Pet store treats are NOT always safe for your bunny!

Have you ever walked into a chain pet store and seen a wall of small animal-friendly toys, treats, and hidey houses? You'll see brands like VitaKraft, Full Cheeks, Oxbow, and more gracing the shelves, but unfortunately, just because you see a bunny advertised on the packaging does NOT mean the product is safe for bunnies.

Let's dive into frequently sold items at pet stores that are not bunny-safe, brands you can usually trust, and how you can be an educated consumer when looking for new toys and treats.

Now, you're in front of this wall, looking at your options. Where do you begin?

Treats

Here are some things to avoid:

• Yogurt drops. Bunnies can't process dairy!
• Seeds inside of treats (or anything edible, like pellets or hay) 
• Added sugar items. Whether that's honey, glucose syrup, sugar, or other sweeteners, bunnies will often get GI stasis when they ingest too much sugar. Some bunny owners argue, "But my bunny loves these treats!" Yes, you would also love being fed a huge cake with frosting on it...but that doesn't mean it's good for you!
  
• Artificial food dyes and coloring. A bunny's digestive system is only designed to process vegetable and fiber-based products, and may cause GI stasis, other physiological issues, or death.
• Corn fillers. Similar to added sugar, these can cause GI stasis issues and offer little to no nutritional value. It's just a way to make treats seem more filling!

Here are some things to look for:

• Under 10 ingredients. This usually means that the company is focusing on whole foods that bunnies are meant to eat. 
• Timothy hay is one of the first ingredients. Alfalfa hay may be okay too, but alfalfa hay is much richer than timothy, so should be fed in moderation.
• Bunny treats from large-scale brands like Small Pet Select, Oxbow, and Sherwood Pet Supply are generally safe for bunny caretakers to purchase.
• No added sugar identified on treat packaging.
• Feeding Instructions are identified on the package
  
• If they use wheat flour, the recommended treat feeding instructions are not beyond 1-2 treats per day. Wheat flour can be digested in moderation, but like corn, it can cause digestive issues if fed too often.

Toys

Here are some things to avoid:

• Small, breakable parts are choking hazards. Think of your bunny like a small child. If it's something a baby can choke on, they can choke on it, too! Modify any toys you buy and remove dangerous parts if necessary. (I remove the "cherry" red bead off of the Oxbow cupcake before giving to my buns!)
• Metal rings. If you find a toy you love, you can usually remove the metal ring part from the toy easily. Otherwise, monitor your bunny carefully while they use a toy that has a metal ring meant for hanging.
• Treated wood, and some wood varieties. If wood is treated and your bunny chews or ingests it, it can be poisonous to your bunny's system! I'll list some safe woods for bunnies below, but you should avoid any wood with coatings on them, as well as products with beech, birch, cedar*, fir, mahogany, maple, oak, pine, cherry or almond wood.
• No openings where a bunny's foot or head can get caught. If there's a will, a bunny will find a way. And a bun can really hurt themselves if they get stuck in a toy and panic! I will sometimes alter circular toys and treats by breaking them to have a large opening -- just in case.
• Rubber, string, or fabric. If your bunny can chew it and eat it, they likely will, and you may end up with a trip to the emergency vet due to an intestinal blockage!
• Glue. Some products use natural "glue," but most of the cute and cheap chew toys you see on Amazon do not!

*Bonus tip: Cedar shavings are NOT safe bedding for bunnies!

Here are some things to look for:

• Safe wood/material varieties. You can often find bundles of Willow or Apple branches at your local pet store. These are bunny-safe and great tools to keep your buns from chewing things they shouldn't! Bamboo and dandelion root are also great for chewing.
• Affordably priced. Ultimately, the item you are buying will be enjoyingly destroyed and chewed up by your bunny. Now, that doesn't mean you should buy the cheapest thing! But just keep in mind that toys sometimes don't last a day, or even an hour, in a bun household!
• Items you can DIY! Like this "stick monster" from The Rabbit House, you can often make fun toys for your bunny from items you have at home! Cardboard paper towel or toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes, and more can be just as fun for your bunny as something from the store! The Bunny Lady has some great step-by-step DIYs you can try on your own! I've also included a chew/hay mat by Buttercup's Bunny Boutique below that you should check out.

Hidey Houses

This is actually a trick question! Unless you have a baby bunny who is only 8 weeks old, most of the hidey houses sold at pet stores will be far too small for your bunny. Take a look at this post I made that details how to use cardboard boxes as a veritable palace for your bunnies! The only ones I would recommend that are sold in stores are by Oxbow, but they are only appropriate for small bunnies! Otherwise, I highly recommend this willow tent by BinkyBunny! I have purchased these for my bunnies, and they last FOREVER and make a great chew toy & hidey house combo!

Thanks for reading! Have questions or want to shout out your favorite bunny treat or chew company? Comment below!

~Liz