# Bunny Exercise Ball?



## Lbolar (Jan 18, 2006)

I have a young dwarf rabbit who is full ofenergy. All he's interested in is eating and trying to escape from thesmall room I've assigned to be his. When he does get out, he runs allover the apartment like crazy. However, my husband is a musician andour tiny apartment is power cable central. There are literally so manycords that there's really no way I could bunny proof everything. Thenthe other day at the pet store, I saw for the first time a giantexercise ball, (the type used for hamsters), but it was a jumboversion, definetly large enough for a rabbit but the holes aren't bigenough for him to chew on chords. Has anyone tried one of these to letbunnies get more exercise? 
thanks


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## AmberNBuns (Jan 18, 2006)

I haven't tried it, but I gave it some thought.It seems like if it wasn't too traumatic or stressful for your bunny Ican't think of a problem.

I would introduce it to him slowly before shoving him in it. Mytheodore won't go anywhere near any holes boxes or tunnels I tried to'show' him before he was ready.

LOL I wonder about poops though. I can imagine the sound of little marbles rattling around as he explores...


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## Lbolar (Jan 18, 2006)

LOL good point...had thought about the poop issue. I think I'll try it and I'll definitely let you know how it goes. Thanks


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## JimD (Jan 18, 2006)

*AmberNBuns wrote:*


> LOL I wonder about poops though. I can imagine the sound oflittle marbles rattling around as he explores...


:laugh:

It's the "Cuban Pete Rumba" by Desi Arnaz.....

"When I start
to hop everything goes chick
chick chickie boom!"


~Jim


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## AmberNBuns (Jan 18, 2006)

*JimD wrote: *


> It's the "Cuban Pete Rumba" by Desi Arnaz.....


:rofl:OMG you are hilarious!


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## naturestee (Jan 18, 2006)

Honestly, I would just block off dangerousareas. I cover my cords with spiral wrap that I found at HomeDepot. You could also use PVC piping. I have babygates and I also have extra NIC shelving grids that I use to block offsome spots.

I'm pretty sure that my rabbits would get really frustrated andstressed in a ball. And how would they binky? Yourrabbit may not be like mine, though. You could try it, butwatch how he acts. If he gets stressed out, then stop usingthe ball.

My brother is a musician too, so I know how that goes.


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## Lissa (Jan 18, 2006)

I've seen those bunny exercise balls in the store. I think it's cruel.


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## Lbolar (Jan 18, 2006)

yeah the guy at the store said that one of hisbunnies loved it and the other one hated it. I definitely want it to besomething he would enjoy-not a torture device. But I think I'llultimately just have to seriously shop around for bunny proofingmaterials because I do want him to be as free as possible. He's just sosmall and curious-he can squeeze through just about anything, and I'mso paranoid of him biting electric cords. Thank you so much for theideas!


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## Lissa (Jan 18, 2006)

You can get some plastic cord covering at justabout any automotive store. That's what I use. Iforgot what the stuff is called though. Don't do the ballthing. I can't imagine any bunny liking thatsort ofthing.


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## Lbolar (Jan 18, 2006)

good to know; thanks alot


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## Lissa (Jan 18, 2006)

You're welcome. Do you have any pictures of your bunnies to share?


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## nose_twitch (Jan 18, 2006)

I kind of agree with Lissa. I don'tthink that's the best idea. I've seen those balls too, and Ithink they're mainly for things that walk, like rats or evenferrets. Rabbits HOP, and I think it would be uncomfortablefor them in that ball. JMO.


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##  (Jan 18, 2006)

I have to agree with Lissa. I don't think they are a good idea for rabbits, I do think that are cruel. 

Also I saw a good point about rabbits hopping. How can they move in theball if they are hopping? They can't walk. I would definatelywork on the bunnyproofing.


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## bunnyslave (Jan 18, 2006)

*nose_twitch wrote:*


> I kind of agree with Lissa. I don't think that'sthe best idea. I've seen those balls too, and I think they'remainly for things that walk, like rats or even ferrets.Rabbits HOP, and I think it would be uncomfortable for them in thatball. JMO.


Exactly right "nose_twitch"! 

I have talked to many breeders and rabbit vets and both agree that"excerise balls"are *NOT* good forrabbits. The motion of movement is different in rabbits vsrats/hamsters/mice. The hopping motion makes theirbodies extend and retract so that the defined space of a excersize ballis limiting in their movement. 

I would recommend covering the wires with protective covering (you canbuy it at ikea, any home improvement store (lowes, home depot),electrical/light stores etc etc) *AND *blocking off the area toyour rabbit. Double protection will ensure that your rabbitwill not destroy valuable cables *AND* get an"electricalshock" from any exposed wires they are able to chew into.

