How and what to play with a rabbit?

Do decorative rabbits need games?

Does the rabbit need games at all or is it the owner’s need?

Almost all pets love to play. The more social an animal is, the more it needs games. In the game there is a kind of training of all organ systems and reactions. Survival in the wild requires keeping the muscular, respiratory, and nervous musculoskeletal systems in good shape. In addition, the game produces hormones of joy. For a rabbit, the game is first of all the training of his skills. “Catching up” or searching for food in a playful way is the realization of the genetic potential and behavioral responses. For a pet with limited mobility, this is a great opportunity to stay in shape, reduce the risk of obesity and related diseases.

When and what to play?

Rabbits are secretive animals. The peak of their activity is in the evening and at night, sometimes in the early morning. You can use this watch to chat and play with your furry.

Here are some things to know and consider before playing with a rabbit:

• There must be a clear time for games. Rabbits prefer to live according to an established regime. They do not like unpredictability and deviation from the rules. Therefore, you need to decide when exactly you will play with your pet so that he is in the mood for fun and does not bother you at other times.
• Do not force your pet to play and run if he does not want to. Rabbits prefer to be alone with themselves when they eat, go about needing, wash and rest. At such moments, it is better not to disturb the baby and wait until he is in the mood to frolic.
• It is easy to determine that the rabbit is in a playful mood – he begins to run and jump, happily clapping his ears and doing different “pas” in the air. If you support him and play, the pet will only be happy.
• Remember that a rabbit is by nature a victim. He is timid and cowardly, so a sharp sound or your unexpected appearance from around the corner can be a signal for a hare to give a fight. Do not stress the eared, do not make loud noises. When communicating with a rabbit, try to be at his level – sit down or lie on the floor so as not to seem too big to the pet. Then he will not be afraid of you.
• Do not grab the rabbit and pick it up unexpectedly. Rabbits, like other living beings, have a genetic memory. And even if your ponytail has never fought for its own life and did not run away from a predator, your harsh actions can awaken in it the memories of its distant ancestors. As a result, the baby will be frightened and begin to stress, and here depression and illness are not far away.

Be kind and patient. Rabbits play and make contact not as actively as cats and dogs, and you must understand and respect this. Give your big-eared friend some time to get used to it. Especially if the pet was in your house recently. In the near future, he will be busy exploring the territory, he is unlikely to play games during this period.

• Stock up on treats. Rabbits are very fond of herbal granules and pads, pieces of dried or fresh fruits and vegetables (banana, carrot, apple, pear, peach). Do not buy treats from pet stores for your pet, most often they are very high in calories and far from healthy. You can’t indulge in rabbit fruits either, they have a lot of sugar. A piece of yummy once a day is enough.

Be sure to offer the horse yummy during your communication with him. So the rabbit will associate you with pleasure and pleasant emotions.

• Let the rabbit explore you. Show him your hands, let him sniff and lick them – this is a kind of acquaintance and addiction.
• Stroke the rabbit carefully and gently. In no case do not grab him by the withers, and even more so by the ears, this causes pain to the animal.
• Sometimes rabbits can bite. Each animal has its own character: someone bites in any incomprehensible situation, and someone always keeps his teeth to himself. If your ward is from the first category, do not be offended by him, and even more so do not scold or beat him. Rabbits do not always bite out of anger, most often they draw attention to themselves, express affection or displeasure.

If the baby has bitten you, gently push him away and cry out softly in pain, even if it didn’t hurt. Several such manipulations and the “biter” will understand that it is impossible to use teeth.

• You can play catch-up or hide-and-seek with the eared. Frisky jumpers like to run and hide. But do not turn the game into a chase, the rabbit should not be afraid. As soon as he went into cover, he should immediately come out and resume the game with you.

Remember that for a rabbit you are a real giant who can be scary. Therefore, try to be as low as possible to the floor and do not chase your pet in full growth, this will scare him.

• Let the rabbit choose when to end the game, do not impose your company on him. If the fluffy defiantly turned around and, twitching his tail, rushed off into the shelter, it means that the fun time is over, it’s time for him to do other things. You must respect your pet’s personal boundaries. Rabbits also have a bad and good mood. Today they are ready to play for an hour, and tomorrow – only 5 minutes.

• Be sure to use toys, but make sure they are safe for the animal. The rabbit should only interact with them under your control.

Now let’s talk about how to choose a good toy for a rabbit.

What toys to choose for a rabbit?

To choose a toy for a pet that will be interesting to him, you need to watch the rabbit and determine his preferences.

Let’s say the eared likes to gnaw everything. Then he will like different wooden sticks or twigs. Some people like to push objects with their nose and move them around. Balls made of rods, reels and skittles are suitable for such fluffies.

And there are representatives of the hare-like order, which you don’t feed with bread, but give something to dig and dig. These comrades will appreciate if you throw a pile of rags in front of them and let them work with their paws. Of course, these actions should take place only under your supervision, because. a rabbit can chew fabric and swallow threads, which will lead to blockage of the gastrointestinal tract.

A win-win option is to put a box of hay in front of the eared. Let him delve into it from the heart, and at the same time refresh himself.

All kinds of puzzles are loved by many rabbits. These are very smart pets. The task of the owner is to develop the mental abilities of his pet. You can find different boxes or drawers in the pet store with some items inside (mostly goodies). Let the eared figure out how to open it and get the contents.

A very important rule: do not give the rabbit things that are not intended for him. For example, soft toys for children. They are made of synthetic materials and have a filler inside. If the rabbit gets to him, it will end badly: for example, a blockage of the stomach.

Do not offer a ponytail and plastic toys. They can crack under the pressure of strong rabbit teeth and injure the pet. They also contain harmful substances that can poison the jumper. Cardboard boxes, toilet paper rolls are not prohibited, but a rabbit can also eat it and stuff his stomach. The danger is paint and foil, which may be on the surface of the cardboard.

When choosing a toy for a rabbit, remember that it should bring not only joy, but also benefit. Let the kid grind his teeth about it or find a way out for his natural instincts – dig, hide. In the pet store, explore toys not only for rodents, but also for dogs and cats. Maybe they will inspire you with cool ideas.

These were the main points about games that rabbit owners need to consider. We hope that the information was useful and interesting!