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Toy suggestions for Dennis

loobers25

loobers25

Warren Veteran
I would like to buy Dennis some toys. The only problem is they have to be safe for him to digest and in large quantities. He would sit there and eat a willow ball in one. He has apple, hazel, and willow sticks where he strips the outer layer off which is good.

My thoughts also are ideally before Ted arrives I would like the hay carpet upstairs to be replaced with something else. Worried about the dust and hay obviously. I have no idea what with but again Dennis eats fleece, carpet everything so has to be digestible in large quantities and good for his arthritis.

Any ideas anybun?


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I don't have any ideas, but I think all those rugs would be coated with stuff maybe? I doubt they'd be natural, Idk if that could cause an issue if he ate them.

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What's under the hay ? Treacle has wooden flooring in her room, but it is covered in a fairly thick textured non slip vinyl. However I've got puppy panels all around the room, and the vinyl extends beyond it, or she would just destroy it ! She loves chill and chew things, but they don't last long :roll:
 
Uncle John told us to use hay for his arthritis and the hay box club is dust free but Timothy hay.co.uk soft hay is not dust is not which makes up the soft floor. It’s a textured vinyl underneath but Dennis’s back legs are hardly working anymore so I am worried about carpet burns etc when he drags them. I could reduce the size of the hay carpet but he actually does use the whole coverage and I think I prefer him to be as active as possible. It’s such a tricky one. He is 11 in March but still loves exploring


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joey&boo said:
I think it'd be a shame to change his current set up which works so beautifully for him
Click to expand...
I was thinking this.

Is the hay very dusty? We've got all 4 indoors atm and it's not been too bad tbh, I'm not noticing a lot of dust where they are etc and Evelyn doesn't seem to be bothered by it. I did worry when she was newborn about it, but it never seemed to cause any issues for her, she's never come directly into contact with it though.

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Graciee said:
I was thinking this.

Is the hay very dusty? We've got all 4 indoors atm and it's not been too bad tbh, I'm not noticing a lot of dust where they are etc and Evelyn doesn't seem to be bothered by it. I did worry when she was newborn about it, but it never seemed to cause any issues for her, she's never come directly into contact with it though.

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Click to expand...

Thanks for the reassurance. My friend suggested putting a door back on the bunny room if I am worried but she can’t see the problem either. My mums giving me abit of a hard time about the hay and having a baby in the house so I thought I should come up with another plan. I could get a air purifier for the nursery too maybe?


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Graciee said:
I was thinking this.

Is the hay very dusty? We've got all 4 indoors atm and it's not been too bad tbh, I'm not noticing a lot of dust where they are etc and Evelyn doesn't seem to be bothered by it. I did worry when she was newborn about it, but it never seemed to cause any issues for her, she's never come directly into contact with it though.

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Click to expand...

Sorry, I find the soft hay from timothyhay.co.uk abit dusty. It does bother my asthma :lol:


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loobers25 said:
Thanks for the reassurance. My friend suggested putting a door back on the bunny room if I am worried but she can’t see the problem either. My mums giving me abit of a hard time about the hay and having a baby in the house so I thought I should come up with another plan. I could get a air purifier for the nursery too maybe?


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Click to expand...

Not really fair of your mum- I imagine its hard enough working out how to meet Ted & bunnies needs without someone inventing problems. Door back on sounds a good plan & maybe if you get to talk to your health visitor run it by them for reassurance. Unless you still planning to give birth in the bunnies room? :lol:
 
joey&boo said:
Not really fair of your mum- I imagine its hard enough working out how to meet Ted & bunnies needs without someone inventing problems. Door back on sounds a good plan & maybe if you get to talk to your health visitor run it by them for reassurance. Unless you still planning to give birth in the bunnies room? :lol:
Click to expand...

It is a difficult one because I am in this situation because she wanted to end her rabbiting cycle :lol: not that I am actually complaining I love Dennis with all my heart

I don’t know if that would be a good idea, I think health visitors can be abit funny. Especially if they are not animaly people. I would like to hear gracies opinion on that actually too


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loobers25 said:
It is a difficult one because I am in this situation because she wanted to end her rabbiting cycle [emoji38] not that I am actually complaining I love Dennis with all my heart

I don’t know if that would be a good idea, I think health visitors can be abit funny. Especially if they are not animaly people. I would like to hear gracies opinion on that actually too


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Click to expand...

