Rabbit enrichment
Environment enrichment means that your rabbit’s environment is improved by offering a selection of:
- Activities
- Housing areas
- Foraging opportunities
- Socialisation.
Environment enrichment is designed to improve your rabbit’s quality life, their welfare.
Environment enrichment can include everything from the handling of animals and rabbits to the provisioning of toys. Environmental enrichment should include
Your rabbit’s daily activities will be more varied.
Encourage the expression of natural behaviors
Environment enrichment helps your rabbit to adapt to its environment. It is especially important for rabbits left alone for longer periods of time (over 4 hours).
Why is enrichment important to rabbits?
Rabbits can be active, intelligent, curious, social and social animals. The boredom of rabbits can lead to poor welfare. Rabbits are often kept in small spaces for long periods of the day. They need to be able to control their environment and take measures to avoid stress and boredom.
Enrichment for rabbits
You should tailor enrichment to your rabbit’s needs. If you have a small cage or hutch, you can build a larger pen that you can open the hutch onto. This will encourage your rabbit explore and exercise. The large floor area and high ceiling allow for normal behaviors such as
- Running
- Jumping
- Hopping
- Leaning on their hind legs.
Your rabbit’s mental and physical stimulation should be considered in any environmental enrichment. You should ensure that the materials you use are safe and have smooth edges. Regular inspection of enrichment items is necessary to ensure they are free from potential injury points and damage. If an item is damaged or unsafe, you can either discard it or replace it. Ideas for enrichment of the environment for rabbits are:
Their hutch can be used as a hiding place or platform.
Toys and objects for play, exploration, digging, scent marking, and manipulating. Online and in pet shops, toys can be bought. You should always have a variety of toys and rotate them. Don’t put all of them in one hutch/pen at once. They will quickly get bored.
Food enrichment — give food to your rabbits in a way that encourages them to forage or work for it. One example is a treat ball with small pieces of carrot or another food. You could also try hiding leafy greens under the hay or in hiding places to encourage them to forage.
Positive interactions to humans — these include playing games, grooming your bunny and using positive reward-based techniques such as clicker training.
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