why does my bun…..

[agraybun]

Alright, So I got my bun maybe 2-3 months ago from a woman who rescued her from a shealter who was destroying like 20 little buns

Well, This woman always gave my Smoochies water in a crock… How can I teach my bunny now to use a water bottle? (She is 8 mos. the vet estimated) Will she be able to learn? I know it doesnt matter too much but I read about “wet dewlap” and I dont want that. But most of all, the cat would rather drink the bunny’s water than his own, and the bowl is not very big, you cant get like a huge bowl, or else she will fall in! Lol, no but maybe the sides would be too tall.

Also, Smoochies doesn’t play with TOYS? I have bought lots and lots of things, but she is not interested, I’m kinda tired of wasting the money, and dont want to buy more, in cae she doesnt play with them.

Does she not play with toys because she never had them as a little bun? Does anyone else have a bun that just isnt interested in toys?

[Beka27]

have you given her a water bottle and she ignores it? not sure if you can teach her to drink out of it. my buns just do.

what kind of toys does Smoochies have specifically?

[Princess*Smudge]

When my bun’s old water bottle broke she went about 2 weeks drinking out of a dish before I got a new one (long story but basically she apparently has a “size” preference so the first one was NO GOOD) Anyways after the 2 week break she gave me that “What am I supposed to do with this?” look and refused to use it. To re-teach her I held my hand against her back end and scooched her up to the bottle nib then with my other hand I tapped the end of the bottle fast so that little drops of water fell out and I placed some on her mouth from my finger and a couple on her nose. At first she would just lick the drops off the floor that were coming out but after some patience she clued in and presto! Hope this helps you a little bit, buns are smart your little one will probably clue in pretty fast

As for toys… haha I don’t have alot of help there.. Smudge (my bun) has many many store toys she plays with 2 of them. One is a favorite its a grass ball big enough to throw around, the other is a small dogs tug-o-war rope. The rest are ignored, but put an empty paper towel roll in her pen and she’s enthralled! She also enjoys ripping old phonebooks and cardboard boxes…

[Sarita]

All my rabbits drink out of crocks and I’ve never had a problem with wet dewlap so if that’s a worry, I wouldn’t worry too much.

[JK]

I’m sure your bun can learn to drink from a water bottle. Just get a 32 oz good quality one.  The key is to press your finger at the end to start the water going. Some bottles don’t work as well as others so I would buy the best quality you can.

Edited: Whoops forgot about the toys.  Edson is not into any of the toys I have.  His favorite things are crumpled up packing paper that he can run underneath.  He loves his cottontail cottage .  And he used to like his 3 foot long tunnel but rarely goes in that anymore.  I’m about to set up the Maze I just bought from Binky Bunny so I’ll let you know how that goes!

[MooBunnay]

What kind of toys are you giving Smoochies? Often, the best toys are pretty cheap, for example, my bunnies LOVE cardboard boxes. I cut little arches in the boxes and they crawl in and out, and “remodel” by munching all over them. Also, willow related items do very well with my bunnies, especially willow tunnels and tents.

As far as water bottles, I am not sure as I use crocks for all of my bunnies.

[agraybun]

Well I am glad to see that a few of you us crocks and no detriment has occured.

For toys currently, and used to have: one of those “Chubes” to roll around and chew I guess, but she never did such a thing. A willow ball that had like walnuts inside when she chewed through the weaved willow, which never happened. she chewed though a few strands. I also got her a largeish grass ball, for whatever… some chewing blocks that were like A B C bloces and I would stack them up for her to knock down, she would do it once and hop away. I got her a seisel carrot that is like a rattle to pick up and toss. funny cause sh only tossed it when i would put it in front of her and she didnt want it near her  I tried the cardboard box. the phone book occupied her for a few days…that was nice.

But most of the time she just eats hay, relaxes, hops around, hides under my bed, or in the cloest, where ever she is not supposed to be, like in the berooms because they are so messy, but she must love that, she is always sneeking in.

 

[agraybun]

Well I am glad to see that a few of you us crocks and no detriment has occured.

For toys currently, and used to have: one of those “Chubes” to roll around and chew I guess, but she never did such a thing. A willow ball that had like walnuts inside when she chewed through the weaved willow, which never happened. she chewed though a few strands. I also got her a largeish grass ball, for whatever… some chewing blocks that were like A B C bloces and I would stack them up for her to knock down, she would do it once and hop away. I got her a seisel carrot that is like a rattle to pick up and toss. funny cause sh only tossed it when i would put it in front of her and she didnt want it near her  I tried the cardboard box. the phone book occupied her for a few days…that was nice.

But most of the time she just eats hay, relaxes, hops around, hides under my bed, or in the cloest, where ever she is not supposed to be, like in the berooms because they are so messy, but she must love that, she is always sneeking in.

