If you decide to keep rabbits, you should also ensure that they are sufficiently occupied. Of course, unlike dogs, this doesn’t mean that you, the owner, have to spend hours playing with your rabbits. Rather, it is about the animals having the opportunity to occupy themselves in their cage. In the following, we will explain how you can manage to make your rabbit’s everyday life varied.
Key facts at a glance:
- It is important to keep rabbits occupied as species-appropriate as possible and to make their everyday life varied.
- A self-made cave or a labyrinth is usually very well received.
- Rabbits should be able to dig holes in their enclosure.
- Teaching simple tricks is possible in exceptional cases with a lot of patience.
- Rabbits are group animals and need at least one of their own kind to feel comfortable.
toys for rabbits
A regularly cleaned cage and sufficient food and fresh water are not enough to keep rabbits in a species-appropriate manner. In addition, if the animals are to feel comfortable in captivity, it is at least as important to provide them with opportunities to occupy themselves.
Suitable toys offer rabbits a welcome change in everyday life and are usually very well accepted. Since the small four-legged friends are not particularly choosy, it is usually not necessary to spend a lot of money.
Very simple objects or homemade toys are often enough to arouse the rabbits’ enthusiasm. So feel free to be creative and think about what the animals would do in the wild.
Digging holes, romping around and hiding are things that make every rabbit happy and that can also be implemented very easily when kept as a pet.
Build a den for your rabbits
Rabbits feel very comfortable in caves. To keep your four-legged friends busy, you can, for example, repurpose a box. Cut some holes in there and fill the box with some hay and some small treats.
Most rabbits will be delighted with such a hiding place. If the animals chew the cardboard too much, you can simply replace it after a while.
Let your rabbits dig
Rabbits love to dig. Therefore, try to give your four-legged friends the opportunity to do so. Of course, this is easy to do in an outdoor enclosure, for example by providing the animals with a large box filled with sand or earth.
But it is also worth finding a solution for keeping them indoors. If the cage size allows, you might be able to offer your rabbits a box of litter to dig in. On the other hand, you should refrain from filling with scraps of fabric or even plastic remnants due to the risk of injury.
Build a maze for your rabbits
A homemade maze is another great way to keep rabbits busy. To build the labyrinth, use old boxes, pieces of wood or even a cat tunnel through which the animals can sniff their way.
Feel free to get creative with your design. The more there is for the little four-legged friends to discover, the more enthusiastic your rabbits will be. However, make sure that your self-designed labyrinth does not pose a risk of injury.
Keep rabbits busy with training?
As a rule, it is not easily possible to teach a rabbit certain commands. However, if you own a very trusting four-legged friend, you can certainly try. After all, rabbits are surprisingly intelligent animals.
Even if your expectations are not too high and you need to be patient, learning simple tricks, such as listening to your own name, is definitely possible with appropriate practice.
If the trick works, the rabbit is of course welcome to a small reward. However, you should generally avoid coercion. After all, it’s all about keeping the rabbit busy. Therefore, having fun is always the priority when training together.
Rabbits are social animals
Be aware that rabbits are not solitary by nature and always live in groups. They should therefore not be kept alone. In order for them to feel comfortable, rabbits need at least one conspecific to occupy themselves with.
Although this is really important in order to keep them as species-appropriate as possible, many pet shops unfortunately do not point this out and often sell rabbits individually.
Is rabbit health insurance worth it?
Rabbits are quite susceptible to various diseases, such as dental problems or digestive problems. In many cases, a sick animal needs immediate veterinary care.
Prospective owners should not underestimate the costs involved. Depending on the illness and the treatment required, visits to the vet can quickly result in bills of several hundred euros.
If you want to protect yourself and always give your rabbits the best possible treatment, you should definitely take out health insurance. With you can choose from two tariffs for the health insurance of your rabbits and always rely on reliable insurance cover.