KerrBear
New Kit
Hi everyone,
I read the advice given in similar threads but wasn't sure it would help my unique situation:
I adopted a female dutch rabbit on Sunday. She had been passed around a bit between homes before I adopted her and from the vague answers I've been given, it would seem she is about 5 months old.
She refuses to eat her hay. Here in South Africa there simply is NO timothy hay anywhere :evil:
For that reason, I am importing timothy hay but until it arrives, the only thing we get is something called "Mountain Hay" (I have no idea how good/bad it is???) which my Netherland dwarf buck has been living on successfully for 6 months.
She had a monster appetite the day she arrived and will eat her pellets with great gusto (again, I'm importing better ones but she has to make do with the slightly poorer quality ones for now). She also loves, loves, loves all the fresh greens I give her.
She has an ample supply of hay, including in her litter box, but she spreads it around as bedding rather than eating it. When I try to give it to her by hand she just snaps it in half and stomps off.
She is a ferocious little character, very brazen and sassy and is going to be spayed in about a week's time.
I do know that young rabbits should have an unlimited supply of pellets so I am scared to remove them from her entirely. When I do, she won't eat anything else and looks at me in such a mournful hungry way that I relent. I am terrified that her stubborn personality will mean she develops GI stasis rather than just resorting to eating hay with no pellets at her disposal.
Other info: She has been to the veterinarian (very rabbit experienced) and had a full evaluation. Her teeth are perfect - no molar spurs etc, but she does have a slight eye infection and is on baytril and eye drops for the next week.
ANY advice would be SO welcome. I really have no one down here in SA to chat to as house bunnies really are seen as abnormal and exotic here.
Thank you SO much.
Kerr, Wilbur and Emily the stubborn bun.
I read the advice given in similar threads but wasn't sure it would help my unique situation:
I adopted a female dutch rabbit on Sunday. She had been passed around a bit between homes before I adopted her and from the vague answers I've been given, it would seem she is about 5 months old.
She refuses to eat her hay. Here in South Africa there simply is NO timothy hay anywhere :evil:
For that reason, I am importing timothy hay but until it arrives, the only thing we get is something called "Mountain Hay" (I have no idea how good/bad it is???) which my Netherland dwarf buck has been living on successfully for 6 months.
She had a monster appetite the day she arrived and will eat her pellets with great gusto (again, I'm importing better ones but she has to make do with the slightly poorer quality ones for now). She also loves, loves, loves all the fresh greens I give her.
She has an ample supply of hay, including in her litter box, but she spreads it around as bedding rather than eating it. When I try to give it to her by hand she just snaps it in half and stomps off.
She is a ferocious little character, very brazen and sassy and is going to be spayed in about a week's time.
I do know that young rabbits should have an unlimited supply of pellets so I am scared to remove them from her entirely. When I do, she won't eat anything else and looks at me in such a mournful hungry way that I relent. I am terrified that her stubborn personality will mean she develops GI stasis rather than just resorting to eating hay with no pellets at her disposal.
Other info: She has been to the veterinarian (very rabbit experienced) and had a full evaluation. Her teeth are perfect - no molar spurs etc, but she does have a slight eye infection and is on baytril and eye drops for the next week.
ANY advice would be SO welcome. I really have no one down here in SA to chat to as house bunnies really are seen as abnormal and exotic here.
Thank you SO much.
Kerr, Wilbur and Emily the stubborn bun.