Is this normal behaviour with food.

So our rabbit Hartley is getting pretty comfortable around us now, we've had him for around 8 months now.

Usually when we put his hay out and his food he'll eat all of his food almost instantly. The hay he constantly nibbles throughout the day.

Recently though he's been nibbling his greens for a bit and leaving it for later. Eventually he is finishing the food though, just not in his usual "stuff his face" way.


Is this normal and maybe because he trusts that we're not going to eat his food if he leaves it around. Is he potentially getting bored of what he's eating?

Thanks

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Our girls don't eat everything in sight i.e. pellets etc straightaway but will have some, move away, eat hay, play, sleep and then go back to them later on, so yes I would say that leaving the food for later is normal. It could very well be that he is learning to trust you more and learning that you won't remove his food if he leaves it, which is a good sign. I doubt he is getting bored of it to be honest and providing he is eating it all and eating plenty of hay (which is supposed to make up about 85% of his diet I believe) then it's unlikely going to be a dental issue. He's maturing as well, at 8 months old. Youngsters tend to eat everything in sight - as do human youngsters - but tend to slow down as they get older and realise that they don't have to eat it all in one sitting. That's my theory anyway .