Providing safe toys for our bunnies isn't just a recommendation, it is essential!
Toys that can be chewed and gnawed are a must-have and will help keep their ever-growing teeth healthy and trimmed. It's also essential that rabbits are mentally stimulated and active. Boredom can lead to depression (yes, bunnies can get depressed!) and additional health problems, so it really is important.
Big-name animal toy brands aren't the 'local authority' on what's safe for our pets. Sadly, it's not a case of trusting a product just because it's marketed at our fur-family members. Lots of commercial rabbit and small animal toys have hidden additives, glues, and other unsafe ingredients or parts, so it's really important to double check what you're buying.
Glue
I've been horiffied multiple times to find that the toys I've previously bought for Apollo contained a lot of glue!
Many product descriptions don't even disclose the materials used, so you don't know what you're buying. If it doesn't disclose the glue at all, how will you know if it's safe glue? Even if the glue is listed as 'non-toxic' it is still a chemical not meant for eating.
If ingested, glue could cause blockages (and subsequently gastrointestinal stasis and potentially death) as it is indigestable. It could also cause poisoning or sickness if a lot is eaten. Rabbits are unable to vomit, so look out for changes in behaviour and appetite. If you think your rabbit has eaten something they shouldn't have, take them to the vet asap!
While toilet roll tubes have become an absolute favourite among bun owners, it's important to note that there is glue on them. It would be wise to give these to your rabbits in moderation for shredding, and stop altogether if your buns eat a lot of this card. Apollo eats cardboard frequently, so I've stopped offering them to him since finding out!
Top Tip: sisal and seagrass wrapped toys are often held on a product with glue. If in doubt, check with the manufacturer before you buy. It's also worth checking online forums as another owner may be able to let you know after having bought a toy themselves.
Toys with bells
Bells are usually made from metal to get that cute little jingle noise. Most rabbits don't care about toys that make noises - they're usually just interested in toys they can chew!
The bells used in pet toys have a metal shell and tiny metal ball inside. They're usually cheaply made and you could more than likely squash or bend this metal with your own hands. Rough play from your bun could cause this tiny ball to fall out and be ingested, potentially causing your bun to choke or harm them internally as metal cannot be digested.
It's also not good for a rabbit's teeth to chew metal as it can cause splintering and other dental issues. Read on to find out about why plastic bells should also be avoided!
Compacted sawdust
Toys made from compacted sawdust are terrible for your bunny! Any rabbit-savvy person will advise against using sawdust for bedding as it can cause harm to a bunny's sensitive respiratory system. If you wouldn't use it for bedding, you absolutely don't want to encourage them to eat it!
This type of toy is also usually full of other nasties. Just look at the ingredients of this 'carrot gnaw' from Pets at Home: Sawdust 76.5%, Modified Starch 10%, Glycerine 5%, Alfalfa 5%, Sodium Alginate 2.5%, Potassium Sorbate 0.5%, Propionic Acid 0.4%, Artificial Colourings 0.1%.
The toy is high in sawdust and starch. Whether or not starch is good or bad for a rabbit strongly depends on the source. Usually their source of starch should come from healthy, leafy vegetables, not manufactured 'toys'. The best toys for buns are made from all-natural materials and ingredients.
Artificial colours
Quite frankly, your bun isn't going to care if their toys are brightly coloured and colourful toys are usually more appealing to humans. Studies have suggested that rabbits do not see the same range of colours that we do, and only view the world in shades of blue and green! My two buns, Apollo and Athena, actually show zero interest in dyed toys and if you've ever eaten raw food colouring, I think you'll appreciate why! All-natural toys are more appealing for most rabbits and if you can avoid dye completely, that's great. If you really must buy a dyed toy, make sure it's explicitly stated that the dye used is vegetable derived, otherwise I would avoid!
Coated Card
Cardboard is, on the whole, super safe for bunnies, although it's important to make sure they don't eat too much of it as this can curb their appetite for the more important foods they should be eating, like hay!
Be wary of giving your rabbits card or paper that is shiny. This will have been coated in something, likely wax or plastic, which can be harmful if eaten by your rabbit. The same goes for cardboard with foil on one or both sides (such as juice cartons). Foil should absolutely not be offered to your rabbit.
Coloured and printed card and paper should also be avoided. Most printed materials are ink-based which can be toxic, particularly when ingested in large quantities. Newspaper is popular among owners as littler box liner, which is fine as long as your rabbit doesn't eat the paper. Newspaper is covered in so much ink!
Sellotape
If offering your bunny cardboard boxes, make sure you remove any sellotape first. If you can't remove all of the tape (for example if it's keeping the box together), it's a good idea to replace with paper-based tape (still not great, but a bit safer than plastic alternatives) and then also keep an eye on the box to make sure your rabbits aren't eating the tape. Tape contains both plastics and glues and should not be ingested.
Treated wood
Avoid wood and sticks that have been treated with pesticides, insecticides, or any other chemicals. It's especially important to make sure that you check if the wood has been lacquered or varnished before offering to your rabbit.
Wicker baskets may be appealing and look like a fun idea, but can soon harm your bunny if left unchecked for chemicals. Untreated, natural woods are best. It's important to also be sure that the type of wood you're offering is rabbit safe. Certain trees such as cherry, pine and cedar are toxic to your rabbit. If you're unsure about what's safe, here's a helpful guide.
Nails and screws
Nails and screws aren't usually found in a lot of rabbit toys... but they are very common in furniture, housing, and other structures. A lot of wooden housing gets chewed, so I feel it's worthy of a mention here.
Nails and screws are often essential for maintaining the structural integrity of rabbit hidey housees, castles, hay racks, or lookout benches. I wouldn't say to boycott the use of nails or screws in furniture (but definitely in toys!), just be cautious that they're not rusty or poking out in a way that may harm your bun. Keep an eye on whether they're chewing their furniture and be sure to inspect the areas where screws or nails are to make sure they haven't begun to peek out due to the wood being chewed away. If this happens, remove the furniture.
Plastic toys
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 to encourage this natural behaviour.
Those stackable children's cups seem to be really popular with a lot of bunny owners, as do baby keys and rings. Their bright colours and rattly sounds might seem appealing, but in reality, these toys are not very beneficial and can actually be harmful for your rabbit.
If your determined bunny tries to chew through tough plastic, they could risk harming their teeth and jaw. If your bun successfully manages to chew the plastic, they may cause it to splinter, crack and break off. This could lead to your rabbit ingesting sharp pieces of plastic and/or cutting their mouths or gums on the sharp remains.
Unless they're 'treat hiding' games, plastic toys are only good for rabbits to throw around, and there are plenty of other natural and chewable alternatives to choose from instead. Buying plastic is also harmful for the environment.
If you absolutely must buy plastic toys, make sure your buns don't play with them unsupervised.
I hope this article has helped you to become a bit more aware of the harmful products available on our pet store shelves! If you're looking to buy some all-natural rabbits toys that are free from harmful chemicals, colours, glue, and nails then look no further than our Etsy shop. We're proud to lovingly make all-natural handmade toys at an affordable price!