When it comes to shopping for chew toys there is a variety of different options available, chewing is after all a bunnies favourite thing to do. Below we take a look at the full range of these including willow toys you bunny will love to demolish as well as wooden toss toys they will love to chuck about and nibble on.
We focus on the benefits to your bunnies well being
Making sure you bunny has lots of interesting chew toys to play with is important for their health and happiness. It not only keeps them occupied, chewing fibrous materials is also good for their teeth and tummies. It can also help stop you bunny from chewing things you don't want like your baseboards, carpet or wallpaper. In this guide we look at each toys positive and negative points with your bunnies happyness in mind.
How we tested them for Value, Fun and Mess
Here at Bunnyproof HQ we tested out some the most popular chew toys on our bunnies to find out how much fun they are, what value for money they give and what sort of mess they make.
If you bunny is a bit of a chewer its best to satisfy these natural urges. Take a look at these acceptable alternatives and see if there is something you think your bunny will like.
Willow balls
We would not be without some of these as they always temp our bunny to eat a bit more fiber and a few less treats. Grassy balls but can be a bit messy when they fall apart.
Grassy mat
Bunnies love munching these simple chew toys and they are cheap enough to use to cover an area of floor to provide some comfort and a snack.
Wooden dumb bells
A solid toss and chew toy that will last a long time so you can leave it out even in your bunnies enclosure.
1 Willow balls
Bunnies love chewing on things they can toss about the room and twiggy or woven balls are perfect for this. They come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, often the more detailed they are the more expensive they are however, intricate shapes don't really seem to matter to bunnies that much so you may as well go for good value and get a multi pack of simple toys. Having a variety of these toys will also let you swap them out to keep your bunny interested. Make sure you get Willow balls made for bunnies that are an all-natural material, some people have been reporting finding glue or other materials inside them which is not good if your bunny eats it. Always avoid home decoration product as they may look the same but can be treated with varnishes or fire retardant chemicals that can be bad for your bunnies tummy.
Our bunny loves the chunky willow ball, we have a hard floor so he like the noise it makes as he bats it about. We also prefer them to the grassy variety as they make less mess as they eventually fall apart. They do have a habit of being wedged under furniture so we tend use them for a session where we are playing with our bunny, then we hide them away after a bit, this also make them last a bit longer as it turns out our bunny can eat most of one in one go if he feels like it.
Our verdict
We would not be without some of these as they always temp our bunny to eat a bit more fiber and a few less treats. Grassy balls but can be a bit messy when they fall apart.
Key features
- Great for getting your bunny to eat a bit more fiber and a few less treats.
- You bunny will enjoy tossing the ball around the room.
2 Willow bridge
This wooden adventure chew toy is made from a series of thick wooden sticks joined together and can be bent into a variety of shape to make hideaways and bridges. They have a soft wooden bark that can be chewed and your bunny will enjoy picking this out between the logs. Underneath the bark there is some tough wood that makes this toy resilient enough to be left out as a permanent shelter. They come in a variety of sizes, but you will probably need a larger one if you want to turn it into a hideaway. We recommend the natural looking Willow bridge with a bark as opposed to the some of the more colourful stained ones.
We have a few of these as we have found a number of uses for them as a toy and to help bunny proof our home. We found a good way of setting them out is to bend them into a semi-circle and leave them on their side as our bunny likes tucking his but inside it for a snooze. We also use them to protect things from being chewed by leaning them up against baseboards and wrapping them around furniture legs or the corners of furniture to protect them.
Our verdict
Great to use for lots of bunny proofing jobs like wrapping around furniture. We would not be without these toys as they are an essential part of the bunny proofing we have.
Key features
- Ideal for using to protect baseboards and the corners of furniture
- Can be made into a great hideaway
- This toy is tough and will last a long time
3 Grassy mat
Grass mats are an edible woven mat big enough for your bunny to sit on. They come in a verity of materials, the best are the 100% Grassy mat and are good for a number of reasons. First and foremost, bunnies love sitting on them and chew them, two of their favorite activities. Also, many bunny moms have discovered they can be used as a floor covering in an enclosure by laying down a few of them side by side to offer some comfort. They are also cheap enough so can be replaced when needed and often come in a pack.
We didn't know if our bunny would like these at first but they are very popular, so we tried them out, he took to it right away. It seemed to satisfy his urge to tug and chew at the floor which is good because this helped distract him from chewing on our carpet which was an bad habit he had developed. We had to keep this toy to his enclosure as it made a lot of mess and we also used it as a base in a digging box which our bunny enjoyed very much and also helped contain the mess he made as he shredded it to bits. For a simple toy these really do offer great value and are a permanent part of our setup.
Our verdict
Bunnies love munching these simple chew toys and they are cheap enough to use to cover an area of floor to provide some comfort and a snack.
Key features
- Your bunny will love to sit and chew on this, two of their favorite activities
- They are cheap enough to use as an area of floor cover
- They do make quite a lot of mess when they fall apart
4 Toilet roll tubes
Toilet roll tubesToilet roll tubes are a free and plentiful toy that are a great way to keep your bunny busy. They will enjoy chewing at the course cardboard and tossing them about. You can also make them even more fun by filling them with hay which is a great way of getting your bunny some essential fiber and give them an alternative to seeking this out by chewing your carpet, wallpaper and wooden furniture.
We never throw an old toilet roll away, we just chuck them in out bunnies path when the roll is used up. He gets bored of them pretty quickly so when they start looking tired we just bin them. We also like to play a game with our bunny where I sit with him and stack a bunch of them up on top of each other which he then knocks over and tosses about. He never gets bored of this game so it's a great way of keeping his attention when playing with him.
