How to Feed Two Different Diets?

[Jenk]

Does anyone have any recommendations for feeding bunnies differing diets (e.g., do you separate themduringfeeding time,etc.)?

Myone girl, Zoe, can't handle pellets butloves them so much. Her sister, Emma, can handle pellets but hasn't eaten them in months because it broke my heart to see Zoe stare forelornly at Emma eating her pellets. (I even tried putting Emma into a carrier each night to feed her pellets far from Zoe's sensitive hearing, but she hated that setup--even though she got yummy pellets.)

I've recently noticed that Emma feels thin (though she's always been on the small side for aMini Rex); so I plan to reintroduce Oxbow Bunny Basics/ T into her diet. But I'll feel badly every timethat I feed her if I must watch Zoe'shungry gazeon Emma's dish.



Thank you,

Jenk

 

[Spring]

I seperate my bonded pair during pellet time, since Poppy is a slow eater and likes to take her time where as Bruno just gobbles it all up!

Are they bonded? You could try letting Emma out with some pellets, then leave Zoe in her cage and have cuddle time with her? That's what I usually do while Bruno's waiting to go back, give him a cuddle to distract him so he doesn't get impatient to go back to his friend.

Or while you give Emma her pellets outside the cage, you could give Zoe a food that she can handle and enjoys? Then both are distracted with yummy food!

 

[Jenk]

Hi, Spring.

Right now, my husband and I are re-introducing Zoe and Emma. So for 98% of the time, they're separated by an x-pen wall and/ or their individual cages. Each night, they get time together in our kitchen while we two humans supervise them.

When they're in the kitchen together, I'll put hay in their litter boxes to encourage them to eat together; but I don't dare put down any other food. As I've said, Zoe can't digest pellets well (due to megacolon) but would definitely scarf them up if given the chance. Plus, I worry that the girls would eventually fight over the food, since Zoe's a faster eater would certainly have her face in Emma's dish in short order.

Right now, Emma has a wooden hidey house (as I call it) in her enclosure. So whenever I feed the girls, I put Emma's food inside of her house and cover it with a towel, which has a two-fold purpose: 1) it helps to insulate the sight and soundof Emma still eating once Zoe's bowl is emptied; and 2) Emma, being a bun, actually likes having the extra coverage. :biggrin2:

I guess that, for now, what I'm doing is probably the best setup possible for me (even though I still feel guilty whenever I see Zoe staring toward's Emma's hidey house, knowing that she knows Emma still has food and she doesn't).

I swear, I've always worried about my pets but never to the extent that I worry about my bunnies. I'm probably borderline neurotic at this point. :?

 

[tonyshuman]

I feed Muffin a few tsp of oats every other day or so, and to do this I just feed them out of my hand while Tony is busy doing something else. Maybe you could do this with pellets?

 

[Jenk]

tonyshuman wrote:

I feed Muffin a few tsp of oats every other day or so, and to do this I just feed them out of my hand while Tony is busy doing something else. Maybe you could do this with pellets?

I'm going to try sneaking around Zoe as best I can. Namely, I'll slip a measured amount of pellets into Emma's hidey house and keep it covered with a towel while she eats them. I'll try to time this sneaky feeding schedule whenever Zoe's hiding out in her blanket, during which time she's usually in her own little world (or fast asleep).

This may be a twisted thing to admit, but I'm glad to know that I'm not the only person who must offer different diets between bunnies.