With the health visitors, I wouldn't tell them.. I've had a couple now, even the one I liked I wouldn't tell extra info to, they all seem really funny about animals.. I think it's a topic they have to cover in the initial meeting(phone call atm obvs) along with the safe sleep stuff etc.

It's really none of their business what's going on in your house either, and they'll be more concerned with the dog than the rabbits [emoji38]

I hope you get a really great health visitor, who's really lovely, but my experience of them in general isn't the best. Even the one I like was just good for minimal advice which wasn't anything I didn't already know.

Your mum sounds like she's causing you more stress than you need rn.. It's hard enough growing a tiny human without all the extra stuff people add on top.. Up to you how you handle that ofc, but honestly don't let someone else drive what you do and how you handle stuff. I'd put the door back on the bedroom probably and maybe trial some different hays for the floor if you find one particularly dusty.. Have you had the hay in the boxes yet? From Timothyhay.co.uk, it's just I've found the latest lot of stalky really dust free, I'm wondering if it's better protected in the boxes maybe?

I've had a lot of issues with my mum and how we do things with Evelyn, she thinks she knows best all the time, but most of what she suggests is often considered dangerous now, same with my nan, I've taken a huge step back and don't really engage anymore with it. It's difficult though everyone thinks their way is the best, as a parent you've gotta work out what your "best" way is, which is tricky sometimes when everyone else is telling you theirs [emoji38]

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It sounds like you're maybe going to keep the hay on the floor, but just in case you decide not to, would hemp mats like this work? https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hay_and_bedding/hemp_bedding_small_pets/182988 or https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kerbl-Hemp-Rodent-Mat-100/dp/B00DDC6HPY/ I've had them for Sophie and Casper and they're soft and the bunnies have a good grip on them (I use them to make slippery places less slippery). They're only about 0.5 cm thick, so you could layer some, maybe, to make it nicer for Dennis to lie on for his arthritis. The downside is that if he pees on it you can't clean it, so you'd have to throw it out, and if he digs in it it won't last long. Sophie and Casper can tear one to pieces in a few days.

For toys that are safe to eat... Sophie and Casper have ones similar to these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Naturals-Animal-Activity-Banana-Stuffer/dp/B004FGD4AS/ You can remove the "leaves" on top and put treats in them and then the bunnies have fun throwing them around to get the treats out, or chewing their way to them.
These: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Pet-Jumbo-Grass-House/dp/B003TL9W7E/ are good as well, because you can stuff them with hay and treats and they can have fun getting it out. Only thing to look out for is if Dennis' head isn't the right size to get stuck in the hole. I can't find the brand I usually have, though, and I don't know if other brands maybe use wire to keep the ball in shape instead of something natural, so maybe you'll need to read some reviews. They're just nests for hamsters, and there are a lot of versions for sale.
This is a fun, edible house: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kerbl-Grass-House-Extra-Large/dp/B003YBZITU/ Sophie and Casper love them. It's made of grass woven around some wooden twig thingies, and held together with some natural string. If he'd eat the string, too, that wouldn't be a good idea, though, maybe, though I assume it would just digest.
Willow bridges (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-62154-Natural-Living-Willow/dp/B000WFCFG0/) can be fun, too? They're held together with metal wire, but I don't think Dennis would be able to eat so much of the willow branches that he'd be able to get to the wire, and even if he did, the wire isn't sharp or anything, so couldn't do any harm, really. He can have fun stripping the bark off them like he does with his sticks.
Maybe a food tree? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trixie-N...-25x36cm-Wood-Rabbit-Guinea-Pig-/163991858187 or a double one for more fun: https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/27037100146?iid=164096780093 They're wooden, but I don't see any harm in him eating the wood.
These are completely edible as well: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Naturals-Animal-Activity-Rosewood-Products/dp/B002HEG4ES/ and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosewood-Boredom-Breaker-Animal-Activity/dp/B009EQ7UFE/
 
Graciee said:
With the health visitors, I wouldn't tell them.. I've had a couple now, even the one I liked I wouldn't tell extra info to, they all seem really funny about animals.. I think it's a topic they have to cover in the initial meeting(phone call atm obvs) along with the safe sleep stuff etc.

