Bub adores the ball pit! We're talking face-first, flying leap off his bed excitement! Levi is significantly more timid getting in - but spends lots of time digging around once he's in there. I love it for the over the top cute factor!
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| Beelzebub foraging for bits of vegetables. |
Although it's important for rabbits to have things to chew on and dig, I don't really want shredded newspaper all over the dining room floor every day. A ball pit is a great addition to your dig-toy collection, and one that is virtually mess free! With this size of ball pit it's light enough the bunnies will push it around if they want to use it in a particular place.
It is
extremely important to use balls that are too hard/large for your bunny to bite into. However, you also want them small enough the bunny can move them easily. One of my bunny-friends uses ping pong balls with great success (and low expense). I used Marshall's
Pop-N-Play Balls, they're intended for ferrets but are a great size for the smaller rabbits too.
Instructions:
Supplies:
- Bunny safe plastic balls (do not use rubber or anything chewable)
- Shallow storage bin
- Large mesh laundry bag (the kind for delicate clothing)
- Your bun's favorite pellets or veggies
Directions:
- After removing any packaging or stickers, put the balls into the mesh laundry bag and toss on the top rack of your dishwasher for a regular cycle.
- You don't even really need detergent since the heat of the dry cycle is really what does most of the disinfecting of anything you put in there. I like to use the Method detergents because there's nothing too nasty in them. As long as you're using the full rinse cycle it shouldn't make much difference.
- I'd typically do a big load of bunny stuff at once so there'd be no weird human food coming into contact with their toys - but I know lots of bunny parents who don't worry about this and haven't had any issues.
- Wash out the storage bin with a bit of vinegar and hot water. Make sure to rinse it well.
- Once all the parts are dry, add small amounts of pellets or tiny bits of vegetables into the bin.
- In this case you want to avoid fruits, or anything that's wet or sticky since you'll have to clean the pit more often then.
- Dump the balls on top and put the bin somewhere your rabbit(s) like to hang out.
- Enjoy the adorable that ensues!
- As always it's a good idea to keep an eye on your rabbit the first few times they play with a toy just in case they decide to get mischievous with it.
Maintenance:
How often you need to clean it depends on how often you use it, and what types of food or treats you hide for your bunny to find. Simply wash it the same as initial setup. If you're closing your ball pit to store somewhere while your bunnies are not playing with it - make sure it's completely dry first.
