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Digging and other stuff

eawilson

New Kit
I've noticed my bunny Hamish pawing furiously in the sofa like he's wanting to dig or burrow and wondering if I can give him a tray of earth or sand. Is that something you'd recommend? Apart from the mess (he's a house rabbit - we don't have a safe garden) which I don't care about as I just want him to be a happy bunny is there any reason why I shouldn't do this? Sand might get in his eyes? Earth better?

Also, and I am sorry if this is a silly question but I am relatively new to rabbits, Hamish will come up to me and put his nose in front of mine and I rub his nose with my nose (gently) - is this ok or would he see this as in any way threatening or not nice?

Last thing! Hamish needs to eat more hay as he's too fond of his pellets. Thing is, he's had two episodes of gut stasis so I am really worried if I take away his pellets he won't eat at all. He needs the hay to help with his teeth though as he's had problems. Any tips on how to eat more hay - he already gets three different types. While I'm with him and encourage the hay I don't worry as he eats it but when I'm not home I worry if I don't leave pellets he won't eat at all and he'll get stasis again. Am I worrying too much and should I just leave him with the hay and see how it goes? I just don't know if I can go through the worry of stasis again but if his teeth play up again hell start not eating again anyway...

Thanks for any help. I probably sound a bit neurotic but maybe I am!
 
Play sand would be better as it is cleaner and won't have anything yucky in it. Is Hamish free ranged? Julie has a small cage that I fill with hay. She is never locked in the cage. It is just her hay station anyways she loves to dig in the hay and burrow in it and eat.
There was a time that she was not crazy about hay. I added some smelly herbs that she loves to the hay like a little rosemary and or basil also I put some oats in so she has to dig through the hay to get them. It seem to really encourage hay eating also different types of hay like orchard and oat hay helped her. Julie also cut done on eating hay when she needed a dental.
Julie like to rub noses with me as well as having her nose rubbed.
 
when my buns go outside im giving them digging boxes with soil :) but thats outside so it can get messy and doesnt matter in the slightest, but havent tried either, i would just think soil was natural and cuz its going to be outside then it really doesnt matter :)

is ur bunny a single bunny?? when one of my buns lost his partner he became lonely and lost all interest in hay, didnt want to touch it, it wasnt until i got him a wifey that he started eating his hay again, maybe ur bun needs a friend??
 
Has your rabbit been neuteured? I'm not sure if it's the same with a male rabbit but Doughnut dug and dug before she was spayed as she was nesting. Now she never digs, she's more of a chewer!!

She's an indoor rabbit and often nudges me with her nose to take notice of her, when I sit on the floor she had a quick stroke than bounces near her hutch to show me she wants more pellets! She only has an egg cup full now, she used to have two but had a bout of gas/statis,so cut down on the pellets and now she eats more hay.

I also try and give her dill as this is good for gas and also bramble leaves or rose leaves are good for the digestion so good for statis. I've changed her to a more natural diet and she seems a lot more healthier. She doesn't have any veg but like someone else said to put the fresh herbs mixed with hay and your little one may well eat more hay. Also experiment with different hays, Doughnut loves the stalkier hay and once she's finished her pellets she fills up on this.

I don't know if her having too many pellets caused the gas but since I've cut it down and she eats more hay, she's been healthier and also since she gets to go outside on the grass sometimes.
 
Thanks for your help!

Thanks everyone for your replies!

Hamish is unfortunately a singleton. I want to get him a new friend but OH says he would be difficult to bond with as he hasn't mixed with other rabbits since he left his mum. I feel guilty all the time that he's alone most of the day during the week. I think if we can go to a rescue centre and ask if they can bond Hamish and make a donation it would be fairly easy. They'll know what they're doing and Hamish has been neutered so that's not a problem. I'll just have to keep on at OH!

I had never heard of orchard or oat hay - where can I get those? They don't have them in local pet shop. I'll try different hays and see if he really takes to any. He does like the alfalfa hay but I don't think you can give too much of that because of calcium. Just typical! Will definitely try herbs too but so far he's turned his nose up at everything though we have never given him rosemary.

I brought a high sided box home with me to fill with hay and hide food in. Hope to get sand or earth soon but not earth till he's had his vaccinations, just in case. Sadly he is not free range just yet. Our flat is tiny and there is stuff on the ground in bags we can't fit in cupboards so there is a good chance Hamish will investigate this stuff (he' a nosy wee boy!) and chew plastic. He gets out when we're home but that's just evenings and weekends. Hopefully moving soon though to bigger place and Hamish can have the run of it!

Rose and bramble leaves - Do you mean just to pick rose or bramble plant leaves off the plant? Or should you buy them? Sorry I have no clue - city girl, me!

Thanks again. Love to all your bunnies!
 
You can just go out and pick rose and bramble yes, pick somewhere that won't have been sprayed with pesticides and not next to roads, usually dog walking/cycling paths are good, or maybe a canal/river, just pick the branches that are higher up so no dogs will have peed on them!

You don't have to pick the leaves off, whole branches will do.

If you can find a rescue to bond him that'd be great! Just because he's been alone doesn't mean he won't be able to bond, if he goes to a rescue it means they can try him with a few bunnies to find the right one :) He'll most likely have to have his vaccinations though, but that's best for both parties involved anyway!

I think the hayexperts sell oat hay and such, can't be sure as I don't use them myself but plenty of others mention them. Many online places do sample packs too so you just have to pay postage and then you can try him with a few different types and see what he likes best.
 
Thank you for your reply. Picked some bramble and rose today, let's see how he likes them!

Thanks for letting me know about hay experts too.


You can just go out and pick rose and bramble yes, pick somewhere that won't have been sprayed with pesticides and not next to roads, usually dog walking/cycling paths are good, or maybe a canal/river, just pick the branches that are higher up so no dogs will have peed on them!

You don't have to pick the leaves off, whole branches will do.

If you can find a rescue to bond him that'd be great! Just because he's been alone doesn't mean he won't be able to bond, if he goes to a rescue it means they can try him with a few bunnies to find the right one :) He'll most likely have to have his vaccinations though, but that's best for both parties involved anyway!

I think the hayexperts sell oat hay and such, can't be sure as I don't use them myself but plenty of others mention them. Many online places do sample packs too so you just have to pay postage and then you can try him with a few different types and see what he likes best.
 
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