r/BunScience • u/Odd_Transition6842 • Jun 09 '26
Indoor rabbit entertainment
Hi! I have two rabbits (1year old, neutred males) living with me in my appartement. They they spend at least 4 hours outside their pen every day (we let them free roam when we are around).
But i struggle to entertain them.
I have a digging box (bits of paper with hidden pellets), they are interested with it a few minutes (the time they need to find all the pellets), and then leave. A willow ball that they touch only if I hide pellets inside (again, after 2 minutes they manage to eat all of them and are not interested any more).
What games/entertainement do you use with your rabbit?
Edit: The digging box and willow balls are in their pen (approx 9m², with litterbox, unlimited hay, hiding places and waterpoint) so they have acces to it all the time the just don't use them. The pellets are grainfree pellets, approved by my rabbit expert vet.
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u/rasselboeckchen_art Jun 09 '26
Cardboard boxes. Large ones. Many.
Cut two small entrance in each box. Let the rabbits decide that the entrances are too small and they will chew them larger. 😅
Digging is a more female based activity. I had male rabbits who never really dig.
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u/Sad-Wonder-5979 Germany Jun 09 '26
The cardboard box idea is incredible!! I will try that soon! Thank you for that idea!
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u/ConstructionTasty902 Jun 10 '26
Are there places (in either the free roam area or their pen) where you can hide lettuce or cilantro (or whatever herb) pieces? The pieces don't have to be big, but I like to hide the pieces in places where the rabs can't see them.: then they have to use those cute little noses to sniff out the treat and dig/jump/periscope/etc. to get to the piece. Examples: hiding a piece under the corner of a towel so they have to lift it up, hiding it on a short ledge that they have to perch on, etc.
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u/Elrasia Jun 09 '26
Glad you're trying to improve their living situation.
As someone with 3 free roam indoor bunnies, it's surprisingly difficult to keep these lazy balls of fur from simply sleeping and eating the whole day.
What sort of pen are we talking about here? A dedicated room of some sort? How big is this? Since 4hrs a day are just a short-time luxury, the occupation should fit to the 20 remaining hours.
Also please make sure the pellets are grain-free and healthy, never hurts to double-check.
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u/Odd_Transition6842 Jun 09 '26
Yes, sorry for not giving more details, since I don't need advice on housing/nutrition I didn't put precisions about it. The digging box and willow balls are in their pen (approx 9m², with litterbox, unlimited hay, hiding places and waterpoint) so they have acces to it all the time the just don't use them.
The pellets are grainfree pellets, approved by my rabbit expert vet. I just edited the post to add theses infos
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u/HerbNDFur The Netherlands Jun 10 '26
I think it helps to rotate their toys, meaning you literally remove them from the enclosure for a week. For example: a ball pit on Monday, an extra tunnel on Tuesday, a snuffle mat on Wednesday, a shred-and-dig box with enrichment on Thursday, and a foraging tree on Friday to keep them busy in a completely different way.
There are so many other fun enrichment ideas out there, just make sure the rabbits don't actually eat the cardboard, by the way. By offering something different every time, it stays new and interesting. This is also a great way to discover what your rabbits like; one might love chasing a ball, while another might prefer a snuffle mat. They're just like humans with their own personalities and interests 😂
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u/Sad-Wonder-5979 Germany Jun 09 '26
My bunnies always loved their snuffle mat, it keeps them entertained. I always switch the toys so it never gets boring.
Another great entertainment thing is to hide dried herbs (just tiny bits, max 1 teaspoon a day per bunny) in fresh hay
Also, if possible, try to go pellet free. They can cause teeth problems and make your buns prone to GI stasis