Rabbits eat paper because they are hardwired to chew constantly, and paper happens to feel a lot like the dried plant material their bodies expect them to consume all day. It comes down to two overlapping drives: a biological need to wear down teeth that never stop growing, and a psychological need for stimulation that, when unmet, sends them looking for the next best thing to shred.
Teeth That Never Stop Growing
Unlike dogs, cats, or humans, rabbits have teeth that grow continuously throughout their entire lives. Their incisors and molars have open roots, meaning there is no defined endpoint to growth. The system works beautifully in the wild: a rabbit spends hours each day grinding through tough grasses and hay, and that constant abrasion keeps the teeth at a functional length. The front incisors chop plant material into pieces, then a set of molars near the back of the mouth grinds it down before swallowing.
This design means rabbits don’t just enjoy chewing. They need it. Without enough rough fiber to grind against, their teeth can overgrow and become misaligned, leading to painful dental problems. When a pet rabbit doesn’t have unlimited hay available, or simply encounters something with a satisfying texture, paper becomes an easy target. It tears and shreds in a way that mimics the physical sensation of processing dried grass, giving those ever-growing teeth something to work against.
Boredom and the Need for Stimulation
Chewing isn’t purely mechanical for rabbits. It also serves a deep psychological purpose. Rabbits are intelligent, curious animals that need mental enrichment, and when their environment falls short, they get creative. A rabbit confined to a small cage with nothing interesting to interact with will turn destructive. Paper, books, wallpaper, and cardboard are all fair game.
The House Rabbit Society puts it simply: rabbits need to chew for both physical and psychological reasons, and a rabbit with only a stick or a log to gnaw on is going to be a bored rabbit. Bored rabbits become “naughty” rabbits. Frustration from limited space, lack of attention, or no companionship (rabbit or human) amplifies the behavior. Paper shredding gives them something to do with their mouths and their minds. The tearing, tossing, and rearranging of paper scraps is genuinely entertaining for them.
So if your rabbit makes a beeline for any loose paper, it’s worth asking whether they have enough enrichment. More hay, more space to explore, tunnels, digging boxes, or a bonded companion can redirect that energy toward healthier outlets.
Which Paper Is Dangerous
Not all paper carries the same risk. Small amounts of plain, uncoated paper or newspaper are generally low-concern. Most modern newspaper is printed with soy-based inks, which are far less toxic than the petroleum-based inks used decades ago. A rabbit that shreds a bit of newspaper and swallows a few fragments is unlikely to be harmed by the ink itself.
Glossy paper is a different story. Magazines, catalogs, and coated flyers are typically printed with oil-based, solvent-heavy inks and coated with materials like clay or plastic polymers to create that shiny finish. These coatings and chemicals are not meant to be ingested by any animal, and they pose a higher toxicity risk for a small mammal like a rabbit. Stickers, tape, and any paper with adhesive backing also introduce chemicals that don’t belong in a rabbit’s digestive tract.
The Real Danger: Gut Blockages
The bigger concern with paper eating isn’t usually the ink. It’s the physical material accumulating in the gut. Rabbits have a sensitive, highly specialized digestive system that depends on a steady flow of fiber to keep things moving. Non-food materials like paper, cloth fibers, or plastic can disrupt that flow in two ways.
The first is gastrointestinal stasis, where the gut slows down and eventually stops. This typically develops gradually over two to seven days. You’ll notice your rabbit eating less and less, producing fewer and smaller droppings that look dark, dry, and unusually small. Water intake drops. The rabbit becomes less active, may sit hunched up, and might grind their teeth, which is a sign of abdominal pain. Left untreated, they stop eating entirely.
The second, more acute scenario is a full obstruction, where a wad of material physically blocks part of the intestine. This comes on suddenly. A rabbit with an obstruction will refuse all food at once and stop producing feces abruptly. They may stretch out repeatedly and shift positions, trying to get comfortable. With a complete blockage, the pain escalates: the rabbit becomes reluctant to move, hunches tightly, and can deteriorate into shock, becoming listless and unresponsive. This is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate veterinary intervention.
A small torn corner of paper is unlikely to cause either of these problems. The risk increases when a rabbit regularly consumes larger quantities, especially of thicker or coated paper that doesn’t break down as easily in the gut.
Safer Ways to Satisfy the Urge
You don’t need to eliminate chewing opportunities. You need to redirect them. The foundation is unlimited grass hay, which should make up the vast majority of your rabbit’s diet. Timothy hay, orchard grass, and oat hay all provide the tough fiber that wears teeth down and keeps the gut healthy. If your rabbit is ignoring hay in favor of paper, try offering different hay varieties or presenting it in more interesting ways, like stuffed inside a toilet paper roll or piled in a cardboard box for digging.
Plain, uncoated cardboard (with any tape, staples, or printed labels removed) is a popular enrichment option. Cardboard tubes, boxes with holes cut in the sides, and egg cartons give rabbits something to shred, toss, and rearrange. Apple wood sticks, willow branches, and untreated wicker baskets are also excellent chewing targets. The key is variety. Rotating toys and introducing new textures keeps things interesting enough that the stack of mail on your coffee table becomes less appealing.
If your rabbit is persistently eating large amounts of paper or other non-food items despite having plenty of hay and enrichment, it’s worth having their teeth checked. Dental problems can drive abnormal chewing patterns, and a vet experienced with rabbits can spot overgrowth or misalignment that you might not see from the outside.