Christmas can be an expensive time of the year, but what doesn’t have to be costly is your small animal’s enrichment! Enrichment can vary from toys that encourage your small animal to eat more (hay) to boredom breakers that encourage your rabbit to climb, tunnel or dig. Both mimic their natural foraging behaviour that they would present in the wild.
Why is enrichment important?
In the wild, rabbits typically spend 80% of their waking time foraging or eating, so enrichment for pet rabbits is pretty important! According to the RSPCA, enrichment is known to:
- Improve the quality of your rabbit’s living area
- Give your rabbits the freedom to explore, exercise and forage
- Provide mental and physical stimulation
Example of enrichment accessories for small animals:
- Hay racks or bags
- Tunnels
- Cardboard
- Hide outs
Here are some other enrichment accessories recommended for rabbits by the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund.
HayDay DIY Hay Wreath - A step by step guide by Katy
You will need:
- 1 x a box of Tasty Timothy Hay or Moreish Meadow Hay
- A handful of your small animal’s favourite treats
- An empty cardboard box (a HayDay box works perfectly!)
- Scissors
- Jute string
- A plate and a bowl
- Pencil
Instructions
- Take an empty piece of cardboard and place a plate on top as a stencil. Draw a circle on top of the cardboard.
- Next, take a bowl and draw around it inside the circle you have just drawn with the plate.
- Very carefully, cut out both circles, starting with the larger one first. You will be left with something that resembles a car wheel.
- Next, cut a length of jute string and loop it round the circle you have just cut out making sure there is enough length so you can wrap it around the cardboard a number of times.
- After that, take a small handful of Tasty Timothy hay and place it on top of the cardboard ring.
- Then carefully wrap the jute around it until the circle is covered. You can just tuck the jute back on itself to secure it and use another piece. Repeat this step until the wreath is full and bushy. Make sure to carefully trim off any excess.
- Time for the bow!
- Take the long stem hay (Tasty Timothy works extremely well for this) and make a loop on one side of the bow and secure it with jute string. Repeat for the other side then attach it to your wreath.
- Finally, take your small animal’s favourite treats and tuck them into the jute string that holds the hay to the wreath
To see how Katy created her wreath, you can also see step by step instructions on her video over on Instagram!
Other festive enrichment ideas to try for your rabbits at home
Our ambassador Karolina created her bunnies Matilda, Clementine, Sophie and Helen their very own (miniature) Christmas tree! Using just wood, Tasty Timothy hay and her bunnies favourite treats.
Image: DIY Christmas tree, made from hay for rabbits and other small animals
Using just hay, water and nuggets you can make your rabbit’s treats from the comfort of your own kitchen. Try adding a festive touch for your rabbits by using Christmas inspired cutters; think reindeers, Santa or baubles.
Image: Homemade hay treats for rabbits
For more tips and tricks on how to encourage your rabbits and guinea pigs to forage, see more in our blog “Nutritionist Top Tips: How to Encourage Foraging”.