 

[tobyluv]

It’s been my experience that rabbits prefer water bowls over bottles.  I think they can access the water better out of a bowl.  I stopped using bottles years ago.  The rabbit sanctuary where I volunteer uses bowls only.  I have never had a problem with a rabbit having a wet dewlap.  As far as toys, my rabbits have never really been interested in them.  One of my rabbits does occasionally toss or carry around a wooden rattle that I got at Busy Bunny, but for the most part they prefer cardboard paper towel tubes or small cardboard boxes to play with.

[COOKIE'N FLUFF MOMMA]

SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE TRIED LOTS OF TOYS. ANOTHER COUPLE THINGS YOU CAN TRY IS A PAPER SACK FILLED WITH HAY YOUR BUN CAN RIP UP, SINCE YOU MENTIONED SHE LIKES HER HAY IT’S MESSY BUT FUN TO WATCH. ALSO MY BUNS LIKE PLAYING WITH CAT TOYS ,THE ONES THAT JINGLE.

[GrammyB]

Our buns use both, we have 2 bottles in the condo w/a crock under each & a crock in the living room. Bunnys drink more from a bowl than a bottle, & isn’t that what we want?

As for toys, our experience is like others have said, the cheaper the better. News paper, paper towel tubes, paper bags, phone books, & the ever popular cardboard box. When we go to Costco we select boxes w/bunnies in mind. My 14 yr daughter built them a castle/fort out of 4 very thick fruit boxes held together w/cable ties, they love it. Also remember all bunnies are different. Our Benny is much more interested in tearing into things where Precious is more dainty about it. lol I think sometimes she rolls her eyes & shakes her head at his crazy antics. hehe

I must admit I’m getting a sampler chew toy, it has a little of everything, just to see what they like.

[agraybun]

So, this morning I awoke to Smoochies eating the book spines off of books that were on my nightstand shelf! I was so mad or more annoyed she woke me.

She doesnt do this much but she seemed adament (sp?) about it. I even woke up and brought her on to the bed with me, because I thought she was looking for attention or she got bored, or she needed something to chew on, so I went I got her some cut up broccli stems, she enjoyed and cruched on those awhile but them hopped off the bed and went right back to the books!!!

I went to the binkybunny shop and just stared buying chew toys, becuase Smoochies wont even chew on the cheep toys I make her, I have given her toilet paper rolls, I put hay and papya in a paper bag. It seems to me that “it is just to hard” for her to bother with shreding the bag….. oh come on Smoochies!

She only chews on carpet (BAD) Books, game box corners, And why does she have to ingest all this, I get sooo worried! She even ate a cork top off a bottle of an old-fashioned-feather-pen-ink-bottle!   

She just got spayed 2 weeks ago, is this going to stop when the hormones go away completely?

She is driving me nuts! She used to be so good!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Have you given her a phone book?

[agraybun]

Yes, I have she eats a lot of it though, but also she got bored of it so I took it away and I should indroduce it again.

This bunny inhales everything????? She doesn’t just shred it she eats it!  Im concerned about blockage. I give her papya everyday.

[side note/ question- whats better papya tablets- from the bunny store or plain dried papya from the grocery store?]

[Beka27]

spaying helps sometimes, but some buns just love to chew. she may always be like that.

1) bunny-proofing

2) distraction

3) redirection

^^^your new best friends!

[babybunsmum]

you could try cutting up cardboard into book-sized pieces & sliding them inbetween the books she likes to chew on.  but leave them sticking a bit further out.   they may distract her from chewing the books.  i put cardboard pieces anywhere my buns find things to chew.  i have some tucked behind my living room drapes, on the shelf under my ottoman, on the floor in fav diggy corners and behind a dresser that they like to hide under.  in general they seems to like to shred the cardboard instead of the furniture & books.

[Lightchick]

I posted in the lounge about how my Lizzy could not be any less interested in any of her toys, too!  The only things she seems to sort of like are some woven mats I got her at the petstore.  She pushes them around her cage to redecorate, and occasionally pulls strands out of them.  Otherwise, she, likewise, has no interest in any of the things I spent money on, or any of the “cheap” toys…paper towel rolls, etc.

As far as the chewing, I read a trick on one website or another about putting “prop” books out for your bun.  If she refuses to stop chewing the books, move the ones you care about out of reach, and replace them with books/papers you don’t care about, and let her destroy them.  She can think she’s getting away with something!

[agraybun]

lightchick- thats funny to put up props for her- so she thinks she is getting away with being bad.

I bought a rattle from the binky store and she loved the willow- I was so surprised and now happy that she can entertain herself. also got the maze but she only likes it so far, cuz I put her pellets in there!

Thanks for everyones help

[aturbee]

All 3 of my buns drink out of water bottles and I had to teach all 3 of them.  Since they definitely have a sweet tooth, I rubbed a very small amount of jelly of the tip of the water bottle to get them to lick it.  When the did, the water came out and this is how they learned where to get water.  Nothing against crocks.  I have just found that within one minute after filling them up, they have fur or pieces of hay floating around in them, and I don;t want my buns to be drinking dirty water.  You just have to keep the water bottles very clean.  Once a week I thoroughly was them with mild dish soap and extremely hot water.  I rinse them like 20 times!  The bottles have never been an issue, and I prefer them over crocks

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