Do rabbits need mental stimulation and exercise? Absolutely!

A bored, unstimulated rabbit can become destructive, aggressive, overweight or depressed.

Rabbits can be playful and energetic and can be quite goofy to watch at play. Haven't you seen you rabbit get a sudden burst of energy and go flying through the house, twisting and turning all the while? This dance is one of the many ways rabbits play.

Observe what your rabbit likes to do.

Allow your rabbit a lot of playtime and let him to do what comes naturally: chew, dig, toss, shred, bunch or burrow. Some rabbits will never chew, but they love to toss things around; others are dedicated diggers. By observing and interacting with your rabbit, you can capitalize on his entertainment preferences.

Experiment with different toys. If at first Bun isn't sure why you have given him these new, odd-looking objects, gently toss the new toy toward him or actually put him in the play box. With appropriate toys, Bun can fulfill his needs without getting himself into trouble. Besides, bunnies are so cute when they are intent upon something.

Provide different toys

The following list of well-tested rabbit toys will help you provide a lifetime of fun and stimulation for your rabbit. Bun will thank you with many leaps and bounds.

•           Cardboard box filled with hay. Cut two little holes in opposite sides and Bun will generally chew on the hole areas to make them bigger and then jump in and ply and dig, or simply destroy the box. Oh well, that's what it's for.

•           Plain paper bag, on its side. Grocery bags are great for this. Add some hay inside as an extra enticement to enter.

•           Large cardboard concrete forms from the hardware store. These tubes resemble a burrow and Bun will love to dig in, sleep in and run through them.Put one end of the cardboard form into a box and Bun can run up the tube and land in the box.

•           Untreated wicker baskets are good chew toys. Fill will hay, pine cones, toilet paper rolls or other chewable items.

•           Plain, untreated, woven-straw paper-plate holders are also excellent chewing toys.

•           Toilet paper or paper towel cardboard rolls. Fill with hay so it's sticking out the ends, or serve up a la carte as objects to nibble. Round, empty oatmeal containers are also fun to push around and chew. Ever-popular, plentiful and economical.

•           Cardboard cat condos, available at many pet supply stores, provide climbing and chewing entertainment. These inexpensive items have many levels from which Bun can enjoy the view of the household. The Little Tykes gym from Toys-R-Us is the same concept as the cat condo, but made out of hard plastic and designed for children. This gym is good for backyard play if your rabbit has supervised time outside. People have even been known to put this climbing apparatus in their home. Now that's dedication!

•           Sea grass mats, untreated, from Pier 1 or Cost Plus Imports are meant for floor covering, but rabbits love to chew on them. Available in individual squares or sewn together in larger pieces.

•           Towels in the cage or a box are irresistible to the dedicated rearranger; she will love to push and pull the cloth.

•           Some cat and baby toys are also good for rabbits. Hard plastic baby toys, such as rattles and plastic keys, and plastic cat toys, such as one-inch barrels with a bell inside, are great toss toys because Bun can grip these with his front teeth and fling them. (Yes, it is normal for Bun to continually throw these directly into his water bowl!) The larger metal cat ball is also a good toss toy. Large parrot toys that hang from the top of Bun's cage are good for making noise and bumping into.

Move the toys around

Keep Bun amused and involved by rearranging his toys--offer them in different places, stack them, move them around. He may see the items in a different light, trying out some toys that previously had not interested him. And your moving things around may prompt a fit of orderliness in the rabbit who thought things were arranged just right beforehand.

Words of caution

When experimenting with toys for your rabbit, make sure Bun cannot swallow and choke on parts of the toy. Beware of rubber items, and parts that could fall off or be gnawed off and ingested. Cloth items, such as dish rags or fabric pieces, could potentially cause harm if Bun swallows the hard-to-digest threads. Plenty of fresh hay is a big help in moving anything eaten through Bun's digestive system. Finally, be sure any chew holes are big enough the Bun cannot get his head stuck-- panic and struggling to get free could lead to strangulation.

Let the games begin

Be creative, be careful, have fun! Take your cues from what your rabbit likes to do and be sure to give plenty of free-roam time to flex his muscles in his favorite ways. Remember, besides being fun, playtime also provides valuable, healthy exercise and mental stimulation.