Christmas tree recycling courtesy of rabbits

Everybody recognizes that triangular recycle logo on the bottom of recyclable goods. Buy a jug of apple juice, enjoy the drink, recycle the bottle. Good times! And good for the environment. But what about Christmas trees, the real kind? They don't exactly come with the recycle logo. Kinda hard to run a bedraggled eight-foot fir tree through a machine and have it spit out a brand new one on the other end. What to do with dead trees, then?

Christmas tree chew toys and snacks for rabbits

Well, the rabbits at Best Friends have a simple solution. Send 'em their way! The Bunny House staff at the sanctuary have been gathering up used Christmas trees for a sort of post-holiday treat. The clippings and limbs make great chew toys, as well as snacks. The rabbits gnaw happily on the pine needles and branches all day long. This is stuff they wouldn't normally have access to, of course. Exotic treats!

Enrichment for bunnies

As long as they haven't been sprayed with chemicals, the trees are safe as well as entertaining. A perfect end to a holiday centerpiece, don't you think? So if you know anybody who uses a real tree and they don't know what to do with it once the decorations come off, tell them to find a friend with a pet bunny or two and play Santa. The rabbits will thank them.

Find out what rabbits are like as pets in Best Friends online resource section.

Photo by Molly Wald