Playtime Ideas for Bunnies in the Shelter

[snowballsmomma]

Hi all!

I have recently gone back to volunteering at a shelter in my area, and my role is to provide enrichment for the rabbits in the shelter (i.e. “play with the bunnies!”) as well as help some of the more fearful rabbits get used to more human interaction.

For the rabbits that are scared and hide when I come near, I tend to just sit in the cage with them (not trying to interact with them, read a book, etc.) and let them warm up and hopefully come out of hiding.  However, I’ve noticed that a lot of the rabbits in the shelter are fairly comfortable with humans and so I really just want to make their lives a little better and less lonely while I’m there.  Does anyone have more ideas of things I can do to play with them?  So far, these are some of the things I’ve been doing:

• The shelter has an x-pen that you can use to extend their cage, so I set that up with a blanket so that the rabbits will have more room to run.
• I brought some blank paper that the rabbits can chew and leave it on the ground.  I found one or two of the rabbits really like chewing my book, so I bring an old book I own to read while I’m there but also I’m okay with it getting destroyed.
• I have a tiny plastic ball with holes which makes a sound (like a bell sound) if you shake it (kind of like one you might have for a parrot).  I attached it to a string and if I kind of shimmy it around the cage, some of the rabbits will get curious and follow the ball around the cage.  I try not to let them grab the ball (I don’t want their teeth to get stuck in it), but some will grab the string and we will do a “tug of war” for a bit.  The string is some type of natural fiber.
• I don’t know if I should be giving them treats while I’m there, but I was thinking maybe just bringing toilet paper roles and sticking some hay and there and seeing if that entertains them at all?

Any input would be welcome!  Thanks so much!!!

[DanaNM]

Toilet paper tubes are a great one. Baby toys can also be good (liek those baby keys) as they are mostly rabbit safe and easy to disinfect.

Another great thing is to make a paper mat. I used to have a link to instructions but it’s not working anymore! Basically you take a newspaper, fold each sheet lengthwise several times so it’s about 2 inches wide, and then weave those strips together.  One normal newspaper usually makes 1 mat. Buns love resting on them and shredding them up. 🙂

Hides are also very appreciated. At the rescue I volunteered at, they use plastic laundry baskets from the dollar store, that they cut doors out of and them smooth the edges.

. . . 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.  

[snowballsmomma]

Hey Dana – thanks so much for responding!  I will look for baby keys – I forgot I also have baby stack-a-cups I can use.

Do you mind clarifying what you mean by paper mat?  You said to weave the strips together… are you saying to cut the newspaper in 2 inches wide and then connect them by putting one strip below/above/below/above each other a.k.a. weave?  Sounds like a great idea!

[DanaNM]

I found the paper mat instructions! This was originally in the “Carrot Tribune”, the newsletter for Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter, written by Jean Silva. You’ll notice she mentions the LA Times but any newspaper works! I can see if I can get the pictures if this is still confusing.

Make a Mat
Make a mat for your bunny or guinea pig to enjoy. Mats are inexpensive and easy to
make. When the mat is soiled or destroyed, you can throw it away. Mat making is so
much fun that you may want to make a few mats for BUNS.
To make one mat you will need:
19 or 20 double sheets of newsprint from the LA times
A flat surface as long and as wide as the paper folded in half lengthwise
One rabbit or guinea pig.
1. Take a sheet of newsprint folded double. Fold it in half, lengthwise, three times to
create a long narrow strip. Repeat with 18 separate sheets. You should have 19
strips. (Photo: mat 1)
2. Lay 9 horizontal strips close together on a flat surface. Starting in the middle, weave
a vertical strip in an over under pattern, add a second strip in an under over pattern.
Use your fingers to push the two vertical strips close together. Then, push the nine
horizontal strips closer to each other. (photo mat 2)
3. Continue adding vertical strips on each side of the two you started with. After each
addition, take a moment to push the horizontal strips closer to each other. Do the
same with the vertical strips. When you have added 10 vertical strips your mat will
look like this. The unwoven sections of both the horizontal and vertical strips should
extend about 1.5 to 2 times the width of a strip. Take time to push the horizontal rows
closer together. Do the same with the vertical rows. You may need to pull one or more
strips up or down, left or right to even out the unwoven ends. If your rows and
columns are tight, you may be able add an additional vertical strip for a 10 by 10 strip
mat. (Photo mat 3)
4. Starting in the center of the horizontal row closest to you, select a vertical strip that
lies under a horizontal row. Fold it up and toward the top of the mat. (photo Mat 4)
Then tuck it under the horizontal row. (Photo Mat 4a) Push the horizontal row closer
to the row above it. Working the strips below your horizontal row, fold and tuck on
either side of your starting point.
5. Rotate the mat and repeat the process 3 times. Your mat should look like this.
6. Turn the entire mat over. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until your mat looks like this.
7. Add a bunny or guinea pig.
If you have a Santa Barbara News Press, you will need 16 sheets, for a mat that is eight
strips wide and eight strips long.
You can use any of our local newspapers to make a mat although the mat size will vary.
If you prefer, you can buy large pads of unprinted newsprint at art/craft supply stores.

. . . 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.  

[snowballsmomma]

Thank you so much!!  This is perfect.  Now I just need to find out which newspaper is safe for rabbits to consume!

[DanaNM]

Any newspaper is fine, just don’t use the glossy ad pages. 🙂

. . . 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.  

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