It's never been easier, or more encouraged, to buy from sustainable, ethical and eco-friendly sources. There's so much on offer: from cruelty free makeup and clothing, to vegan food and cleaning products. So why shouldn't this be extended to items for your pets? Here are some more ways in which you can give your buns the hoppiest life and keep the planet safe at the same time.
Avoid Plastic
When buying toys for bunnies, it's pretty easy to avoid plastic. As we know, buns need to chew a lot in order to grind down their ever-growing teeth, so wood based toys are the ideal choice.
That's where we come in! Did you know Finding Hoppiness has a shop where we sell all-natural rabbit toys?
Those stackable children's cups seem to be popular with a lot of bunny owners. If you have already bought these thick plastic toys, when you're done with them, be sure to give them to charity or a pet rescue rather than just throwing them in the bin. They will do a lot more harm sitting in a landfill site and I'm sure other bunny owners or children would have a lot of fun with them! Likewise, if you feel you must buy them (you really don't need them), purchasing from charity shops are best, rather than new - it doesn't take much to disinfect them!
There are types of bio plastic made from renewable biomass sources such as sugar cane, vegetable fats and oils and recycled food waste. If you really really really feel like you need to buy non-chewable rabbit toys, check out this range of BioPlastic children's toys.
Forage for Natural Toys
As long as your bunny is fully vaccinated and protected against e.cuniculi, you can consider going out to forage for your own toys and herbs for your bunnies to enjoy. This is a great thing to do, as you'll only be taking as much as you need (not all that much) and it's free!
Things such as pinecones and twigs are best to look for. These include willow, spruce, ash-tree, birch, maple, juniper, poplar, apple, pear, hazel, rose, and hawthorn. Be sure you wash them thoroughly and dry them completely before giving them to your bun. You can give them as they are or use your creativity to create all sorts of shapes! You could use twine to tie them together - your bun will enjoy throwing them around and trying to break up the sticks.
Here's a handy guide on how to spot what's non-toxic to your rabbit on a woodland walk.
There are some rules to consider when foraging:
Do not deliberately uproot plants. All wild plants are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it is illegal to uproot any plant without permission from the landowner or occupier.
Only pick plants that you recognise and know your rabbit will eat.
Pick plants from areas where there are large patches of the plant.
Always pick in moderation so that plenty is left for others to enjoy.
Be careful not to damage other vegetation when collecting forage.
Picking wild plants to sell or for any other commercial purpose is considered to be theft.
Alternatively, you can make all sorts of things with cardboard, hay and loo rolls!
Eco-friendly brands
If you don't feel comfortable or confident enough to forage for your own toys, or you just don't have the time, don't worry! There are still loads of great toys that you can buy for your fluffy child.
It's essentially impossible that a company will have zero negative environmental effects, and it's really hard to go completely plastic free, but if you can buy from a company that actively takes measures to reduce their carbon footprint, that's still a great decision on your part. It's also really great when companies spread awareness on environmental issues and are innovators in environmental change. Although I don't agree with a lot of things that they do (such as their new store designs), Pets at Home have made great strides to be more sustainable in recent years and they also support a number of animal welfare and rescue charities.
If you're unsure of what toy is made from sustainable sources, a safe bet is still to go for the toys that are not wrapped in plastic packaging. This cardboard packaging can also then be used as an extra toy for your bun! Just be sure that they don't eat too much of it, and make it extra fun by stuffing it with hay and/or treats.
If you really must buy toys for your bun, I recommend buying in bulk at the same time you buy your food, hay or litter. Then, rotate the toys that you give your bun so that they have a continued interest in them. This reduces the number of trips you'll need to take to your local pet shop. Alternatively, if you buy online, try and buy from the same store when you buy all of your other required products. This reduces the emissions that the delivery van outputs as opposed to getting it all delivered individually by multiple different vans.
Nature First
Available online and in stores around the UK such as Pets at Home and The Range.
This brand from Happy Pet has a wide range of small animal products and toys, all with minimal plastic packaging. They seem to make a lot of toys from willow which is great for my buns as this is their favourite type of wood to chew, next to apple. I've asked to see their environmental policy, but have yet to hear back.
Irrelevant to eco-friendliness, but the only thing I will say is that I recommend avoiding the wooden platform that they sell (pictured). I thought this would be great for Apollo and Athena to hop up onto and hide underneath whenever they're in their pen, however it fell apart shortly after I bought it. One of the legs wouldn't screw on properly and if left off, revealed a large pointy screw that I couldn't take out. It also arrived with what looked like a large clump of dusty cobwebs in the top - needless to say I washed that thing inside out!!
They also sell a wooden hay rack which I really enjoy using with my buns and they love it too. I did have to make a few careful adjustments, however. The metal bars propped into the gap in the wood are just way too narrow. There was no way either buns would ever be able to easily get their mouths through to pull hay out, and so I took a pair of pliers and kept squashing the bars together until I was able to pull the frame out. If you decide to do this, please be careful or ask a parent to do it instead! I also screwed the hanging hooks in at a slight angle to that the rack sits nicely against the pen bars.
Everything else so far has been great! You just need to find out what your buns will love most.
Rosewood Pet and Woodlands
Available online and in stores around the UK such as Pets at Home and The Range.
Rosewood Pet and Woodlands are companies that don't make plastic toys for bunnies. They create rabbit toys mainly made from willow and other woods, seagrass, hyacinth, coconut, banana leaf (best to avoid corn husk) and more - perfect for grinding down those teeth. I mainly see these products in Pets at Home and a lot of their toys also don't come in plastic packaging which is great. Decreasing the amount of unnecessary plastic going out into the world is a win in my book, and by buying plastic-free you're showing companies that they need to follow suit if they want to stay in business. Not sure why plastic is bad? Head over here for a simple explanation.
Small Pet Select
Available online only
This amazing online shop has an entire page on their website dedicated to explaining the way they source and make their products; which is more than I can say for the other companies! They mainly source from an organic farm in Virginia, and use no machinery to harvest the materials needed to make the products. The toys are then made lovingly by hand! They're not the cheapest, but they're not mega expensive either. There are lots of different toys to choose from, made from lots of different materials from honeysuckle, willow, oat and sea grass to organic dried okra pods and buckwheat.
I couldn't help but notice some of the products on offer are the exact same as other brands. For example, this Woodlands 'Trio of Play Balls'. I really hope that this just confirms that Woodlands are sourcing ethically, but the cynic in me thinks it could also mean that Small Pet Select don't always source from their happy farm.
The best you can do is make an active decision to go plastic free and purchase ethically if you can! If you want to do ten times better, then foraging or making your own from cardboard items you would have thrown away, is the way to go.
If you have any thoughts, extra tips, or comments - let me know!