New bun not eating hay.

[Sam]

Hey all!

Just recently became a bun mom to a 1yr old English spot/lion head mix. She’s been with me almost a week now and seems to refuse hay. I have what’s left of the previous owner, Oxford Timothy and alfalfa and a nice green Timothy feed store hay from a local place.

I place hay by her water bowl, her litter box, and where she likes to chill. I do the bag trick twice a day in hopes of it spiking her interest but no avail.

She’s about 7 pounds if that. She lives loves looooooves lettuce. So I give her two decent size pieces twice a day. Mix of kale and romaine. (Trying to substitute a little roughage )

I’ve tried putting it in rolls of tp, paper bag with leafy greens and a couple of goodies, etc but she tosses it everywhere. Also have some Timothy cubes. She’s nibbled on one the teeeniest bit over the past 5 days.

So, with that reaching out to you. I was feeding her pellets twice a day but weaned her off to none in hopes it’d make her hungry for it.

Could she just be stressed from the change? She’s pooping and urinating normally. Quite a bit actually.

I hope I’m just over estimating how much she should actually eat in a day…
and as I’m typing this (on my phone–sorry for any mistakes I missed) she tossed her hay rack of the green Timothy hay (that I keep next to her litter box) and is happily munching from the top if it rather than the feeding part. I hope I’m just being overly worried about things. But if you have any advice or experience with picky hay eaters, I’d be delighted to hear your suggestion.

She is very healthy and all binky when I have her out to chill together. She’s been climbing all over me and asking for pets. Also like to grunt a lot of I’m too quick though–we haven’t known each other for long.

<3 first time bun mom!

[LBJ10]

What are the pellets you’re feeding her and how much?

[Sam]

That’s a good question. The previous owner gave the rest he had in a tupperware box. But I split 1/4 cup into morning and night.

I’ve been experimenting and I think the placement of hay has been the issue. I haven’t had it in the right spots. I’ve taken pellets out and reduced the amount of lettuce I’ve been giving her (which was a lot) and she’s eating hay like a champ now.

I used to do two (big) leafs of lettuce morning and night with treats of cilantro and maybe some kale while I’d sit with her.

[LBJ10]

My thought was that if she is filling up on pellets, then she has no reason to feel interested in hay. It sounds like you’re getting things figured out now.

[Author]

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