Yes, but be careful with the amount of cardboard that they eat. Probably the reason why
It is okay for a rabbit to eat cardboard. You don't want the cardboard to be a main source of food, of course, but ingesting cardboard in small amounts is not harmful to your rabbit. Cardboard is actually great for your rabbit to chew on to wear down their teeth. It's normal for them to eat a little while chewing.
Yes! One of the safest toys that your active rabbit can have is an empty toilet paper roll. You can stuff the toilet paper roll with hay to make your bunny even happier. This will definitely keep your pet happy and busy for hours while eating and chewing on the cardboard tube.
Empty toilet roles and egg cartons make easy, relatively safe toys for rabbits to chew on and I usually have a egg carton available in Dustin's exercise pen which he occasionally chews on. These kind of things can be filled with hay and treats to make it a bit more exciting for your rabbit.
Gut blockages, while causing gut stasis, are not always directly part of the gut stasis syndrome we regularly see. Blockages are often secondary to the rabbit eating some-thing inappropriate, for example, nuts, fake straw bedding, wallpaper or cardboard.
Rabbits often eat their bedding, so it cannot be toxic. Shredded paper, Aspen shreds, specialist litter or pellets, and hay are all safe options.
Depending on the severity of the offence, a rabbit can hold a grudge from hours to several days. Sometimes, a simple stroke on the forehead or an apologetic treat can remedy a miffed bunny, but if your rabbit is truly offended, they can sulk for quite some time!
Offer a treat
The easiest way to apologize to a rabbit is to offer them the treat. For many rabbits, this will immediately get you back into their good graces and they will no longer hold a grudge against you. However, even for rabbits who refuse the treat, the act of giving them something yummy doesn't go unnoticed.
5. They are lonely. Because rabbits are social animals, they will often get depressed if they are left alone for too long. A rabbit who is treated like a cage animal and left alone inside their enclosure day in and day out is very likely to become lonely and depressed.
Rabbits communicate using body language, and apologizing is one example of this behavior. Rabbits apologize by touching heads.
Your rabbit will become sick if it overeats paper. Rabbits have particular nutritional needs, requiring a large amount of dietary fiber. There's no fiber found in shredded paper or newspaper. They cannot digest paper properly, leading to constipation and internal blockages.
What Does a Rabbit Need in Their Cage? Provide 1-2 inches of high-quality paper-based bedding in their main enclosure. Other items needed are a litter box in the corner with paper-based products, a cardboard hide box, a hay rack, a water bottle, a small pellet dish, and toys.
Newspaper. This is a good base to line the floor of the hutch or cage with. However, many rabbits, especially if bored, will rip it up and the ink on newspaper can be harmful to rabbits if they ingest too much of it.
It isn't recommended for rabbits to eat cardboard. Consuming small amounts of plain ones isn't harmful to them. But when they too much of it, it can result in an upset stomach. Or worse, an obstruction.
Rabbits with an intestinal obstruction present severe abdominal pain and as a result will become anorexic, unwilling to move and grind their teeth in pain (bruxism). They will also press their abdomen on the ground, have a bloated and distended abdomen, and cease production of faecal pellets.
Cardboard boxes with 2 holes cut in them are useful as a bolt hole for the rabbits to feel safe. Obviously as rabbit owners, if you see your rabbits eating a lot of the cardboard, rather than just enjoying destroying it, then remove any cardboard items, and consider seeking veterinary advice.
Give Them Daily Roaming Time
To keep your rabbit happy and healthy, let it out of its cage at least once a day, giving it time to roam. Though at least one hour is necessary, aim closer to three or four. As a rule, never keep your rabbit cooped up for 24 hours at a time.
If rabbits live in small hutches with nothing to do and no space to move, they get bored. Boredom can cause some serious health problems: Bored rabbits will fill their time by eating. If they eat too much and don't move around they'll put on weight.
The House Rabbit Society recommends at least 8 square feet of housing with at least 24 square feet of exercise space, which the rabbits can access at least five hours per day. And that's the minimum.
Cereals that are acceptable for rabbit use do not contain any added sugar and are higher in fiber. These include Rolled Oats, Bran Flakes, Cornflakes, Rice Krispies, Shredded Wheat, and Weetabix. However, just because these cereals are safe for rabbit consumption, they're not necessarily good for them.
Objects to play with or throw - such as untreated straw, wicker, sea-grass mats and baskets, balls and plastic flower pots. Solid plastic baby toys such as 'key rings', rattles, stacking cups and some robust cat and parrot toys can make good rabbit toys.
White and red grapes can be fed to your rabbit as a treat, on occasion. Most rabbits will love the sweet taste. They are a great treat to use for training and bonding. Feed your rabbit fresh (not dried) grapes that have been washed.
Bunnies must chew to keep their teeth healthy. Offer Floppy lots of fun playthings to keep her amused. Many household items can be upcycled into great, inexpensive, bunny toys. Stuff fresh hay or herbs into a paper bag, or crumple up pieces of paper and toss them to your adorable pal.
Rabbits lick for affection, not for salt. Licking means “I love you, I trust you.” Lunging may occur when you reach into your rabbit's cage to clean, give food, or to take your rabbit out – a sign of disapproval.