Our verdict
A free and unlimited source of entertainment. Why not stuff them with hay to make them even more fun to play with!
Key features
- Toilet roll tubes are a free and plentiful toy that your bunny will love playing with and chewing
- You can stuff them with hay to make them even more fun or stack them up and make a fun obstacle for you bunny to demolish
5 Willow sticks
Bunnies enjoy eating fresh willow sticks, starting by chewing the soft bark and eventually eating the soft wood inside. There are many different types of willow or better still Willow sticks treats available that you can buy from pet stores or if you want you can even find these yourself. Remember to check its bunny safe as they can't eat all types of wood.
Our bunny likes the thinner sort as they seem easier to chew up. We found we could make them even more appealing by pushing them through the sides of a toilet roll tube. This helps makes more of a toy out of it and keeps them together and off the floor. We buy a pack of these from time to time and give our bunny one occasionally, so we don't end up with them lying about everywhere.
Our verdict
A simple way to give your bunny something acceptable to chew on to help ware down their teeth and give them some solid fiber to chew on.
Key features
- A great way of stopping your bunny getting bored and getting them to eat more fiber
- They are cheap and will last a long while if you give them out a few at a time
6 Wooden dumb bells
Solid wooden toys are a cheap and fun toy for your bunny to fling about and chew on, their strong point is how long they will last so are great forleaving out in a room. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes however the best sort to look out for are Wooden dumb bells that have some stick shapes build into them so they can be easily held in the mouth and tossed about like the rather than simple wooden blocks. They are a great alternative to help distract your rabbit from chewing on other wooden things like your furniture legs and baseboards. It's best to get a few different sorts, put some aside and swap them over occasionally to stop them being overlooked. We have had some rabbits that have been fanatical chewers and these toys are helpful to leave out in areas where they have made it a mission to chew at the soft wood. They also worked well as an addition to our bunnies digging box.
We have had some bunnies that have been fanatical chewers and these toys are helpful to leave out in areas where they have made it a mission to chew our baseboards and wooden furniture. They also worked well as an addition to our bunnies digging box.
Our verdict
A solid toss and chew toy that will last a long time so you can leave it out even in your bunnies enclosure.
Key features
- A great toy for your bunny to ware down its teeth on and toss about
- These solid wooden toys can be left out all the time with your bunny and will still last a while
7 Cardboard chew tube
Most bunnies homes have had a Cardboard chew tube at one point or another as they are relatively inexpensive and come in attractive colors and designs. You can leave them out for your bunny to play in and they will soon discover they can strip the layers of paper off and customizing it to their own needs. They come in a variety of sizes so make sure you choose one that's big enough for your bun to hop through comfortably if they are a larger bread. These toys can take up quite a lot of space so may not be suitably in a small environment where they may restrict your bunnies movement.
We got one of these when we brought home a baby bunny and it became a part of his routine hopping through it and he really like it, however when he got older he mostly discarded it as a tunnel and used it as a giant chew . We did try out alternatives such as Alfalfa coated tubes, but they don't seem to prove any more attractive than the basic cardboard ones and created an awful lot more mess.
Our verdict
Great for bunnies that like to run around, shred paper and play in hideaways. Young bunnies will especially like this.
Key features
- A great toy that you bunny will enjoy stripping they layers of paper off and using as a hideaway
- We would avoid ones covered in grass as they don't seem any more interesting and make quire a mess
8 Grassy house
Grass hideaways are perfect for popping in and out of and your bunny will enjoy chewing the soft grassy material. They tend to be on the small side so make sure you get one that's suitable for your bunnies breed as you may need a Grassy house that will give your bunny room to sit and turn around in them.
We found our bunny was not that interested in going inside this but loved it as a giant chew toy. We ended up getting him a cardboard box as a hide away as well which he preferred. It also made quite a lot of mess when it start to break down.
Our verdict
A great chew toy and hideaway while it lasts.
Key features
- These make a great chew toy but do make quite a lot of mess when they start to collapse.
- They tend to be on the small side so make sure you get one that's suitable for your bunnies breed.
9 Hanging treat toy
If your rabbit likes to reach up and chew things, then toys that you can hang chewables on so they dangle down can be a source of endless fun especially If you add some vegetables or fruit on them as well. They can be great to hang on a cage side to use as a distraction if your bunny is chewing its cage for attention. Be careful to check the toy is a Hanging treat toy and not for parrots which look similar.
Our rabbit likes making noise so we hung one of these that had a bell on it next to his food bowl, he soon got the hang of ringing it persistently when he ran out of food which was very cute.
Our verdict
Brilliant for handing fresh treats on and keeping your bunny amused.
Key features
- Can be a great way of keeping your bunny interested by mixing chew toys, veggies and fruit.
- They can be a great way of loading up all the treats in one place off the floor.
10 Twig tunnel
These attractive hideaways are not only great fun for your bunny to play in, the soft twigs are also good for chewing so this toy is guaranteed to be a favorite. They come in a variety or materials such as wicker and willow and you can get a full tube or a half tube shape which is better as it will not roll around as much. Make sure you buy a Twig tunnel for bunnies, not a home decoration which often come treated with varnish or flame resistant chemicals.
This toy was a bit of a special treat as it's quite expensive. Our bunny really loved it, so much so we had to put it away and bring it out when we could supervise him around it as he would have tried to eat in in one go. It did make quite a bit of mess when it finally fell apart so was a bit of a waste at the end.
Our verdict
A fun toy for your bunny to play in and chew. They can be expensive and if you bunny really like chewing it, don't expect it to last very long.
Key features
- If you bunny really like it they can demolish one of these in no time
- They can get messy when they start to fall apart