At Christmas time, it is important that everyone gets involved with the festive spirit… even your pet bunnies. Below, we will discuss festive ideas and treats to help involve your rabbit in Christmas themed activity.

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Food treats that can be bought include fruit and vegetables

There are many recipes which can be produced at home. This means you can create a fun activity for your family or friends, whilst also making special treats for your bunny. You can even try cutting your bunnies treats into Christmas themed shapes if you’d like to get creative. Creating a Christmas wreath with leafy greens for your rabbit would make the perfect Christmas treat. Foods that should be avoided include potatoes, nuts, seeds, cereals and beans. The nutrients contained within these products can be difficult for rabbits to digest and/or they are high in calories and fat which could lead to health problems in the future.

How about making it easier for them to play with their food?

In order to encourage your bunny to play and move around freely, hanging food up so your bunny needs to stand on their hindlimbs or move around in order to get it can be very helpful. Coat hangers can be great for this! Steep ramps are not good for rabbits; they can cause damage to their backs, so keep them to a gentle slope. 

You can also divide your pet’s food up. Put them in different areas of their cage encouraging movement in order to forage for their food. Maybe, place your bunnies’ food in a new container. Getting Christmas themed bowls and drinkers may help bring your pets into the festive spirit. Perhaps choose one with Christmas themed pockets for them to explore. Changing food containers is a fun and safe addition to your bunnies’ habitat as long as the material is robust! 

Adding normal Christmas decorations to your pets’ hutch is not advised. Your bunny may find these inedible items fun to play and ingest, which could lead to dangerous health problems.

Take great care with “special” Christmas menus…

A specific balanced diet is essential for rabbits and sudden changes in their diets can be detrimental. Their diet must meet specific macro and micronutrient values. Rabbits’ guts continually work, and they need to be continually stimulated. If a rabbit goes a long period of time without eating, they can enter gut stasis which, in severe cases, can be fatal. You should monitor the faecal output of your rabbit if changing their diet, taking into account the colour, texture and amount of faeces being produced. If you notice any sudden changes with their faeces or behaviour, please contact your veterinary professionals for further specific advice. Rabbits try to hide any signs of illness due to them being prey species. This means very subtle changes can be critically important.  

Their teeth also continually grow. If they are not eating and grinding down their teeth, they often become too long and can begin to grow in strange directions causing pain and sometimes abscesses. Choosing crunchy treats alongside their daily hay, such as apple, cucumber, celery, raw broccoli and carrots, can help with maintaining good tooth health.

What about last-minute Christmas presents?

Toys are a great additional treat to add to your bunnies hutch. Choosing toys that encourage foraging and chewing behaviours are a brilliant method of providing both mental and physical stimulation to your pet. 

Improving their housing using objects for your bunnies to hide in or play in may be useful. Tunnels and large domes are often bunnies’ favourite places to sleep! You could even increase the amount of bedding your bunny receives through the Christmas months as a special treat allowing them to get super cosy at night time. 

But keeping warm at all times is important

Remember, throughout Christmas time and the next couple of months, temperatures here in the Northern hemisphere can drop rapidly. We must keep our bunnies warm and comfortable throughout this time. Make sure you check on your bunny more regularly than normal, especially if they live outdoors or in a cooler area of your house. If you become worried about any changes in appetite or movement, please contact your veterinary professionals for further advice. 

There are many different ways in which you can treat your rabbits this Christmas

Be sure to regularly check on them and make sure their basic needs of food, water and comfort are met before committing to spending money on special treats (as luxurious as they are)! Alongside any foodie treats consumed by your pet rabbits, ensure they have hay available, they should be given a pile as big as themselves each day!

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