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You’ve come to the right place!
Here’s some things that are definitely essentials:
- A hide for your bunny. Somewhere they can go if they get startled or just to feel secure. I’ve found that a really good hide option is a cardboard box — the plain kind, not the shiny kind they print photos on. One reason this is a good option is that the bunny can “remodel” it if they want; some bunnies chew “windows” in the boxes, etc. It’s also super cheap, of course. The only downside is that they can easily be soiled and stained. Other options include large plastic igloos and hides made of wood that you can either build yourself or buy from someone else.
- Bowls and baskets. I say this because it’s much more natural for bunnies to drink water from a bowl rather than a bottle, and to forage for hay in something flat and open like a basket, rather than a hay rack, which can be awkward for bunnies and discourage hay consumption.
- Wooden chew toys and seagrass knots. These are super common and can be found at most pet stores. I wouldn’t go for the ones that are flavored, though — just go for the plain, ordinary wooden chews. Good options are willow sticks, apple orchard chew sticks, and basic wooden chew toys. These are really good for their teeth. The same goes for the seagrass chews, which are also super common.
- Four words: vinegar and water solution. A 1/2 and 1/2 solution of water and vinegar is a very safe and effective cleaning solution that helps eliminate odors and bacteria.
- Kitty clippers like these are some of the easiest and most effective nail clippers you can use for bunnies.
Here’s some things that I’ve found to be very helpful:
- Ceramic cooling tiles. These can be found at any hardware store, and can be found large or small. You can stick them in a cool place, like the fridge if nowhere else, and then put them in the bunny’s enclosure to provide a nice cooling area for the bunny on hot days. Wrapping a frozen water bottle in a towel and placing it inside the enclosure by the tiles will keep the tiles, and the enclosure, nice and cool if you don’t have direct a/c in the area.
- The HairBuster comb is a very worthwhile investment. It’s excellent for a thorough grooming. Additionally, look into
- Some of the best, most universally enjoyed toys by bunnies are actually not store-bought toys, but little cardboard and paper ones. Two very popular ones are the bag o’ hay, which is a paper bag full of hay with a few holes in the sides. Another good one is a paper towel / toilet paper roll with holes cut in the sides with a few pellets or healthy treats inside.
- Although the Oxbow papaya tablets are being discontinued, small pieces of dried papaya will also help their digestion just as well. Just make sure it’s papaya without any additional sugar or anything like that.
As far as toys are concerned, my strongest recommendation would be to start with very basic things like wooden chews, and then observe your bunny for a while and figure out what he likes. Does he like to chew, chew, chew? Does he like to toss objects around or push things with his nose? When you start figuring out what kinds of play behaviors your bunny likes, then you can figure out what kinds of toys you can get him that he’d most enjoy. I don’t know about you, but it was super tempting for me to buy a bunch of toys before I even knew what Theodore would like. So now he has a bunch of toys, some he loves, others he’s completely impartial to. So, to save money, observe first and buy later!
Let me know if you have any specific questions about any of this. Good luck with Midas!
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My bunnies absolute favourite thing is a hides house thing made of hay/straw kinda stuff.. I’m not even sure what it is, but it’s got three entrances and they can sit under it, on it, and best of all, they can eat it!
http://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/grassy-hideaway.html
Mine need the extra large, which they don’t have in stock here, but it’s just a bigger version of the picture.I wouldn’t advise investing in wooden chew toy things, mine couldn’t care less about them, they sit completely ignored.
Overall I’d say toys that can be eaten or climbed on are the best!
. Guess who is going on a big shopping trip next week! (That would be me.) Guess who is only shopping for my bunny and spending no money on me! (That would.. Also be me.) haha.
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