bunny boredom

Question
My Himalayan Doe has a patch of fur missing on her upper chest that we have just noticed. It is not bleeding or red or having any kind of rash, it is just missing fur. I fear she may be doing it herself out of boredom, though I take her out often, maybe she needs a toy? Do rabbits play with toys, if so what kinds of toys and where can i buy them or how can I make them. Thank You.

Answer
Dear Stephanie,

There are several possibilities here.  The most likely is that if she's not spayed, she's having a false pregnancy and has plucked out some fur on her chest and sides to line her nest.  This will continue until she's spayed, and constant false pregnancies are not good for her health, it's wise to have this done asap by a good, rabbit-experienced vet.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

You can read more about spay/neuter here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html

You don't say how old she is, but if she's over two years of age, there's a possibility that she has molar spurs or other dental problem that's making her drool.  This often manifests as a bald spot on the chin where the caustic saliva has burned the skin and made the fur fall out.  Fortunately, molar spurs are easily treated by an experienced rabbit vet:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

Boredom is a possibility, but it's not very common for rabbits to overgroom themselves just from boredom.  Safe toys would include macaw-safe chew toys, clean paper grocery bags filled with hay, a clean cardboard box with a couple of bunny-sized holes cut in the sides so she can do some bunny engineering, etc.

But once she's spayed, you can contact your local rabbit rescuer and ask about setting up a "blind date" with one of their eligible neutered males.  There's nothing as wonderful as watching two bonded bunnies cuddle by the fireplace (if your bunny's not yet a house bunny, please visit www.rabbit.org for information on litterbox training, etc.).
Two bunnies keep each other occupied and are usually less destructive than one bored bunny.

Hope that helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana