Bunny flinch when fed

[ErnestHemingwayII]

Hi all. Every time i hold a piece of poop in front of my bunny she will sniff it and flinch and run away, and won't eat it :/

Getting a bit worried. What can I do to fix this?

 

[BlueMoods]

First, rabbits do not eat every poop so don't force her to eat it. Second when did you get her and from where? If she was in a wire bottom cage, she probably never learned that she could eat poop so to here, that is not food at all. Many rabbits live out their lives without ever eating poop, yes mostly those bred for reasons other than as pets, but if your rabbit came from a place that doesn't let them have access to poop, she may not know a rabbit is supposed to eat it.

Feed her a proper diet of foods she will eat and, let her decide if she eats poop or not.

 

[ErnestHemingwayII]

First, rabbits do not eat every poop so don't force her to eat it. Second when did you get her and from where? If she was in a wire bottom cage, she probably never learned that she could eat poop so to here, that is not food at all. Many rabbits live out their lives without ever eating poop, yes mostly those bred for reasons other than as pets, but if your rabbit came from a place that doesn't let them have access to poop, she may not know a rabbit is supposed to eat it.

Feed her a proper diet of foods she will eat and, let her decide if she eats poop or not.

Do you think that I should fill her bowl with poops?

 

[ErnestHemingwayII]

PS. She eats the soft poops. Its the hard poops that I want her to eat.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Is this post a joke?? I'm very honestly hoping so --- admin may want to keep an eye on this.

Rabbit's don't eat poop. What they do ingest are cecotropes, which is a very specific type of waste that helps keep bacterial balance in the cecum. These are meant to be ingested, and rabbits ingest it as it exits the body. This means that ALL rabbits have access to cecotropes, regardless of the flooring on which they live. Wire cages do not deprive rabbits of this natural function.

For more information: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

Rabbits do not routinely eat regular fecal pellets - the round, dry ones you find in the litterbox. They should never be presented to the rabbit as food, and rabbits should not be forced to eat them. Rabbits require a fresh, nutritionally-balanced diet high in fiber. Nothing can successfully replace grass hay, commercial pellets, and fresh vegetables (if you wish to feed them).

For more information: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

 

[ErnestHemingwayII]

Thanks for the info. There is always hay available.

I thought the pellets were just poopys in a packet?

I emptied the hard poops out of her food ball and put the pellets from the packet in and she seems to be eating them more than poop pellets.

 

[MustNotBuyMore]

Food is food. And piop is poop

 

[MustNotBuyMore]

I'm so sorry... my phone accidentally sent it and made a typo! My goodness. Here's what I was going to say:

Food is food. And poop is poop. the pellets you get from the pet store are made specifically for a rabbit's digestive system and NEVER contain any kind of poop. Don't ever feed your rabbit poop, please. It is bad for them and doesn't provide any good nutrients for them. The rabbits wouldn't poop out something that could help them stay healthy - therefor, the rabbit is not going to re-digest the poop and get anything good out of it.

If you fill her bowl with poop, she will most likely starve to death.

Get some good quality rabbit food from a local pet store or feed store, and feed her that. Then she will have a nice, happy life and you will be able to enjoy it with her.

 

[ErnestHemingwayII]

Ahh. ok I get you.
I was kinda hoping that he would eat all the poops all the time, then I would never have to clean them out!

If I get another rabbit, will they eat each others?

 

[JBun]

Rabbits create two kinds of poop- cecotropes and fecal poop.

Cecotropes

Fecal Poop

The rabbits digestive system has something called a cecum. Digestible fiber is diverted to the cecum, where it is fermented and broken down into nutrients that form the nutrient rich cecotropes that a rabbit ingests, usually straight from it's bottom as they come out. The indigestible fiber and waste that doesn't go to the cecum, is passed out as the hard round fecal poop. This is a waste product that is NOT normally ingested. Rabbits have to have fecal waste just like any other living creature.

http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-digestive-system.asp

Rabbits need plants and water to survive and stay healthy. Usually the plants normally fed to rabbits are grass hay, sometimes veggies and forage, and compressed food pellets(from the store) that contain hay and balanced nutrients. Hopefully you have also been feeding your rabbit these things as well.

http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/

 

[Bobbles]

I am sorry but this needs to be said why have u got bunny as this is not the way to look after them put poo in blow for him ore her to eat this had it be said :mrsthumper:;(

 

[Bobbles]

Sorry this as to be said are u for real should not have a rabbit if u are as hay is 90/ per cent off there diet and water small amount off veg fruit as well is what she should be in not blow poop

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Let it go, guys - it's obvious this is a troll at this point. I'm not sure how to report it, but this person only has a few posts and they're all on this post trying to get a rise out of people. We've provided the information, the person still wants to feed their rabbit poop. If it's true...well, more power to them at this point.

 

[ErnestHemingwayII]

Well i got another bunny. And named him, Gash. As he has funny ears.
At first i put his poops in Trumpet's bowl and Trumpet's poops in his bowl and neither were too keen.
So i put pellets from the shop in both Gash's and Trumpet's bowl and both seem to be enjoying their meals now. Thanks for all your help.
They also seem to be getting on with Cabbage, my pet Mallowbean.

 

[BlueMoods]

Stop putting poop in rabbit bowls, they do not eat the round poops, they do eat cecotropes and, they eat them mostly before you even see them. Feed the rabbit pellets per the package recommendations and unlimited good quality hay (get the from the pet store too.) Make sure they always have fresh, clean water. Oh and stop getting new rabbits until you learn how to properly care for the ones you already have and, learn what rabbits need and don't need.

Of course if you are just here to get a rise out of us (AKA trolling) then please have the decency to simply go. We are more than happy to answer questions if you honestly don't know and really do care about rabbits but, we don't need a troll.

 

[mjpeter]

I hope to God that the "she" and "he" described are kept separate or neutered.

 

[lovelops]

Well i got another bunny. And named him, Gash. As he has funny ears.
At first i put his poops in Trumpet's bowl and Trumpet's poops in his bowl and neither were too keen.
So i put pellets from the shop in both Gash's and Trumpet's bowl and both seem to be enjoying their meals now. Thanks for all your help.
They also seem to be getting on with Cabbage, my pet Mallowbean.

Hey I have an idea.. There is some poop in your toilet? Why dont' you put that on a bowl and try eating that and see how that taste! Then why don't you cover it with some ice cream? Yum....

 

[Azerane]

Thread closed. If a genuine question, the OP has been provided with plenty of clear and polite answers on the issue. There is no need to keep responding.