I don’t know about what amounts he should be getting, I didn’t feed mine unlimited either, in fact I only gave a couple of tablespoons each because a) they didn’t eat enough hay and b) my vet recommended only a small amount of pellets. But I certainly don’t think you’re being cruel! I tried using a treat ball but mine would often give up. They don’t like working too hard lol. I don’t see an issue though, if he’s happy to work for it, why not! If you’re worried you could always put half his daily amount in the ball and have the remainder in a bowl or scattered.

It’s the opposite of cruel. Making an animal work for it’s food is a type of enrichment. It allows the animal to perform its natural behaviors. No wild rabbit gets its food served on a plate. It spends a considerable amount of its waking time foraging for food.

This is a very important aspect of animal welfare. Not only for rabbits, but for dogs, cats, horses, chickens, animals in zoos.

It’s good if he likes the alfalfa the least since he should be weaned off of alfalfa at 4-5 months. That can sometimes be difficult if the bun has a sweet tooth for alfalfa.

I’d recommend you weigh him and make a weight curve to see so he gets the appropriate amount of food. It’s difficult to see with the naked eye, but a wight curve doesn’t lie. 1/2 cup sounds to me like plenty for a mini lop.

It’s great that you’re giving him foraging toys! Buns need mental stimulation .

It IS cruel. Cruel and unusual. How would you like it if someone made YOU walk around for your Cheetos?

Nah, seriously, what you’re doing is awesome because in the long run, it benefits the bunner. Nuts to what others say. Especially bunless others. Armchair experts.

I think it’s great! Definitely not cruel.

I’ve been considering doing this for Moose, since he WOLFS his pellets down super fast. I sometimes will put his pellets hidden in stacking cups or in an egg carton, then it’s like a pellet pinata!

Love that image!

It is fine for a solo bun, in a pair, I have found a smart bun knows to follow the ball closely, when pushed by the other bun, and swipe the treats fast, leaving one bun doing all the work and the other getting all the pellets

You’d have to try it, but watch out for smart buns, who would sooner let somebun else do the hard work than roll their own treat ball!

Treat balls are wonderful and others are being judgy without knowledge.

We a have 2 different kinds of treat balls here… The slim cat ball is too easy so we’ve taped 2 of 3 holes shut and added a ping pong ball inside. The game of getting the treats out has never lasted more then 10 minutes even with these challenges in place. [ edit: So if you’re cruel then I must be cruel and unusual/s ]

Hazel starts circling our feet the moment she sees us pick up the ball and hears it open. It’s an exciting game that pays out her favourite reward.

As long as your bun has unlimited access to hay and the treat balls are just her pellet ration then others can go fly a kite because you’re doing what’s best.

Posted By Gina.Jenny on 8/01/2017 8:35 AM

It is fine for a solo bun, in a pair, I have found a smart bun knows to follow the ball closely, when pushed by the other bun, and swipe the treats fast, leaving one bun doing all the work and the other getting all the pellets

The shelter coordinator at my local rescue was telling me a story about a pair like that! But in the context that originally one bun didn’t really like the other one, until they learned they could profit off their hard work with the treat ball! 

Neat~O BunNoob!

I’ve never seen one like that before. This ad doesn’t ship to Canada but I think I’m going to have to watch for this at my local pet stores