How do you water your rabbit?

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yashi

yashi

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Oct 19, 2010
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Duncan, Oklahoma, USA
Okay some of you know I'm new to owning a rabbit, he found me. Well when he happened upon me a few weeks ago I first gave him one of my dog's small water bowls. He tipped this immediately. So the next day I bought a water bottle. I haven't had to refill it yet. I decided to change out the water in it, even though it was almost full. While I was refilling his water bottle I spilled some on the floor. Before I could dry it up he was at my feet licking away. So I took the same dog bowl from before, filled it with water, and watched. He sat there and drank half the bowl! Now I feel like the worst mommy ever, he was so thirsty! I tried to apologize and pet him but he grunted, probably assuming I would take his water away. So I was wondering, what is a good bowl to put fresh water in daily. He obviously doesn't like the bottle. I need something smallish, but that also can't be tipped easily.
 
My buns have a water dish thing you know those huge ones for dog that you only have to fill once a week? Well I have a cat size one for my buns. They can not knock it over if they wanted to.
 
Mrs. PBJ wrote:
My buns have a water dish thing you know those huge ones for dog that you only have to fill once a week? Well I have a cat size one for my buns. They can not knock it over if they wanted to.
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Yup! That's what my buns have also. Works great :thumbup
 
yep heavy crocks..ur bun has pob never drank from a bottle before.if u wanna try and get him used to it keep the water bottle over the crock and use both..hell prob use both.but u will find out which one he likes best...some of my buns love their bottles and others could go either way...i just cant seem to find a bottle that doesnt leak after awhile...
 
I use a bowl and always use filtered water. I put some bedding right next to water bowl and he was potty trained when he was two month old. After he drinks water, he pees and leaves. He runs around the house and always come back to his pen to pee.
 
I gave my baby a choice between the two when we first brought him home. He seemed to prefer the bowl for the first week, but now he likes the bottle better.

I still keep a bowl full of fresh water in his cage, but lately his just been playing with it -- tipping it over, puting toys in is, and soaking his pellets. :nasty:
 
I find bottles to be less hassle, and my rabbits actually like them better. Also, mine hold a lot more water. One of my two rabbits (who are bonded) drinks a LOT of water, so I had a hard time keeping the bowl filled between the two of them.
 
Each of my buns uses a bottle. I'd suggest getting a heavy crock he can't tip over and offering both. Chances are, assuming your bottle is working, he'll figure out how to use them both.
 
Hercules uses his waterbottle as a toy also..drives us batty.he was a forgotten about hutch bunny left all alone in the backyard (they even moved out and left him behind ,i found him laying next to his dead mate starving and thirsty covered in bugs)..but that another story..anyways he was all alone so he found ways to entertain himself..he turns his head sideways and bites the side of the nozzle so hard that it pops out of his mouth and the whole bottle jumps up about an inch and slams back down...over and over and over and over and over again...he is obsessed with it...he will do this for an hour..ive tried to distract him from this with other toys,treats,out time..but as soon as hes alone at night u will hear him goin to town...ive even tried to secure the bottle to the cage better but he will beat it up till it makes that noise again..i think hes got issues..:)..
 
Flash Gordon wrote:
Hercules uses his waterbottle as a toy also..drives us batty.he was a forgotten about hutch bunny left all alone in the backyard (they even moved out and left him behind ,i found him laying next to his dead mate starving and thirsty covered in bugs)..but that another story..anyways he was all alone so he found ways to entertain himself..he turns his head sideways and bites the side of the nozzle so hard that it pops out of his mouth and the whole bottle jumps up about an inch and slams back down...over and over and over and over and over again...he is obsessed with it...he will do this for an hour..ive tried to distract him from this with other toys,treats,out time..but as soon as hes alone at night u will hear him goin to town...ive even tried to secure the bottle to the cage better but he will beat it up till it makes that noise again..i think hes got issues..:)..
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OMG!! That poor bunny! I'm so glad you came along. Boomer is my first rabbit, guess he ran away from home, (I've tried finding his home, no luck)... But I don't see how anyone could something so cruel to a poor defenseless creature! No wonder he has issues.
 
i had a bottle come with a bunny once that honestly, it wasnt any good to use, cause the ball wasnt closed by gravity, but i guess by a magnet of some sort (good for no leakage but bad cause its not really use-able..), and bunny wasnt strong enough to push the ball to get the water to come out. tip the bottle onto its side with the nozzle up, if the ball rolls back into the nozzle then you will prolly just need a bowl. if it just stays in place then its the bottle that is the problem.
 
I use a heavy ceramic water dish. My buns don't tip it over on purpose, but have occasionally knocked it over accidentally. I find careful positioning can help - try putting it in a corner somewhere where he'll be less likely to run over it.

There are also bowls that clip to the side of your pen or cage so they're impossible to tip over.

I think bowls are much more natural to drink out of and easier to clean - I definitely prefer them.
 
I prefer heavy bowls, so do the bunnies. Darry and Mister have a 'trough', they drink so much. (Well, it's just a big, long container). They eat a ton of hay and that makes them thirsty.

Pipp on the other hand doesn't even have water at the moment, I forgot to put a bowl down for her. I forget her a lot because I don't know that I've ever seen her drink! I have to assume her huge salads (she won't eat hay) keep her hydrated.


sas :bunnydance:
 
I've used a self-filling water bowl for some time. Both Scone and Natasha disliked bottles, and I find that the liter of water in the filler is enough that I don't need to worry about the bunny running out.

Here's Natasha with the water bowl:
7648_241258_400000003.jpg

 
MikeScone wrote:
I've used a self-filling water bowl for some time. Both Scone and Natasha disliked bottles, and I find that the liter of water in the filler is enough that I don't need to worry about the bunny running out.

Here's Natasha with the water bowl:
7648_241258_400000003.jpg
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That is exactly what I have. I fill mine once a week on Saturday. That is for two bunnies and Jessi my female can drink boy.
 
Nice advice, thank you. Aquatic, the ball did stay in place. I think I'm going to buy a new bottle since I know now what to look for, and I will definitely offer both, water and bowl. Such an easy solution, yet didn't cross my mind, I was thinking one or the other. lol
 
lol yea. i found it weird when i noticed that. i thought it was that max didnt want the bottle but when i tried a different bottle type and put a bowl in there as well, he didnt touch the bowl but drank all of the bottle. glad i could help ^_^
 
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