Safe Homemade Toys?

[sammysue63]

While on another topic rabbit toys came up. I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas for safe, very inexpensive rabbit toys. I plan on eventually having 300 does or more so I am looking for something that won't cost an arm, leg and my first 500 born.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I have not tried it yet, but someone suggested empty toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay. I use empty pill bottles with a few dried beans in them right now.

 

[MaggieJ]

I've heard that rabbits love pinecones as toys. And a six-inch piece of branch from a safe tree always goes down well. Empty tuna can with no sharp edges. Rabbits seem to enjoy toys they can fling and toys that make noise.

 

[sammysue63]

All great suggestions,
scpankow...I like both those ideas.
MaggieJ...do the pinecones need to be dried? I have tons of them. also we are going to be pruning our apple tree today will that work?

 

[MaggieJ]

If you bring the pine cones into the house, they should soon dry out and open, which gives the rabbit something to get hold of. Make sure they are not mouldy if they have been lying out all winter.

Apple tree prunings would be great, though shortlived, toys. The rabbits will nibble off all the bark and have a lovely time doing it. I sometimes tie flexible branches into a knot so the buns can fling them around.

I wouldn't use the trimmings from trees that have been sprayed... Not sure what chemicals might be in the sprays. Willow, poplar, elm, pear and sugar or silver maple are all fine for rabbits as well as apple.

 

[Iggysbabysitter]

Thyme has a baby toy (a yellow circle, orange bars with big chuncky beads, kinda resembles a ball). He loves to toss it around the cage and make noise. The toilet paper rolls get thrown around by the fryers, and nibbled a little. The cans were ignored, though.

 

[Anntann]

I found some inexpensive cat wire ball things. the rabbits like to pick them up and cart them around for some reason.

toilet paper rolls are great (and free) and the pinecone thing...my goodness they are great toys The other thing I've found to be excellent if you have enough space in the cage are the heavier plastic bases you sometimes get when you order chinese take-away. or from the microwave meals. My does LOVE those things. Pick it up. move it. flip it over. SLAM IT INTO THE DOOR!!! (aztec has a way of telling me when she's pissed off about something...)

 

[Jessykah]

I have tried giving my buns toys, but they always seem to get them into their potty corner and pee on them. Then they won't touch them usually. I cannot be cleaning the toys several times a day, so they don't have toys anymore. Wish they wouldn't pee on them... Maybe if I try the toilet paper roll thing, they will be more apt to keep it in one general area as they munch on it and the hay? Hmmm...

 

[MaggieJ]

Those wire cat balls are terrific. I wish I could find some really cheap ones. Must remember to try the dollar store.

 

[Miss M]

Yep, toilet paper or paper towel rolls, cat balls, and small baby toys (ring toys like keys, with something they can grab). We get the baby toys for next to nothing at the thrift store.

 

[Brody]

all my ideas are here already

paper towel rolls
thrift store baby toys
branches
pinecones (a huge fav here)

oh - small paper bags stuffed with things then closed tight

 

[sammysue63]

Thank you everyone, alot of great ideas, I love this forum there is nothing like getting information from people who really know their stuff and learning from other peoples experience. My bunnies thank you too, now they will all, no matter how many we have, have something to help keep them entertained.

 

[downonthefarm]

I buy used golf balls or ping pong balls at garage sales, thrift stores, etc. They like to push them around. Sometimes they end up in the water crocks though.

 

[Random Rabbit]

Probably a silly question... But .... How does one get the labels Off the pill bottles ??? I break every fingernail trying to get them off !! lol ! I can see how they could make a neat toy and do want to try it.

 

[MaggieJ]

Try a hair dryer... softens the glue... should peel off.

 

[Random Rabbit]

Try a hair dryer... softens the glue... should peel off.

Well... ! I don't have a hair dryer...But ... DH does have a heat-gun. Yippie...it Does work ! The labels will peel off, saving many of my fingernails. ...But .... if the gun is left on the bottle too long...it will melt the bottle !!! :lol:

 

[Jessykah]

I just soak in water and peel off, then scrub with dishsoap and steel wool, or whatever scrubbing material I have. I dont have a hair dryer either.

 

[SoINGirl]

I made some of the toilet paper roll ones this week and they absolutely loved them. Of course they don't last very long. Do you think people would think that I'm weird if I asked them to save the empty rolls for me :lol: If you put baby toys in there isn't the plastic bad for them when they chew them up? Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Iggysbabysitter]

The ones Thyme plays with are a nice hard plastic, and I haven't noticed any real wear/chew marks. But I suppose if you have a destructive bun, the paper tubes would be better. I stuffed my toilet paper tubes with fresh grass, really tight, so the bunnies had to work to get it out. Some just ate what stuck out the ends, and waited for me to release the rest (they were lazy). Packing it in tight seemed to keep it from wilting too.

 

[avdpas77]

Pine cones sound great to me, but none around close by. I take empty soda-pop cans, wiggle the tab off of them, put in a few pebbles then seal the hole with duct tape. They like to push these around their cage, though some of them will dunk them in their water crock. The last for a long time. and if they get dirty they can be hosed off, or simply replaced.