Disclosure: We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Does your bunny seem lazy and inactive throughout the day? Is he getting a little fat? Being lazy and fat is not a natural state for rabbits.
How can get your pet bunny to not be so lazy?
To get your bunny rabbit to be more active make sure that they have access to lots of engaging activities. Often being lazy is a symptom of being bored. Engaging activities include a large play area, toys, puzzles, visits to new areas, and even training sessions.
Some pet rabbits become lazy due to the cozy and utterly predictable environment of the house. Sadly, many rabbit owners often don’t even realize that their rabbit isn’t exercising enough until the bunny begins to pack on extra weight.
Rabbits’ bodies are naturally built for running and hopping around. Too much inactivity can cause health problems to a rabbit, and I would never want you and your rabbit to face such needless problems.
In this article, I will share some amazing tips to make your bunny more active and energetic and have them zooming throughout your house in no time.
9 Tips to Make Your Rabbit More Active and Energetic
Chubby bunnies may look cute, but that extra weight isn’t healthy for them. Being overweight causes a rabbit stress and increases the risk of injury or illness.
However, these proven tips will get your bunny to be more active in no time.
1. Free-Range Bunny Play Area
Rabbits are more active when they are in a free-range environment instead of being caged. Rabbits love their freedom, and there is no harm in allowing your rabbits to roam freely in your rabbit-proofed house.
I know that for some people the idea of keeping rabbits cage-free all the time is, at best, daunting. I would strongly suggest taking your rabbits out of the hutch for at least a few hours each day to let them feel free and get unlimited access to the house or at least to one bunny-safe room in the house.
If your house has other pets such as cats, dogs, or any other animals whom rabbits are normally afraid of you’ll need to work very carefully to introduce your pets to each other.
Remember that rabbits are naturally prey, and living with preditors is an unnatural situation.
House bunnies often become great friends with both house dogs and house rabbits, but it isn’t something that you should take for granted or do haphazardly.
2. Take Your Bunny Outside His Comfort Zone
Some rabbits just get into the habit of being lazy.
These lazy bunnies seem to love being inactive and lying around in their cage just munching on hay all day while. For these buns, you’ll need to take them out of their comfort zone to inspire curiosity and more activity.
When your rabbit is introduced to a new area, they are going to feel the need to explore which is great exercise. Just imagine your bunny hopping over and under every obstacle in a new area as they explore. So cute and so much healthier for them!
Take your bunny outside, or to a different part of the yard than they normally visit, or just take them to another room in your house. You can even have a rotation of play areas to keep your bunny from getting bored with any one location.
3. Start A Bunny Training Program
Rabbits are typically pretty easy to train. And as a rabbit owner, it’s quite easy to help them learn tricks that will keep their mind engaged while also getting exercise.
Trick training is great bunny exercise for both the body and the mind.
~Stacey
Just make sure that you’re rewarding their tricks with healthy treats, and not sugary treats. Consider dark leafy greens as training treats instead of sugar-packed fruit.
There are countless videos on YouTube with rabbit trick ideas as well as how-to videos to help you learn how to train your bunny.
4. Walk Your Rabbit
Did you know that you can leash walk your pet bunny?
Well, now you know…
It’s better to train your rabbit for leash walking before taking them on long walks. Otherwise, your rabbit may hurt himself while trying to dash away from you.
Even a half-hour walk can bring your rabbit back to life as they remember how exciting the world really is. If you walk your bunny a few times a week, you’ll see amazing changes in their activity levels even when they not actually out for a walk.
However, taking your rabbit for a walk if you live in a busy city probably won’t go too well because of the dangers both real and imagined.
Since rabbits are sensitive creatures, they will become afraid of the noise and disturbances of a large city which will probably do them more harm than actually doing good.
Similarly, you need to be aware of your surroundings for dangers to your rabbit.
Obvious dangers like dogs are easier to spot, but also remember that some plants can be dangerous for the rabbits due to being poisonous. Check out the list of poisonous plants of rabbits. Just be careful and consider keeping your walks in areas that you are familiar with.
We usually just take our rabbits for walks in our own yard where we know the other animals and plants.
5. Get Your Rabbit A Good Nights Sleep
Do you feel heavy-headed when you don’t sleep well? The same is the case with rabbits when they are not sleeping through the night.
Just like us, rabbits that don’t get enough sleep often tend to be lazy and inactive. Being a bunny parent, it’s your duty to ensure the bunny’s peaceful night’s sleep.
Is your floppy-eared friend getting enough sleep? If not, it might be one of the reasons your bunny is inactive.
~Stacey
Click here to learn how you can get your bunny sleep through the night — No more sleepless nights with your little bun!
6. Give Your Rabbit a Variety of Toys
Toys engage your bunny both mentally and physically. A selection of toys will help your bunny be more active.
Giving the opportunity, every bunny will develop a favorite toy that he loves to play with all the time. By giving them access to a number of toys, your bunny will be able to find his favorite.
In our recommended bunny gear, there are lots of ideas for bunny toys. We even have a list of free DIY Bunny Toys. { Click here to see the recommended list of bunny toys. >>> }
Or if you have the means and want something to spoil your rabbit there are a lot of amazing custom-made rabbit toys on Etsy. { Click here to see rabbit toys on Etsy. >>> }
But let me stress that you don’t have to buy bunny toys. Toys can be as simple as a newspaper tossed on the floor or even a cardboard box filled with torn-up newspaper for them to dig through.
Or maybe an empty toilet paper roll stuffed with hay.
A cardboard box with small holes they can squeeze through is always a big hit.
There can be many seemingly useless things lying around your house that could be an engaging toy for your rabbit with just a little creativity.
7. Let Your Rabbit Exercise at Sunset and Sunrise
For best results, it’s important to choose the exercise times that coincide with times when your rabbits are full of energy.
It’s a common myth that rabbits are nocturnal — which is totally wrong as they are crepuscular.
Therefore, you, as a bunny parent, should take the bunnies out of the cage during the dawn and dusk hours. If your bunny normally sleeps hard in the afternoon, that would not be a good time to try to play with them or try to teach them a new trick.
8. Let Your Bunny Dig
Digging is something rabbits can’t get tired of — It’s a natural activity that brings them joy and great exercise.
Unless you have a lawn that you’re fine with your bunny digging holes in, make an artificial digging box so that your rabbit still gets their digging time while your lawn remains hole-free.
To make a digging box, simply choose a cardboard box that’s big enough for your rabbit size. Place it on the corner of a room and fill it with hay, shredded paper, and maybe a few buried treats to encourage your bunny to dig to the bottom of the box.
As an added bonus, a digging bunny is crazy cute.
9. Change Your Rabbit’s Toys Often
Remember that your bunny’s lazy behavior might be born of boredom. 0If they keep seeing the same-old toys in their cage or room, they will soon stop being curious about them and their boredom will return.
The best solution is to rotate your bunny’s toys. Just have a box of bunny toys and every few days swap out the toys that your bunny has access to.
Remember, all of these toys don’t need to be purchased toys. DIY toys are just as good as custom-made wood toys.
10. Socialize Your Bunny
Rabbits are social animals, just like humans, and they will appreciate every loving gesture from your side.
Single bunnies often spend way too much time alone and that just isn’t good for them. They need social time with their family.
That means social time with you, other people in your family, and with other pets in your family. This social time will engage and energize your bunny, which will make them much more active.
We hope this article helps you to make your bunny more active and healthier.
If you have suggestions to make this guide even better, please reach us in the comments below or email us. I can’t wait to hear what you do as a bunny owner to make your pet bunny happier and more energetic.
~Stacey