11 Jump! Jump! Jump Around!
Can I play with my bunny?
Yes! You can absolutely play with your bunny, and doing so is important for their health! Playing with your bunny keeps them moving and prevents diseases like GI stasis and RGIS. Let’s talk about how!
What kinds of games do bunnies like?
In order to play a game that both you and your bunny can enjoy, it’s important to understand what a bunny does naturally. Bunnies have instincts that lead them to dig, chew, and forage. These are the most natural things for a bunny to do, and the best games you and your bunny can play allow it to do these things in creative, fun ways. For example, one thing that bunnies like to do is pick things up with their teeth and toss them. You can give your bunny a ball they can hold in their teeth, like a willow ball, that they can pick up and toss away. If you don’t have a willow ball, you can also use things like wooden blocks, stacking cups, and toilet paper tubes. You can also make a rabbit maze, though this is a bit more complex than reverse fetch. You can either use cardboard boxes or furniture in the house, and shape those into an obstacle course for your bunny to hop through. Then, you can use treats to guide your bunny through the maze.
How else can I bond with my bunny?
Remember that your bunny is a companion, and can be bonded with just like a friend! This helps your bunny to feel safe, which lowers their stress and keeps them healthy. Rabbits love fruits and veggies as treats, so if you’re munching on an apple or a carrot, hold it down toward your rabbit so that they can take a bite out of it. As long as you make sure your bunny doesn’t eat too much, this is a great way to spend some quality time with it. Another thing you can do is just simply pet your bunny. Bunnies are very soft, and this can be a great way to interact with old, relaxed rabbits that may be too lazy to hop around and play other games. If you’re petting a more energetic rabbit, you can turn it into a game by training them to ask you to pet them. When your bunny hops up to you, you can wait for them to nudge your hand, and then pet them. After petting them for a while, you can stop until they nudge your hand again to teach them that nudging your hand gets you to pet them.
How to train your…bunny?
That’s right! You can train a bunny just like a dog. Training your bunny to do simple tricks is a great way to bond with them and keep them moving, which keeps them healthy. One trick you can teach your bunny is to lean up and give you kisses! To do this, first, teach your bunny to look up for a treat. This is usually easier in smaller bunnies, who do this naturally. It might take a bit more practice in bigger bunnies, but once you can get them to look up for a treat, you can move on to the rest of the trick. Once you have your bunny consistently looking up to get a treat, start bringing the treat up toward your face. You might need to get closer to your rabbit so they can still reach your face and see you, as the goal is to get the bunny to come up against your face. After you get your bunny to bring his nose up to your face, you can hide the treat in the palm of your hand by closing your hand into a fist. Your rabbit’s instincts will work in your favor here, and they’ll start sniffing your hand to find where the missing treat went. Once your rabbit sniffs toward your mouth, you can make a kissing sound, or use a clicker, and give them the treat. This sound cue helps the bunny understand what they did to earn the treat, and makes it easier to repeat the trick with them in the future!