Materials for behavioural enrichment don’t have to be expensive; ‘free’ materials can go a long way. It’s important to keep the natural behaviour of the animal in mind. Guinea pigs, for example, live on the ground, so they don’t need climbing materials in their pens. It’s also essential to avoid filling up the enclosure with play material: the animals need to be able to run and to stretch out. Furthermore, materials used must be easy to clean or replace on a regular basis. Lastly, behavioural enrichment is only truly successful when it keeps changing. The same little box year in, year out has long stopped presenting a challenge. Cleaning the enclosure presents a good opportunity for changing things around.
For rabbits, behavioural enrichment can be offered based on the need for digging, hopping, chewing, hiding and playing. Objects that can be used for these rabbit activities are: