Why would you want to change from bowl to bottle? I think if that is what he is used to then you should keep the bowl. All my rabbits use bowls.

Many people don’t have much luck with switching from a bowl to a bottle. Usually the bunny chooses what they like best and you’re stuck with it.
If you’re worried about the bowl getting muck in it, or spilling, than you could add a metal water dish that hangs off the cage bars – usually sold for birds. They work like a bowl but aren’t easy to move. It could be a second water dish that provides even more water.

Oh gosh, I wouldn’t want to switch from a bowl to a bottle, unless for space reasons. The ball bearings in rabbit-sized bottles are horrifically noisy. (They do make one that has a quiet leve instead, but the package makes it sound like animals can have trouble learning it, so I’ve been afraid to spend money on it.)

But I do understand that they seem cleaner. What have you done to indicate that there’s water in there? Maybe touch his nose with it so it gets wet?

My guys have both and will use both, normally the bottle is there as a back up as the noise Anya makes as she scratches the metal with her teeth is like nails down the chalk board!

My guys have both and will use both, normally the bottle is there as a back up as the noise Anya makes as she scratches the metal with her teeth is like nails down the chalk board!

When I first got Dexter he would dig in his water dish and make a huge mess or his little lop ears would get in the water so I tried to get him to use a bottle instead. I started this transition when he was really young. I got him a huge glass one by superpet I think and it isn’t noisy at all. What I did was rub banana on the tube of the water bottle and also put a little bowl of water underneath the nozzle. Eventually he got the idea and started using it. If your bun doesn’t like banana try rubbing any other kind of fruit or veggie your bun goes crazy for on the nozzle

I think bowls are better. If I’m going away for a whole evening I’ll put a water bottle up too in case they knock their bowl (case in point today I found they put their blanket in their water bottle-not a big deal except it’s a one litre continous fill-so the floor was soaked-little buggers-I know exactly who it was -Rupert… lol) but they prefer the bowl so that’s what we use
Plus bottles are noisy and they break down-only last a little while.

Both of mine have both a bowl and a bottle.. Monkey has both cuz she likes to flop in her bowl, which then makes a mess, so she needs the bottle. She prefers drinking from her little bowl tho, shes little, and has issues reaching things high up Moose also has both.. before we got him, the rescue said he had never had a bottle before, so he had a bowl in his cage.. we figured we’d put a bottle in too, just to see… which he instantly figured out. He has a habit of throwing toys into his bowl tho, so having the bottle is a good thing to have lol.

Two of my rabbits love the bowl and the other two love the bottle. I think having both is best, and teaching them to use a bottle is a good idea if you ever have to take them on a road trip. Buy the larger bottles with the thicker spouts as they are less noisy. You can wrap some hockey tape around the part of the spout where it rests on the cage bars. This will keep noise down significantly. Bottles are a great choice for long-haired buns and those with large dewlaps that can get soggy in a bowl. Flavoring the tip pf the spout with a favorite fruit is a no-fail method to teach them. It may take many repetitions for some rabbits but patience pays off.

Another thing with the water bottle – make sure it’s at a comfortable height for the rabbit to use – not too high, not too low.

If you do switch to a bottle, I highly recommend a glass one. They don’t warp like the plastic ones, and Hubble, who always has two waterbottles, highly prefers drinking from the glass bottle. Plus they are chew proof, and the ones I have can be hung on the inside or outside of the cage. I prefer the bottles because they are easier for me to check and see if they are full, as well as them being what my rabbits have always used. So good luck on training if you decide to try the bottle route!

I couldnt get my buns to switch so I got them the bistro style bowl. This way they never run out of water and they cant tip it (it can be done but would take some serious effort!). Heres a link to one https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aff/3/aft/107139/afv/topic/afpg/1/Default.aspx

I want a glass bottle for mine very much… glass is the most hygienic material.

i have a glass bottle for by bun.

I taught my bunny to use the bottle my smearing banana n the tip everyday until he learned water would come out when he licked the tip.