Enrichment  

Naturally you will find that rabbits in the wild spend their time running, hopping, rearing up, digging, foraging, eating, hiding and socialising with other rabbits. Pet rabbits should be given access to carry out all of these natural behaviours as well; we call this enrichment. Below are some ideas on how you can be the best owners possible by giving your bunnies the chance to live their best lives as naturally as possible.


Running, hopping and rearing up :-
Rabbits love to run and hop around and when they are happy they will do something called binkies (when they jump up whilst running and twist their bodies and kick their legs in mid-air). It is important to give your rabbits enough room so they can express this behaviour. By keeping your bunnies in an accommodation that is big enough to allow them to not only run around, but to also rear up (sit up on their hind legs) and to jump and binky is very important to their health and wellbeing. We recommend a minimum of 1 metre high. Please see the top of this page to see our recommended minimum size requirements, but please remember, this is the very minimum; BIGGER is always better!


Digging :-
Rabbits in the wild love to dig, creating burrows to live in. If your rabbits are not on soil or grass, they will need a place where they can dig.

dividerpng  Outside rabbits - If you house your rabbits outside you can use slabs to create a digging pit by digging a hole, placing slabs down to create a 'swimming pool' looking pit and then filling it with safe soil. This is to prevent your rabbits from digging out of their accommodation and escaping.
dividerpng  Indoor rabbits - If your rabbits don't have access outside then you will need to provide an indoor solution. Using large, covered cat litter trays filled with safe soil is a great way to keep the soil contained within the tray and avoid any unnecessary cleaning. Make sure to change the soil regularly to prevent toileting build up.

Foraging and Eating :-

Rabbits love to snuffle around and forage for food. Rather than using a bowl for their nuggets or fresh food, try hiding the food around the enclosure, in tunnels and in/on hides to get their noses working. This will encourage them to forage for their food and prevent boredom and obesity. You can also try;

dividerpng Treat balls for them to push around to get the pellets or treats out.

dividerpng Toilet roll tubes, willow tunnels, egg boxes, paper bags or cardboard boxes stuffed with hay and fresh food for them to break their way into.

dividerpng Stringing up willow, hazel, apple and blackthorn branches for them to reach up for. These are a healthy and natural treat that you may be able to find in your garden for free and are always a big hit with rabbits.

dividerpng Hiding treats or nuggets in snuffle-mats that you can either buy or make out of old, clean rags.

dividerpng Dog puzzle feeders are a great boredom buster and prevent your rabbit from eating all of their nuggets too fast - making them work for their meal. You can start at the beginner's level and work your way up.

dividerpng If your rabbits don't have access outside, you can make a turf box by filling a cat litter tray or a plastic dog bed with some turf either from your garden or from your local garden centre. This will allow them to nibble on some fresh grass. It may be a good idea to have two so that once they have eaten all the grass in one tray, you can give them the second to allow the first to regrow.


Hiding :-

Rabbits are prey animals so to ensure they feel safe in their home, make sure you provide enough hiding places for them to nip in and out of. You can provide hiding places by using tunnels, stools and cardboard boxes. Tunnels are very important as this provides a substitute burrow and encourages your rabbit to be more active! You don't necessarily need to buy tunnels; using cardboard boxes from your last online shopping spree is all you need! Simply get one cardboard box and cut an entrance and exit or gather multiple boxes of different sizes and DIY them together to make an interesting tunnel network or maze for your rabbits to explore and have fun.


Socialising :-

Rabbits are highly social animals and need to have the companionship in the form of another rabbit (rabbits can live in pairs or groups). No matter how much time we spend with our bunnies, nothing matches the company of another rabbit. We lead busy lives and even if we make sure to spend four hours a day with our rabbits, the other twenty hours is them being alone.. but if they live with another rabbit, they will never be lonely. Not only does it prevent them from being lonely, it always makes them feel safer. In the wild rabbits will live in groups called warrens, where they can snuggle up and keep each other warm and, most importantly, this helps keep them safe from predators. If a single rabbit is alone it can make them anxious, stressed and overwhelmed however, if they have company, that's another set of eyes to watch out for any potential danger, so that a single bunny doesn't have to be alert 24/7.


Extra things to keep your rabbits happy :-

dividerpng  As stated above, rabbits are prey animals. As prey animals, they like to be able to check out their surroundings. Making sure your accommodation is secure from any predators is essential. In a nice, secure environment you can provide your rabbits with little extras to make them feel safer. Platforms are great enrichment items for rabbits; not only does it allow them to perch on top and scan their environment, it is also an extra toy for them to jump up onto and explore. You can DIY your own platform (see pictures below) or simply use cat trees which you can buy in most pet shops or online websites.
dividerpng  Try not to give them every toy all in one go. Switch toys and furniture around every now and again so your bunnies don’t get bored.

dividerpng Treats from pet shops can be very unhealthy for your rabbits; instead try making your own treats by using their hay, nuggets and fresh food. See the bottom of the page for links to recipes to make your own rabbit treats.