Rabbit Sitting - Bunnie won't eat hay

Afternoooon

I wonder if you can help me, I'm bunny sitting for a few weeks (I was given a rabbit by a friend and its actually for my step-daughter but it will be a few weeks until we can get over to deliver Mitzy to her) and so far I've tried two different types of hay but the bunny just doesn't seem interested in eating it! Playing with it and sleeping in it yes, but not eating it ..... I've tried mixing a bit in with her food but she just tips the bowl over and eats the food but not the hay.

Any top tips on how I can get her to eat it?? She's about 2 yrs old so I'm presuming that she's been eating it so far - or she'd have gotten ill wouldn't she??

Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.

Jo (and Mitzy)

Hi Jo,

How much commercial feed does she get? An adult bunny only really need a tablespoon so if you gradually cut it down she should start to eat more hay.

Grated carrot and fresh herbs mixed into it can also help.

I've also had bunnies that will only eat from a hayrack, whilst others will only eat from a litter tray so try different feeding methods.

Blimey, is that all?? Per day??

I've been giving her a whole bowl full each morning and then veggies/salad in an evening as well as trying to get her to eat the hay!

I think I see where I've been going wrong now ..... I was so frightened of her being hungry I've been over feeding her.

OK so if I mix the hay (a big bundle, about the same size as her I believe) with veggies and a tablespoon of feed, that should be enough for a full day??

I'll try the other ways of feeding it to her but she only came with 2 bowls and a drinker so I just presumed she ate out of there ...... I used to just put a pile of hay next to her food bowl before I started mixing it all in.

Thanks, I'll definitely try that from now on.

Jo

Yes I'd drastically reduce the museli.

Best to give handfuls of hay throughout the day, mine have 3, as they like it fresh.

You could also try giving her hay in the morning so she has all day to munch at it, then veggies and pellets at night.

Thanks, I've now bought 2 different types of hay, one for bedding and an excel one (timothy hay with dandilions and marigold?) for eating so hopefully she'll like that.

She's currently in the run bouncing round very happily and just won't go back in her hutch ....... the thing is, its raining and although she's spending most of her time in the covered section of the run (with lots of hay and her food, water n toys) she does keep coming out for a run round in the rain ..... will it do her any harm??

The run is currently on paving so its really only touching her feet, (I've heard if they play on long wet grass they can get something called wet belly!?!?!). She seems to be really enjoying herself so I don't want to really make her go 'in' but if her being out in the rain a bit is bad then I will.

She seems to be enjoying having a snuggle in the covered bit then coming out for a quick mad run in the rain, then going back in again.

Thanks, Jo x