Question about the Kaytee Rollin' Hay Holder

We recently welcomed a new bunny named Hootie into our home as a friend for Finley. He came with a bunch of stuff including a Rollin' Hay Holder. But the thing is , we have never had one of the hay holders (as finny prefers to eat hay off a plate) so we were wondering how exactly do you fill it so the rabbit can get access to they hay? . :what .

Thank You. Also i attached a picture of what it looks like.

That is not enough hay for a bunny and it makes it a bit difficult for them to eat from as the spacing is so small. Ditch the ball and offer loose hay, unlimited amount free fed....

Okk thank You! . I was considering just putting some hay on a plate like i do for Finley!

I have seen dwarf rabbits use these successfully. You hang it through the bars on the side of the cage.

BUT if you have another method that works well for you.... use that.

Hey there,

I have a ball roller, and it's the best thing ever. It won't hold enough hay for a rabbit, true, if that's the only place you're putting the hay. I stuff it full, and put a bunch in a pile in the corner of the litter box, and so that's enough for my girl on her own. When I can trust her not to pluck my boy bald while I'm not looking, she can also hop into his cage and help herself to his hay rack, which holds a substantial amount.

The big reason I love the hay ball is that it's a boredom breaker. Delilah gets bored very easily, and really needs a lot of stimulation to prevent destructive behaviour. Eating hay from the hay ball has that stimulation. She'll dig at it to spin it, pulling hay out and generally using it much the same way she uses the cat treat ball with pellets in it. Sometimes I think she digs at it just because she likes to make it spin, not to get hay out of it.

It's also great for bringing hay with me on the go. If I'm going anywhere with the buns for long enough that I want to bring hay with me, I stuff it in the hay ball, pop it off the stand, and now I have a relatively mess-free way to carry the hay, while ensuring they always have access to it. (As opposed to water, where I have to stop, pour some out, and offer it to them at regular intervals, because leaving a crock while we're travelling is just asking for spills, and there's nothing to attach a bottle to.)

Seen here: Lahi and Delilah's sweet pram-stroller set-up for their visit to the Toronto Bunfest, complete with a hidey-hole for overwhelmed bunnies. (The paper bag toy we picked up there is hiding their food dish.) Free, unlimited access to hay is so incredibly important for rabbits, even though there was a bunny lounge at Bunfest for rabbits to have a break and eat some hay, I didn't feel comfortable going on a day-trip without a way to ensure they could always eat hay.



And seen here, the hay ball in its usual location at the top of the condo.


So I, for one, heavily recommend the hay ball. It's the greatest thing ever.

As to how to open it, well, if yours is anything like mine, then rotate it around until you find a set of double-bars: there's a door that opens on a hinge, and the last bar of the door snaps onto the bar that frames it when it's closed.

If you can't find the door, then you can just pop one of the sides off, stuff it full, and then pop it back on again. I don't like doing this because while you can stuff it a lot faster than shoving hay through the door, trying to close it is harder because any strands sticking out interfere with getting it closed. The door isn't as affected by strands sticking out.

Mine's the Super Pet Rollin' the Hay Ball
http://www.petsmart.ca/small-pet/fo...he-hay-ball-zid36-5086716/cat-36-catid-600006
But I doubt the Kaytee one is significantly different.

Hopalongwithme said:

Okk thank You! . I was considering just putting some hay on a plate like i do for Finley!

Click to expand...

A plate can certainly work. Hopefully it is very large! The goal would be for bunny to eat his body size in hay every day. So long as the hay is easily accessible, that's great.

The hay wheels are more of a toy and can be fun for rabbits. They are similar to the idea of stuffing TP tubes with hay -- fun for bunny, but just should not be the primary way to feed hay.

my two previous Bun had no problem with the wheel...Baxter on the other hand wanted nothing to do with it! so after alot of trial and error (and MESS...phew...give him half a chance and boy does he destroy the place!) I ended up with a wire ball from the farm store that technically is for chickens...works like a charm and Bax loves to play with the bell underneath the ball...doesn't hold a ton of hay but I fill in the morning, and sometimes at night if he's been feeling especially obnoxious (he eats most of it..but it's also fun to just pull it out and spread it everywhere!)I've seen similar balls at Petsmart for twice as much as what I paid...other than the color, I don't see a bit of difference!

Furrryface said:

my two previous Bun had no problem with the wheel...Baxter on the other hand wanted nothing to do with it! so after alot of trial and error (and MESS...phew...give him half a chance and boy does he destroy the place!) I ended up with a wire ball from the farm store that technically is for chickens...works like a charm and Bax loves to play with the bell underneath the ball...doesn't hold a ton of hay but I fill in the morning, and sometimes at night if he's been feeling especially obnoxious (he eats most of it..but it's also fun to just pull it out and spread it everywhere!)I've seen similar balls at Petsmart for twice as much as what I paid...other than the color, I don't see a bit of difference!

Click to expand...

Just to clarify, the wire ball with hay inside is fine for entertainment but is not near enough for the primary way to feed hay. Remember, a bunny should be eating his body size in hay every day.