Some eating issues (Picky and pica)

[clg2011]

Hey folks. I'm having a couple issues with my rabbit's eating habits.

The first is that he's been chewing on and eating things he's not supposed to. While the chewing is irritating (and I know sometimes he does it so he gets more pellets), what concerns me is that he's also EATING any cardboard or paper he chews on. Or, at least, hiding it some where magical where I can't find the pieces even while watching him! I'm not sure why he would be doing this (besides "Because I want to MOOOM"), as he's fed a small amount of quality rabbit pellets each day, and has free choice hay. He has free range of almost all of my room, and also has toys more suited to chewing upon, as well as a grass mat, and a grass hutch. He probably deserves some new toys, but he doesn't get any more until I get loan money in later next month! He seems totally uninterested even in the toys he has...

Which brings us to my other issue of him being totally uninterested in anything fresh. The bunny won't eat fresh strawberries for goodness' sake! He does seem to like the seeds and dried fruit that are in my hamsters' treat mix and dried bananas are a definite YES, but fresh delicious leafy greens? No. carrots? No. any other number of delicious things I've offered? no. Since he's (as far as I know) getting a balanced diet, I'm not concerned for his health that he won't eat these things, but maybe having a more varied diet would keep him a bit less bored!


It could just be I have a lazy, cynical and disinterested bunny Besides his hour or two each day of "OMIGOD I'M A RABBIT AHHH", he spends most of his day lounging around the room. Little blighter isn't even cuddly!

It's like having a cat, really

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions for me, I would appreciate your input Thanks!

 

[SOOOSKA]

Yoshi is Adorable.

Regarding the cardboard someone posted on here a while ago that it was ok for bunnies to eat. I have 2 Winston & Vega that eat alot of cardboard. As far as i know no problems. Winstondid have tummy issues a couple of years ago but I can't be sure what caused them.

Regarding the food I would just continue to try feeding greens to him.Mine especially LOVE carrot tops, dill, parsley, cilantro, kale, dandelion, blue berries. Maybe just pick up carrot tops and parsley and try them. Most grocery stores just cut them off, if you are lucky to be there when they do just ask them for the carrot tops.

Good luck.

Susan

 

[ekopischke]

My bunny Bugzie also does not eat anything fresh. Anything green, he will not eat. He has had some carrot and Apple pieces before (3times) but you have to catch him on a day he wants to eat it. I don't know of it is healthy or not for him to not have fresh veggies, I have heard pellets and hay are just fine but I am not sure about that.

 

[hillrise]

I've had a few rabbits who apparently didn't like the idea of eating fresh food. I think they were just used to only getting pellets at their breeder's, so they don't know what they are. Most of them figured it out that they were edible when I put the fresh food (started with dandelions) on top of their pellets. More stubborn ones required something that could soak into their pellets a little bit (like strawberries). Some of them still pick around them and won't change. Just keep offering, and if he won't eat it within a day, try something else--maybe something with more of a smell. Once you get him eating that, and it's not upsetting his tummy, try something new that he refused before, maybe along side the fresh food he's accepted.

Cardboard and paper are okay, but I'd wonder if he maybe needs some sort of wood to chew on. What kind of "chewable" toys do you have? Sometimes that processed wood stuff isn't good enough. I try to make sure my rabbits have small logs from fruit or other hardwood trees that still have bark on them (I guess the bark must taste better, because they usually chew on it more when it has bark).

 

[clg2011]

Parsley was one of the first things I offered him, since how can you NOT love parsley?

He has a little cube made of thin twigs, one of those balls made of small rods of wood and a hanging toy with one of those wood burgers, and sticks. The only thing he's ever seemed to really like to chew on that's meant to be chewed on are those little compressed-something S'mores toys...but those don't last very long and he never eats the middle! He only likes the crunchy exterior. He's also got some of those wood block things I got when he started being so chew-y, but he hasn't touched 'em. I don't think I blame him, though

It's good to know the cardboard and paper won't actually hurt him much.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We have all kinds of toys, but ours love cardboard boxes and toilet paper rolls the best. Their favorite fresh herb is cilantro. Ours wont eat banana or strawberries. The do like dandelion, cilantro, Italian parsley, parsley, romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, and broccoli too.