a few things to report

[jerseygirl]

A few good things to report, for a change!  Rumball eats hay!  Amazing, it’s quite a novelty for me to see a rabbit do this as my other ratbag is not so inclined.  He doesn’t seem interested in much else.  Pellets or veg.  I offer familiar veg to him and he eventually eats it.  Everything is so different to Jersey, who is very food orientated.  It’s strange as he’s the one with the extra weight.  He was fed grain based food – likely culprit.  He just seems to sit in a spot and doze, go every now and then and munch on hay then back to dozing.  Hopefully when I can get him free ranging in the house, he’ll get some more exercise.

Funnily, Jersey has taken to eating more hay. Ha! I think she’s trying to out do him or something.  I have decreased her pellet ration ever so slightly but I wouldn’t have though that was it.  Also watched her yesterday toss her whole basket of toys up, toss a few about and the settle to chew on the willow basket.  She never plays with the toys.  The hay eating and toy thing seems like an attention seeking or working out her frustrations thing – when I read it with a humanised view. Amusing all the same.

 

[KatnipCrzy]

I think that another rabbit can affect another buns feeding habits or behavior.  Cotton used to be a picky hay eater- would not eat hay is not super easy accessible- even stuffed in a Kleenex box was too much work.  Then I put her next to Schroeder for bonding- and he is a hay eating machine.  Now they are both hay eating machines and they dig all the hay out of the baskets into their litterboxes within a day of filling them.  They even love to try to steal each others hay thru the NIC grids.

And I know many members have reported litter box digging or digging in general to be a behavior that can be shown and passed on- so why not hay eating?

Julie

[MimzMum]

This doesn’t have to do with hay, but I had a moment with Fiver today that made me laugh.
Griff doesn’t care for the bunnies (my cat) and usually stays as far away from them as possible. But today I was trying to encourage Fiver to spend more time out of his pen, and he was being stubborn about it. Until Griffy got on the bed to snuggle with me.
He didn’t realize Fiver’s pen was open, but the bunny toys on the bed should’ve been a clue. He suddenly looks over and notices Fiver’s “Funny Ball” (one of those plastic wiffle balls in two colors that have the bell inside them). I can see he’s going to mess with it and I keep telling him, “No Griffy…not your toy…don’t touch, Griff…” But of course, what cat can resist a spheroid object?
So he gives it a bat. And Fiver comes EXPLODING out of his pen and right up to the funny ball and looks at Griffy with one eye like, “I sees what yer doin’ thar! Paws off my ball!”
Griff of course becomes visibly distressed and hops off the bed, he is NOT going to risk further wrath.
Summarily satisfied that he has resolved the sitch, my sweet little bunny returns to his cuddly cup in his cage.

On the subject of hay…when Mimzy (not bonded to Fiver) is out on the bed for a snuggle session, Fiver goes directly to his trough and begins munching hay in the loudest possible way he can manage. Like someone snapping gum. It’s an obvious bid for attention. And disapproval for the alien bunny in Fiver’s favorite binky spot.

Animals! OI! It’s so funny how they interact…even when they don’t! lolz!

[Beka27]

Did Rumball get any hay at his previous home? It may also be that it’s new and he’s really enjoying or craving the new hay…

[jerseygirl]

Yes Beka, he did. I was given a bag of oat and alfalfa to take with me and like 1/2 cup of stale supermarket pellets (yuk – no wonder he isn’t really interested.) All in all, I’m just pleased. He doesn’t devour it but often goes over for a munch. I’m happy as I want to feed him just hay and veggies to get some of the extra weight off. He’s 3kg ( 6.6lbs ) and carrys alot around his middle and chest. So I’m not really having to wean him off pellets.

MM- they are funny! Chewing hay must be therapeutic. Maybe it’s like emotional eating!

Julie, I’ll be pleased if it is Rumball affecting Jersey’s behaviour in this. She’s been displaying some territorial-ness (understandable) and stroppy-ness so it’d be good to see some postive behaviours eventuate also.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

That’s so great he’s a good hay eater! It’s hard to encourage it if they are not inclined Noot is a hay maniac!

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