Treats?

[Konotashi]

People say I'm mean because I don't give Salem any treats. Reason being, I don't feel they're necessary. My ferret doesn't get treats either. Every now and then, when I have them, the sugar gliders get yogurt drops and I give Salem one every now and then, but that's been a while.

What do you guys give for treats?

What's a list of safe/unsafe fruits and veggies? I go to the farmer's market all the time, and they're prices ROCK, so I can get him a bunch of stuff there. He LOVES celery.

 

[MikeScone]

Scone gets dried banana chips, baby carrots and craisins as treats, but only sparingly because of their sugar content. I've also convinced him that parsley is a treat, too - and he can have as much of that as he wants.

 

[Konotashi]

Are most veggies okay to feed as much as he wants, so long as there is low sugar content?

 

[degrassi]

I guess I'm mean too as my pets don't really get treats either.

I sometimes give my rabbit a piece of banana, or carrot if I'm eating them close to his cage but its not very often. He LOVES banana so its kind of cute how excited he gets when i give it to him but I dont' make it a frequent thing.

I also dont' give my dog many treats. When I do its the ends of veggies when I'm cutting them for dinner. Surprisingly his favorite treat is the middle stems(ribs?) of romaine lettuce or celery. I think he likes how crunchy they are.

 

[MikeScone]

Konotashi wrote:

Are most veggies okay to feed as much as he wants, so long as there is low sugar content?

Most green veggies are OK to feed - there are several lists of safe vegetables available, for example http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html

You probably want to try a bit at a time, to make sure the veggie agrees with him. Scone loves broccoli, but it appears to give him gas so I don't feed it any more.

 

[Pipp]

Pipp gets single flakes of oats. Bunny crack.

We're a craisin-free house, but all mine get apple skins (less sugar, more teeth action) and bits of banana.


sas :bunnydance:

 

[elrohwen]

I give lots of pellets as treats. I like them because I can give him 20 "treats" if I want and just take them out of his normal food. 20 pellets is a small amount and I know it won't cause him any GI issues. I also occasionally give a small piece of dried papaya (no sugar added). I used to give craisins and still do very occasionally, but I'd prefer to find some without added sugar.

 

[noahneolevi]

I like to use treats for basic training... I find it's really valuable to find a "favorite" treat that is (almost) guaranteed to get my bunnies to come to me. It's really helpful to have treats as a reliable tool to call a bunny out from under a bed or something, for example.

Each of my bunnies seems to have a different favorite, though, and a different level of motivation for various treats. You have to experiment with different things to see what will REALLY get their attention. I have 3 bunnies... for one, it's craisins, for one it's papaya, and for one it's strawberry.

Of course you don't make a meal out of them, but about 1/2 oz per day is ok, and generally save them for when you want the bunny to do something for you (come when you call, for example). Good luck!!

 

[MikeScone]

elrohwen wrote:

I used to give craisins and still do very occasionally, but I'd prefer to find some without added sugar.

Check the bulk food aisle in the supermarket - the generic term for Craisins is "dried cranberries", and sugar-free versions are available, at least at the Wegman's I shop at.

 

[BethM]

Treats are limited at my house, as well.
I give one slice of fresh or dried banana with their breakfast salads. At bedtime, I give one piece of dried papaya. When the bunnies are out running, I have trained them to go back into their pens when I say "bedtime," and then they get their papaya treat.

When I need dried banana, I use the Just Bananas brand, because there is no added sugar or oil. For dried papaya, I use Sweet Meadow Farms, because there is no added sugar. They are also already cut into the perfect sized pieces.


I also won't give Craisins to my bunnies, those things have a ton of sugar! I eat them, myself, sometimes, and they're almost too sweet for me. I haven't been able to find unsweetened dried cranberries anywhere near me.

 

[Konotashi]

I never thought of using treats as a way to get a bunny to come to you. I didn't think they could really be trained to do anything! lol I'll try that, because I hate freaking Salem out when I have to chase him around to put him away.

 

[BethM]

Konotashi wrote:

I never thought of using treats as a way to get a bunny to come to you. I didn't think they could really be trained to do anything! lol I'll try that, because I hate freaking Salem out when I have to chase him around to put him away.

I had a lot of success with offering a treat as a training tool. It is so nice, at the end of play time, to have them come to me. (Sometimes if Amelia wants to stay out longer, so she will hide instead of coming for the treat, but that's not the norm.)
Bunnies respond to routine, so it will help if "bunny bedtime" is at about the same time each day, and if you follow a set of actions. I click my tongue, and repeat "bedtime" several times. I also call their names, and sometimes shake the treat container gently. The treat I use is fairly small, but it's tasty enough that they want to get it.

After awhile, Salem will begin to associate the bedtime routine with getting a treat, and voluntarily go into his cage.

I have found that, on the weekends when the bunnies get to "stay up late," they will often just go back to their pen at the "normal" time, and sit there waiting for me to come with the treat. They are the ones training me, this time!

 

[elrohwen]

MikeScone wrote:

elrohwen wrote:

I used to give craisins and still do very occasionally, but I'd prefer to find some without added sugar.

Check the bulk food aisle in the supermarket - the generic term for Craisins is "dried cranberries", and sugar-free versions are available, at least at the Wegman's I shop at.

Wegman's is my favorite place in the world :biggrin2:Too bad they don't have any in CT! I have looked in my local grocery store, but there's another store I need to check next time I'm there. I thought they would be easy to find, but at my Stop & Shop they apparently aren't.