All my rabbits have their own areas that are bunnyproofed (wires areblocked behind furniture and covered with protectivecoverings). They have LOTS of toys to keep them busy,occupied and out of mischief along with good exercise. Toysdon't have to be store bought either. My bunnies loveshredding old phone books, jumping into their box of shreddednewspapers and flinging them everywhere, empty paper towel rolls, etcetc... 

hope that helps!


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## Lbolar (Jan 18, 2006)

yeah that makes complete sense about the hoppingthing. It's so hard because pet stores sell so many "rabbit" items thatare NOT actually good for rabbits! I'm so glad I have this site 
And Lissa: I'm attempting to upload a picture of my rabbit, Ralphie asmy icon photo and it keeps telling me the file is too large, so I'm notsure what I'm doing wrong.
Thanks all! I so enjoy reading all your knowledgable posts


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## bunnydude (Jan 18, 2006)

If you reduce the size of your picture to under 100 x 100 pixels, it should work.


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## Lbolar (Jan 18, 2006)

Okay I keep trying to reduce the size in the image view program I have but it still tells me it's the same file size


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## bunnydude (Jan 18, 2006)

What program are you using? If you are using paint shop pro, PM me and I can tell you how to do it.


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## Lbolar (Jan 18, 2006)

sorry no paintshop  but thanks for offering to help. I'm just trying to put it in different programs to se if it'll work.


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## Linz_1987 (Jan 18, 2006)

Hehehe!


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## Lbolar (Jan 18, 2006)

LOL! very funny


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## alfie and angel (Jan 19, 2006)

I don't know if this is even true but i supose it could be:

But I heard that even for some walking animals, those exercise ballsare actually a frightening experience. Prey animals like rodents[lagamorphs too I suppose] are reluctant to go anywhere that they don'thave at least 2 ways out which is why, when you give many animals acardboard box etc, they will chew a hole in the back corner so thatthey have an 'emergency exit'. I guess it's an instinct thing - frombeing in burrows, warrens etc in case a predator gets into the burrow.

If this is the case, then the exercise ball is a stressful experienceand it could be that they are not exercising they are merely trying toescape but the ball perpetually turns until we let them out - I wasconsidering getting one for my chinchillas until I read this.

Having said this, they are widely accepted for hamsters etc.....andmany people say that they 'offer' the ball at the cage door and thehamster, gerbil or whatever just jumps in so I guess they must like it


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## nose_twitch (Jan 19, 2006)

This is a very interesting thread. Iused to have a hamster who would walk right into the ball, and I wouldlet him run around. But then I got to thinking...what if hehates it? He's just running around, and how do I know thatit's out of enjoyment and not complete fear? 

I'm wondering...are hamsters and other rodents smart enough, if theyhate the exercize ball, to not voluntarily go in it the nexttime? It seems that they would just forget and do itagain. I ended up just letting my hamster get his exercise onthe wheel in his cage. At least I could tell he enjoyed that.


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## alfie and angel (Jan 19, 2006)

I don't know but I had a hamsterwhoonce climbed up the bars of the cage and then swung like amonkeyacross the top until he was right in the middle. Oncehe was there he didn't seem to be able to go any further soheto just hang there untilwe rescued him - I remeber laughingand saying, 'He won't do that again!' Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..........

That night I was woken up by aloud crash as he plummetted tothe floor of the cage - we had toget him a new house but inthe two days it took to do this he just kept ondoingit.

What must have been going on in that little head when, despite anagging sense of de-ja-vu, he thought, 'I know, I know...I'lljust shimmy up here, straight across the top and...oh darn!'

So I dunno if theywould learn not to do something again.However, there is always the possibility that I had an exceptionallystupidhammy....


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## naturestee (Jan 19, 2006)

My last hamster loved his ball. If Ididn't have him out long enough, he'd fuss about leaving it to go backin his cage. He was a biter, so I'd pick him up by offeringhis ball, and then pick him up in the ball. He liked to gofrom carpet to linoleum, where he would stop quickly and let the ballrock and slide. He did that on a game board that I had put onthe floor, too. He spent a good half hour going back andforth over that in the ball!

I do remember that some of my childhood hammies didn't like the ball. It just depends on their personality.


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## lionheadmomma (Jan 19, 2006)

That's TOOO funny! Thanks for the laugh.


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## LuvaBun (Jan 19, 2006)

I haven't seen the balls but my rabbits have'invented' their own. We got a collapsible pet house from thepound shop (dollar store) so we could put their hay basket in there andthinking they could lay in there if they wanted to. They had otherideas... it is made of a kind of PVC material and has a frame aroundit. Perry discovered that if he walked up the side, it rolled over, andhe loved it. He went the full length of the living room, with the hayflying all over the place.

Now they have discovered what they can do, they often go in 'for aroll'. It has a door opening so they can get out when they want to. Itwas probably the best pound we ever spent .

The picture isn't very clear, but this is it.







Jan


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## naturestee (Jan 19, 2006)

OMG that's too funny!


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