From Lianne McLeod, DVM,
Your Guide to Exotic Pets.
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Many owners are surprised to find out how playful their rabbits are. Most rabbits will appreciate a selection of fun toys, which can be as simple as a cardboard box or empty paper towel roll.

Toys will help keep your rabbit physically active and prevent boredom. A bored rabbit is much more likely to become destructive or even depressed and overweight. Deprived of toys and play things, your rabbit may turn to your furniture and other belongings as chew toys, or even dangerous things like electrical cords. Experiment with a variety of toys to find out what is entertaining to your rabbit, and continue to provide new toys (or at least rotate the ones he/she has).

While a good selection of toys will help keep your rabbit away from things you do not want him or her chewing on, the toys you provide must be safe too. If your rabbit is interested in eating one type (e.g. plastic, cardboard, etc.) of toy, switch to another type. Watch for soft rubber items or plastic parts that can be eaten and cause gastrointestinal problems or blockages. While your rabbit will likely enjoy shredding paper and cardboard, make sure he/she is not ingesting much of it.

A huge variety of items can make good rabbit toys. You might not find them marketed as rabbit toys, and some are things you will have around the house. Be creative and pay attention to how your rabbit seems to like to play, and you may come up with ideas of your own (just pay close attention to safety). Some ideas:

• cardboard tubes from toilet paper and paper towel rolls
• paper bags
• cardboard boxes (especially a closed box with two or three rabbit sized entrance holes cut in the sides)
• cardboard concrete forms or large PVC pipes for tunnels (make sure bunny can't get stuck!)
• untreated wicker baskets or other wicker items (a wicker tunnel other items are available at the online stores listed below)
• hard plastic cat balls with a bell inside (make sure your bunny isn't chewing up and swallowing the plastic though)
• hard plastic baby toys such as rings, links, keys, rattles, etc.
• parrot toys and bells
• kitty condos (the shorter ones), tunnels, platforms
• towels
• small straw whisk broom
• straw balls ( you can get the ones meant as hamster houses; for added enjoyment fill with timothy hay)
• box full of shredded paper (preferably ink free - you can sometimes get unprinted newsprint roll ends from the local newspaper printer)
• fresh branches from apple trees
• dried pine cones
• large rubber ball

See Top Ten Toys For Rabbits to see recommendations for some of the best rabbit toys available online.

There are a couple of online stores that carry wonderful bunny toys. I have no affiliation with either of these, nor have I ordered from them, but they come recommended by readers.

• Bunny Bytes: Outfitters of the Urban Rabbit - great selection of toys and other rabbit supplies and items.
• Leith Petwerks - a great section devoted to fun rabbit toys (along with excellent cages and other supplies).
• Busy Bunny - offers some really neat wicker items for rabbits as well as treats and other items.
• Pet Rabbit Toys - great play centers and other ingenious wood and sisal toys for bunnies (and other small pets).

See the "Rabbit Care Guide" for more pet rabbit care articles.