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Small pets

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Original poster

Anyone trained their rabbit to drink from a bowl?

21 replies

FernieB · 26/06/2013 16:35

Just wondering as Current Bun's cage is nearing the end of its life and I'd quite like to get rid of it altogether. He's never shut in it anyway and free ranges round the house. If I did then I'd have no bars to hang his water bottle from, so it would be easier if he'd drink from a bowl (not that he drinks much). Has anyone managed to teach their bun to go from bottle to bowl?

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 26/06/2013 17:47

Trouble with bowls is they get kicked and splash everywhere Hmm

My boys have a bowl out in the Pighouse and a bottle when they are in their Winter Night Cage (because guineas are multi talented and adaptable souls)
They ignore both bottle and bowl

Can you get one of those springey things to fasten the bottle onto something? Might make it easier for him.?

Floralnomad · 26/06/2013 17:50

Can't be that hard my rabbit has always had a water bowl and he is not the smartest bun in the world !

Original poster
FernieB · 26/06/2013 18:08

He really isn't the sharpest claw in the paw! He is exceedingly tidy though - puts DH and DDs to shame - so hopefully shouldn't spill. I'll get a nice heavy bowl and try him with it.

OP posts:
ValenciaOrange · 27/06/2013 09:52

Mine drink from a bowl, I use a heavy ceramic one and its only ever got split once .

Midori1999 · 27/06/2013 16:36

I don't think you'd need to teach him.

I have just moved my 3 year old buns outdoors, so they now have a water bowl in their wendy house and a water bottle in their run and they very, very rarely drink from the bottle, they always drink from the bowl. My other two buns also have a bottle and a bowl and although they do drink from the bottle, they prefer their bowl too.

I did think the water would get really dirty/spilt etc. but so far it hasn't. They just have lino as their flooring though and wood pellet cat litter and hay in their litter trays. I do keep a mat under one set of buns' bowl, but it doesn't seem to get spilt.

Original poster
FernieB · 27/06/2013 19:44

Thank you everyone. Current Bun will get a new bowl with a mat under it - I feel as though I'm slowly turning him into a dogGrin, he already has a basket!

OP posts:
Midori1999 · 27/06/2013 21:47

Mine have a dog bed which they have some of their hay in... also, their mat says 'woof'... Grin

Midori1999 · 27/06/2013 21:48

In fact, they also have padded dog beds with paws on them, although they are likely to be removed soon as they seem to be mainly used for weeing... Hmm

welshfirsttimemummy · 27/06/2013 21:55

They will be fine with a bowl, there are no water bottles in the wild Smile

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 27/06/2013 22:54

My four legged sons have a fleece with dog paw prints on it.
Two cat beds - CAT BEDS Shock Blush

And "in the wild we'd drink out of dirty puddles" they say.

andrea315 · 29/06/2013 23:18

My house bunny drinks from my dogs bowl and even tried eating his t tonight !

Original poster
FernieB · 30/06/2013 10:29

Naughty bun Grin. My pigs always try to sneak into Current Buns house to eat his food and vice versa

OP posts:
superfluouscurves · 30/06/2013 20:14

The vet advised getting quite large shallow heavy bowls for our rabbits, and they use them without problems except that they sometimes dip their ears in the water while drinking. I change the water twice a day because it does sometimes have hay floating in it.

Midori that's interesting ... I have bought my buns endless soft blankets and dog beds and all they have done is pee on them as well!!

Oh and mine have a kennel as well as a hutch Grin

midori1999 · 30/06/2013 22:51

super, haha, two of mine also live in a kennel... Gosh, they're going to get very confused.... Dog bowl, dog beds, blanket... Kennel... If they start barking I'll know why... Grin

This is their kennel:

i40.photobucket.com/albums/e201/midori1999/DC2EA988-62EA-47EF-B312-31D620AABDB1-26713-00001CF7B9F9B6F5_zpsc4f098fc.jpg

I've just washed the blankets/beds and the weeping has reduced, so not sure if it was partly due to them being new and in new accommodation.

Steamedcabbage · 30/06/2013 23:04

Ooh they are fab Midori and it's great they have all that head room!
(I would ban standard height hutches if I had my way). In fact, don't think the puppy/dog analogy is that far off. If everyone new to rabbit ownership were told that they need as much space, stimulation, and interaction as a puppy then I reckon general rabbit welfare would improve 10 fold!

Mine haven't started barking .... yet Smile

Steamedcabbage · 30/06/2013 23:09

[sorry, I namechanged, it's SC from upthread]

Original poster
FernieB · 01/07/2013 12:41

Love the pictures Grin

My previous bun made a lot of noises and one of her range sounded a lot like a woof

OP posts:
Steamedcabbage · 01/07/2013 14:12

There's still time then Wink

Essexgirlupnorth · 01/07/2013 14:17

Mine like drinking from puddles of rain water in the garden so shouldn't be hard to get them to use a bowl.

Original poster
FernieB · 01/07/2013 15:31

He has a bowl now - I have no idea if he's using it as he hardly ever drinks. Next step is to remove the cage.

OP posts:
mooseisabunny · 01/07/2013 15:34

I use this for my bunnies, stops it being pushed around :)

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