It's really none of their business what's going on in your house either, and they'll be more concerned with the dog than the rabbits [emoji38]

I hope you get a really great health visitor, who's really lovely, but my experience of them in general isn't the best. Even the one I like was just good for minimal advice which wasn't anything I didn't already know.

Your mum sounds like she's causing you more stress than you need rn.. It's hard enough growing a tiny human without all the extra stuff people add on top.. Up to you how you handle that ofc, but honestly don't let someone else drive what you do and how you handle stuff. I'd put the door back on the bedroom probably and maybe trial some different hays for the floor if you find one particularly dusty.. Have you had the hay in the boxes yet? From Timothyhay.co.uk, it's just I've found the latest lot of stalky really dust free, I'm wondering if it's better protected in the boxes maybe?

I've had a lot of issues with my mum and how we do things with Evelyn, she thinks she knows best all the time, but most of what she suggests is often considered dangerous now, same with my nan, I've taken a huge step back and don't really engage anymore with it. It's difficult though everyone thinks their way is the best, as a parent you've gotta work out what your "best" way is, which is tricky sometimes when everyone else is telling you theirs [emoji38]

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Click to expand...

Isn’t there a brand called dust free or something people use? I can’t remember the name of it.

My mother in law commented on the fact that the bunnies have a bigger bedroom than the nursery. I said Dennis is a old man I can’t turf him out of his environment which he’s happy in. It’s just the right size for a nursery, I can fit a rocking chair, wardrobe, chest of drawers and changing table in there with space left so I don’t see the problem. You don’t even really need a nursery and they are still going to sleep with me despite having a nursery. The next house I own, future bunnies will be in the lounge, like a joey&boo Mouseypie set up but until then I don’t think it’s fair on Dennis to move him out. OH suggested a pine door that he can cut him half to make like a barn door so it can be fully closed or half closed which I think is a cool idea.

My colleagues sister is a GP and she said she has her own house rabbits. She said she’s seen her toddlers eat bum nuggets and that’s fine as it’s extra fibre :lol: she thinks it’s bad to keep babies away from things as they need to build up an immune system


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loobers25 said:
Isn’t there a brand called dust free or something people use? I can’t remember the name of it.

My mother in law commented on the fact that the bunnies have a bigger bedroom than the nursery. I said Dennis is a old man I can’t turf him out of his environment which he’s happy in. It’s just the right size for a nursery, I can fit a rocking chair, wardrobe, chest of drawers and changing table in there with space left so I don’t see the problem. You don’t even really need a nursery and they are still going to sleep with me despite having a nursery. The next house I own, future bunnies will be in the lounge, like a joey&boo Mouseypie set up but until then I don’t think it’s fair on Dennis to move him out. OH suggested a pine door that he can cut him half to make like a barn door so it can be fully closed or half closed which I think is a cool idea.

My colleagues sister is a GP and she said she has her own house rabbits. She said she’s seen her toddlers eat bum nuggets and that’s fine as it’s extra fibre [emoji38] she thinks it’s bad to keep babies away from things as they need to build up an immune system


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Click to expand...

https://www.dustfreehay.co.uk/

Yea I've bought from them before, we get straw from them.


Hah! You seriously don't even need a nursery, so I wouldn't worry at all about room size [emoji38] we now have a room for Evelyn for a nursery, but she's in with us still. Sounds like you're coming up against what I did with family, because the buns were always my absolute number one priority all the time before having a baby and they all knew that, they used to try and point stuff out about how it'd have to change when the baby arrived, Idk why really.. Kinda cruel tbh.. I think my family think my attachment to my animals and the care they receive (oh and money, they don't agree with how much we spend on the buns, my mum called me some names I can't even post here for getting Penelopes leg operation done a few months ago..[emoji849]) basically it was finally a chance for them to be like "things will have to change!" and they liked pointing that out.

Thing is, things changed, but they also didn't [emoji38] and I didn't need all of that rubbish from my family [emoji38] my buns are still as important as they ever were. No one likes to hear that though [emoji38]

Ignore all the rubbish, I'm sure your nursery is/will be lovely! :) and you don't know what will happen in the future, you may even move etc. The baby won't care the bunnies have a little extra space in their room, he'll be too busy taking over the rest of your house trust me (you should see my living room, or maybe it's Evelyn's living room[emoji38]) btw I love the barn door idea, we were going to do that at our house! :D

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