DIY: Rabbit Toys

(courtesy Margaret Duclos who takes amazing pics of her dogs, including the gorgeous Royal)

Today’s post is in honor of the little girl bunny pictured above who recently showed up in a friend’s garden.  After several days, they were able to trap her and, though they put out ads for her, her owners haven’t claimed her.  I wonder if she was someone’s Easter bunny who got dumped.  Boo!  She’s has a wonderful home now though—Margaret has already started clicker-training her.  Yea!

It’s really important to provide your rabbits with physical and mental stimulation.  They like to explore & play and providing toys is a great way to keep them occupied & happy.  It gives your bunny appropriate outlets for chewing, digging, shredding, etc. and helps prevent destructive behavior.

Check out this totally kickass post on making your own rabbit toys!  There are a bazillion ideas for entertaining & safe toys for your bunnies—most DIY and low-cost. (Note: it looks like the links to Amazon are affiliate links, but the author did put a lot of effort into gathering good info.)

Want even more toy ideas?  The House Rabbit Society also has tons of suggestions for rabbit toys.

Be sure to check out my podcast on Rethinking the Easter Rabbit and these posts on house rabbits:

Podcast Episode 111: Rethinking The Easter Rabbit

Rabbits and children aren’t usually a good combination, but bunnies can be great house pets for families with teens or for adults.  Episode 111: Rethinking The Easter Rabbit covers reasons to rethink getting rabbits for children this Easter, plus suggestions & resources for having a happy house rabbit if you have the right type of household for these sensitive animals.

Click below to play.

You can listen to it here and or on iTunes.  We also have an RSS feed you can subscribe to if you use an RSS reader.

Check out these topics mentioned in the podcast:

Keep Pets Safe Around Easter

The Oregon Veterinary Medical Association warns that Easter lilies are incredibly toxic to cats causing kidney failure if ingested.  All parts of the plant are poisonous—including the pollen they lick off their own fur.  There is no cure, so it’s important you get your cat to a vet if you suspect ingestion of any of the plant.  Early signs of poisoning are vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy and dehydration.  Tiger lilies, Day lilies and Asiatic lilies are also toxic to cats.

Ingestion of fake Easter grass is another hazard.  It can wrap around the base of the tongue or cause serious intestinal blockage requiring surgery to remove.

Of course, chocolate is another hazard, with darker chocolate being more hazardous.  If you suspect your pet has eaten any of these things, contact your vet or if you’re in North America, the Pet Poison Helpline:  1-800-213-6680

Etsy: Spring/Easter Cat Toys

I haven’t done a post on nifty Etsy things in ages.  I love Spring and there are some pretty fun Spring/Easter things for cats on Etsy right now.  (I’ve included a few bunnies for people too.)

Row 1

  • Bunny with pocket
  • Bunny pin
  • Rabbit print
  • Row 2

  • Little ducklings
  • Mini bunnies
  • Catnip Easter trio
  • Row 3

  • Catnip rattling bunny
  • Knit Easter eggs
  • Wool catnip balls
  • Row  4

  • Polymer clay jingle eggs
  • Velvet catnip strawberries
  • Catnip carrot
  • Felted catnip egg
  • Row 5

  • Catnip peas in a pod
  • Little catnip ducky
  • Cloisonne catnip eggs
  • Catnip kick sticks
  • Row 6

  • Colorful catnip mice
  • Catnip pea pod
  • Catnip Easter eggs
  • DIY: House Rabbit Palace

    Check out this awesome House Rabbit Palace ! What a great idea.  The tutorial shows the first version and ends with the more sophisticated 2nd edition.  Sweet!  You could easily make this by retrofitting an old bookcase.  You could also make it wide and short instead to narrow and tall.

    If you’re thinking about getting a bunny, please don’t buy one!  There are tons available for adoption.  For the Dallas area alone, there are over 5,000 rabbits who need a good home.