Rabbits are very sociable and playful creatures-but that's not news to any of you who have watched with delight as your bunny runs, hops, leaps and makes short work of shredding papers you leave within reach. They can get hours of amusement from the simplest toys...but which toys to choose?

The best way to find your bunny's favorite toy is to watch and see what he likes to do. Don't take for granted that all bunnies do the same thing. Rabbits may seem nonchalant, or even indifferent at times, but they are intensely curious and very sensitive to smells, tastes, rhythms and motion, and each one has his own particular favorites.

For instance, my rabbit Leon has a great love of pushing, folding and bunching. A basket attracts his attention for a few minutes. Toss toys are a brief passing interest. But give him a big, fluffy blanket to rearrange and he's in heaven for hours. When I want to give him a special present, I stay away from chew sticks and "throw arounds" and look, instead, for something that fulfills his organizational passion.

Leon's mate, Wanda, could care less about such trivialities. Chewable is her operative word. If it shreds, splits, tears, rips...you get the idea...it's hers! One of Wanda's favorites is a basket filled with maple leaves and pine cones. Of course, she also like the old standby box and newspaper. Sometimes I put fresh veggies in a cardboard box punched with holes. She can smell the veggies, but has to open it to get them. Of course, this is only fun for her if it's attainable; I don't make it too hard.

My lop, Rumbles, must have been a basketball player in his former life. Throwing is his greatest skill. He's not too picky about what it is as long as he can get a grip and lift it. I found out what a talent he has for this when I gave him a cube-shaped box for chewing and he kept throwing it on the computer desk.

Once you've identified what your rabbit likes to do most, it only takes a little thought to come up with some ideas. If your rabbit is a tosser, do bells and clanky objects appeal to him more than silent throws? How about giving your rabbit his very own digging box?

By giving him a toy that satisfies his natural behavior, you are providing mental and physical stimulation as well as just plain fun.

Excerpted from an article by Debbie Groshans-Marcussen, published in the Chicago HRS newsletter, Watership Down Dispatch