and going for walks.

He’s only 11 months old.

Any good food based ideas or how to limit these as well so he isn’t obese?

[talesOfTybalt]

I think some bunnies ARE just more content with having a lazy day every day, don’t worry 🙂 My lop is about 9 months-ish and honestly since he turned 5/6 months he’s been extreeemely chilled out and NEVER plays with the million toys i have for him lol. The only thing he responds to is cardboard boxes from my post packages and his pellets when he knows im opening the tub to give him food.

The slow feeder is good – if he’s food motivated, try and hide all his food in a digging box or something so he has to work physically and mentally for it? It’ll keep him busy too, I leave greens all over the rooms upstairs for Tybalt to look for 😛

[Bam]

You have gotten good advice from Tybalt! All kinds of foraging for the daily food is good. Its so very natural for buns to have to search a bit for food or “work” to get it. Problem solving makes them smarter, they spend some extra calories and get tired in a natural way. Its even good to serve the hay on several places, it often gets them to eat more of it and a bun should preferably eat as much hay as possible every day.

Its very natural for a bun to not care about toys. Some do like toys, but many buns  just don’t seem to see the point.

If you can get fresh or dried apple or willow sticks  that can sometimes inspire chewing.

[Louiethebunny]

My bunnies are quite lazy during most of the day, but during their active hours, around 8am and 8-9pm, I feed them and hide their pellets around in their stacking cups and their tunnel and other toys so they have some fun and get some enrichment to get them! It’s my favorite way to get them a little bit active, and once I shake the pellet jar, they both go crazy and start binkying in excitement.

[DanaNM]

Is he a good hay eater? Stuffing hay in cardboard tubes etc. can be pretty fun for buns.

How big is his pellet ration?

A lot of store bought chews don’t seem that enticing to buns, but fresh willow and apple twigs seem really popular. I think just when you get them in pet stores they can be very old.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Bu20055]

I second what Dana said about fresh twigs. My buns don’t care for pet store willow, but love willow that’s fresh or that I pick and dry myself.

I’ve been giving my buns a little bit of dried herbs almost everyday, I mix it into their hay of scatter it over their hay mats. They love it and it keeps them busy. I got mine as mixes from a local rabbit rescue.

[LBJ10]

Cat treat balls are fun. Just make sure it is one where you can make the hole small enough for just one pellet to slip through at a time.

And yes, some bunnies are just lazy. There is a stereotype for lops, in particular, being lazy – aka “lazy lops”.

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