Have you ever wondered how to make enrichment fun for your rabbits? It can be as simple as a magic concoction of hay, nuggets, water and fruit. Let’s get stuck in and show you how you can make your own!
Image: Homemade hay treats by @chloscreatures
What to consider when making homemade treats for pets
Offering homemade treats and enrichment can be great fun for both you and your rabbits! When getting creative in the kitchen, here are the things you should consider:
Always be cautious when cooking in an environment where there is risk of contamination. We would best recommend cleaning your surfaces prior to baking and ensuring (even when stored in the fridge) that your treats don’t come into contact with any harmful substances.
It is important to check your ingredients prior to making homemade enrichment as some fruit and vegetables can be harmful to your small animals. See our list below for reference on rabbit safe ingredients.
How often can I offer treats to my rabbit?
Treats should be offered as an addition to their normal diet of hay, water and nuggets and should not be offered as a substitution to their daily feeding routine. Too many treats can upset your rabbit’s digestive system and if anything, keep your treats healthy and varied.
Which fruits and vegetables are safe for rabbits?
Please always remember that fresh veg, herbs and fruits should always be fed in moderation as fruits especially are extremely high in sugar. Some recommendations you can use include:
Fruit
- Bananas
- Melon
- Strawberries
Vegetables
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Rocket
- Spinach
- Watercress
See the full list of small animal safe fruit and vegetables available on the PDSA website.
Homemade Hay Treats - A recipe by Chloe
For ingredients, you will need…
- 3 cups of hay
- One cup of rabbit nuggets
- 1/2 carrot
- 1/2 apple
- 2 x small bananas
- 1 cup of water
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
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Blend your hay and nuggets into a powder texture - any variety of hay and nuggets is fine. Add this mix into a bowl.
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Blend your fruits and add this mixture into your hay and nugget powder.
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A top tip! If your mix is too thick, add some more water! But if it’s too wet then blend some more hay and nuggets to bind it all together.
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Roll the mixture into balls and flatten them.
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Add your treats onto a baking tray and place them in the oven for 30 mins.
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Don’t forget to turn the oven off and leave the treats in there for 2-3 hours to rest. This final step is super important to help them dry out properly.
This made two trays of treats and left another batch of dough spare - you can store this in a fridge to bake again in 3-4 days. Hooray!
Our Top Tip
This recipe works best when you blend the nuggets and hay together then move that into a separate bowl. Then blend the fruits and add those to the blended nuggets and hay, then add water to get the correct consistency.
Get creative!
If you would like to get extra creative, try using shape cutters! These can be the perfect options for creating Christmas, Easter and Halloween small pet hay treats.
Which recipes would you like to see next? Simply let us know via Instagram DM and tag us in your recreations!
