June 12, 2025, 3:46 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Two rabbits, one cage—and many questions: When PETBOOK editor Louisa Stoeffler got her rabbits, Nina and Lola, she knew little about proper care. So what did she do instead? Crafting, observing, experimenting. Today, she shares creative tips on how to keep rabbits meaningfully engaged—and why nibbling, digging, and jumping are not just nice extras but essential needs for these animals.
When I got my two rabbits, Nina and Lola, many years ago, rabbit care was not as advanced as it is today. I had a standard plastic cage, a food dish with pellets, a water bottle that frustrated the rabbits immensely—and, unfortunately, little knowledge of what rabbits really need. But I wanted to do it right. So, I started reading, observing, and, most importantly, crafting. The topic of how to keep my rabbits meaningfully occupied in the afternoon captivated me. I wanted Nina and Lola to be not only fed but also content and engaged.
What I learned during this time, I want to share here—along with creative activity ideas that you can use to entertain and stimulate your rabbits.
The Right Environment Is Half the Battle
Even though I didn’t have a large outdoor enclosure back then, I quickly realized how much Nina and Lola enjoyed variety—and especially afternoon free-roaming in my room. I started rearranging their cage, filling a bowl with water instead, building hiding spots, and adding extra elements to the “run.”
Today, I know: To keep rabbits entertained, you need space, retreats, elevated levels, and an environment that regularly changes—where rabbits feel safe but also have experiences.
The Classics—Tunnels, Tubes, and Caves
Cardboard rolls, fabric tunnels, and boxes with passages were my first DIY projects. They mimic natural rabbit burrows and offer a hiding place, retreat, and playground all in one. Cork or willow tubes are also great—especially if they are textured and invite climbing and gnawing. It’s important to use untreated natural wood so the rabbits don’t ingest chemicals while gnawing. Stuffing hay or lettuce into the tubes makes them even more exciting and provides playful munching fun.
The Rattle Box or the Big Dig
A digging box was a particular highlight for Lola. I filled an old box with soil, sand, or sometimes just paper when I got tired of sweeping up crumbs. Soon, a rattle box with newspaper clippings and leaves was added—a sensory experience that continually delighted the rabbits.
In both boxes, I liked to hide a few pellets or dried herbs. If you want to keep your rabbits entertained, providing a digging opportunity is generally a good idea.
Combining Eating and Playing
In the wild, rabbits spend most of their day foraging. However, in a low-stimulus environment, they quickly get bored because food is almost always available and there’s not much else to do. Therefore, you can make foraging a bit more challenging and thus more exciting.
These meaningful activity ideas are based on that concept—and can be easily and sustainably crafted with household materials:
- Hay socks (old socks with holes, filled with hay)
- Food rolls made from perforated toilet paper rolls with hay and herbs
- Filled kitchen rolls, sealed with a dense tuft of hay, so the animals have to “work” for it
- A brick with holes, also very suitable for “herb bouquets”
- A food tower made from a thicker branch with drilled recesses for leafy green bouquets
- Food skewer with sturdy wooden sticks (better for vegetables, use only a little fruit!)
- Foraging in a haystack or box
- Small paper bags with crinkly contents
- Hide treats (vegetables or fruit) under paper cups
Keeping Rabbits Busy with Obstacle Courses and Jumping Exercises
I had little space—but I used it to create a course for them. This activity is now known as Kaninhop. Rabbits love to jump, especially when you lure them over hurdles with food.
My rabbits found paths behind furniture, homemade bridges, or just a few branches as mini-obstacles to hop over, which is particularly exciting.
Today, there are many rabbit-friendly toys available in specialty stores. It’s important to ensure that they are not made of plastic, as in my experience, rabbits love to gnaw on just about anything. Sharp-edged plastic could easily end up in the animals’ digestive tract.
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Mental Stimulation with Mental Exercise
Rabbits are no less intelligent or playful than dogs and cats. Clicker training can, therefore, be very beneficial for them. I personally haven’t tried it, as I had never heard of this training method at the time, but it is now well-researched that rabbits respond very well to trick training and positive reinforcement.
I’ve learned: It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated to keep rabbits entertained. The main thing is that something new happens regularly. Sometimes a box, sometimes a cloth or a sniffing mat made of fabric scraps, because if you want to keep rabbits properly entertained, you need creativity and observation skills.
About the Author
Taking care of animals is simply a way of life for Louisa Stoeffler. Since early childhood, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, canaries, and budgerigars have accompanied her on her life’s journey. Since 2022, she has also been writing about them as a specialist editor at PETBOOK. She is particularly passionate about those animals and topics that often remain in the shadows of public attention—such as the proper care and maintenance of small animals. Her goal: to make complex issues understandable, strengthen animal welfare, and raise awareness among readers about the diversity of the animal world.