Some general questions and information

[EbonyBun96]

Hi! I’m a first time bunny mom and I decided to join this website because you guys seem so friendly and helpful, but I do have a little bit of a concern with my bun.

First of all, a little bit of background info… our bun is probably 7-8 months old. I’m actually not sure. My boyfriend got her mid to end February but didn’t really think to ask many questions like age or breed. She lived with him and his friend (who really didn’t care to take care of her) and I visited all the time. She’s so sweet and I fell in love with her. They had a falling out of sorts and my boyfriend came to live with me. We went back for the rabbit a few days later because I wanted her to be taken care of and not neglected or ignored by his friend.

We have a large house for her in my bedroom. (I want to work on getting another one and maybe attaching them together so she has more space.) Unfortunately she does not get a ton of outside time, a we have other animals (two cats and a dog) I’m not sure she would get along with if she was out and about in the house or room. They’ve never been around rabbits. I give her tons of pets and she jumps out to sit on my lap and she loves to give me kisses.

About two days ago she stopped showing so much interest in her pellets. She normally gets her pellets in the morning, about 8 or so. Normally she gets right to them and eats a bit but they usually last until about the time she gets her greens. But she really hasn’t been eating her pellets that much. She is still eating hay and eats all of her greens. She could probably be drinking more water as well. I’m just a little worried.

She always has hay and water available. She gets vegetables/greens in the afternoon around 3 or so while her house is cleaned. She’s acting normal and is still pooping and that looks normal as well. Anyway, sorry for the long post or if it’s in the wrong place. Does anyone have any general advice for me?

[joea64]

Given that she’s eating her hay and vegetables and drinking her water (maybe a bit more than she used to) and toileting and otherwise acting normally, it could be that she simply doesn’t find those particular pellets to her taste anymore. I do want to know if you’re offering her timothy hay and pellets now that she’s over 6 months old (which is the usual cutoff mark for rabbit adulthood) or if she’s still eating alfalfa hay/pellets. Also, do be aware that some house rabbit owners prefer not to give their buns pellets at all, just hay (which should always be the overwhelming majority of her diet) supplemented by green veggies; therefore, if she just doesn’t want to eat pellets anymore but continues to eagerly attack her hay and vegs, you should be able to get by just fine with that.

[Luna]

Hi! In terms of diet, pellets are not really necessary so I wouldn’t be worried about her not eating them – not wanting them is a different matter. When a bun refuses a favorite food (ie. pellets) it can indicate that something is wrong (ie. gas or dental issues). But since she is still eating her hay and veggies with a healthy appetite, I doubt it is gas. It could be dental issues, or it could be nothing at all. She’s younger, so I’m not sure if she has ever had a physical exam?

[EbonyBun96]

She is getting timothy hay and pellets, yes. I was just concerned as she didn’t seem as interested in them anymore. She does eat some of them but has left the majority of them alone the past two or so days and it takes her a little longer to finish her vegetables. She is using the bathroom and that seems normal. She chews on her toys as usual, and is not acting extremely lazy or aggressive.

I try to keep enough for her to chew on but she’s super picky about what she likes. I’ve bought tons of toys and she ignores some and destroys others pretty quickly. Her favorites are cardboard tubes and willow/wicker balls and she goes through those like crazy.

Maybe she’s just being picky about everything all of a sudden. I’m sure bunnies could get tired of their diet. I’m gonna find some more ways to ensure that she eats more hay if she’s not eating many pellets.

[ThorBunny]

Hi! Glad you are taking such good care of this bunny, she’s lucky to have you

Stopping eating pellets coupled with the increase in water drinking make me think it may be a dental issue as well. What sized rabbit is she? Any rabbit can get tooth problems, but dwarf buns and lops can be particularly prone. If possible, I would get her checked out by a vet so they can look at her teeth, sometimes they can get tooth spurs that cause pain while chewing.

[EbonyBun96]

I think I misspoke. She’s not drinking extra water, really. It seemed like she was drinking a little less than normal for a day or two. Sorry.

She’s about medium-sized. Unfortunately I have no clue what breed she is but I don’t think she’s grown recently. She did eat some more pellets overnight but hasn’t really touched ones from this morning. She just got her veggies and ate one or two, but seems more interested in digging around and chewing up her bedding (we use aspen shavings). Despite her being uninterested in most of her pellets and taking longer to eat her veggies, she seems normal… I hope I’m making sense here! I’m trying to learn everything I can and take the best care of her that I can.

[Wick & Fable]

It’s much less important for rabbits to eat veggies and pellets (to an extent) compared to eating hay. How’s her hay appetite? General disinterest in pellets isn’t too alarming. Wick still goes bonkers for them, but for the past months, he eats about 3/4 ravenously, then stops and does something else.

Rabbits can become spoiled and selective in diet based on their feeding schedule and the amounts given to them. This is why I changed Wick to an absolute-no-cave-in-to-begging policy for veggies or treats outside his early morning feeding and evening feeding. In the first few months I’d give in, but then he’d stop eating hay and just keep bugging me for treats.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

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