How to break the flipping over the bowl habit?

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macksmom98

macksmom98

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I have a couple of rabbits who have started routinely dumping out their food bowls. I have handled this a couple of ways, first by feeding twice a day, then by only feeding once to see if they would realize the consequences to their actions. I don't enjoy seeing the feed wasted and they do get hay too. I use heavy crocks so its not like its really lightweight for them, but they still manage to flip it over. Any advice appreciated! I have thought about trying to secure feeders to the cage, but so far don't really have a plan to make that work....
 
I'm cheap and trashy so I recycle things, usually coffee cans and those 12oz chicken cans wired to the wall for water and feed. :cool: Gallon ice cream buckets work great for hay/alfalfa too. :p They don't waste so easy with those.
 
tuna can... Drill a couple of small holes.... zip tie into a corner.. make sure it's high enough that they don't use it as a litter box

also, give them things to play with... toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay, cat toys.. the hard plastic ones with bells are cool, I found a baby toy that was really hard plastic... one of my flippers loves that!!.. use metal shower curtail hooks to hang cut pieces of untreated 2x4....

Bored rabbits will destroy anything they can
 
you could try using those crocks that you screw onto the cages - they make them for birds and some small animals. i use one for my house bunny and it works pretty well, though he never had a dumping habit. honestly though the best solution is to use a j-feeder. sometimes they'll dig in them if the feed doesn't fall down the hopper to their liking, but the amount of feed wasted is much much less than if they dump a bowl over.
 
How to break the flipping over the bowl habit?
Goodness gracious, I feel like I've tried EVERYTHING. >.< I've given them toys, I've gotten a heavier bowl, I've gotten a lipless ceramic bowl that weighed a ton (for a rabbit) and... nobody but my least determined flipper stopped. So, I finally found a solution, but it requires a bit of money, depending on how many rabbits you have and what size they are. I get the hard plastic clip cups you can find at various shows, for three dollars apiece. So for my entire herd, I only spent $24, over a gradual time period. Yes, tiny herd of 4, lol. So, that fixed it for me and if you have a smallish herd maybe it's an idea?
 
MaggieJ":2k9x3rc9 said:
I agree with SarniaTricia that boredom is a big factor. I suspect they learn from watching other rabbits too.
Click to expand...
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Ah you don't say, maybe that's why the culprits happen to be next door neighbors ;)
 
Go to KD cages and buy the bowls that twist into the wire on the bottom of the cage. They are cheap.
Best things since sliced bread.
 
I loop a coat hanger over the bowl and strap it down .... they slide out easily for cleaning.

Better than the best thing since sliced bread since they are essentially cost free. :lol:
 
When I have a couple of growouts and planning of keeping one or two, is a big factor how they behave towards bowls/hayracks, etc. The ones that drink from a bowl and just eat the hay are keepers, even they are not the biggest.
 
Mine do the same thing!!! It's driving me insane, I will fill up thief bowls and they flip it. I have learned that any goodies like oats that they get must go on the top, not the bottom and most definitely not mixed in or they will dog in it. They have logs to chew and jump around on, an probably 4 foot by 6 foot cage space and some toilet paper rolls, and all they want to do is play with their bowls, half the time I can't even find them :? I have tried J feeders but I don't have a cut out hole on the out side and they find out how to throw those around too. :evil: I have also had a hard plastic cat ball with the bell and need to get some more because they would roll it around.
 
Olaf does the same thing with his water bowl everyday. And the annoying thing is that because I have a flat bottom cage the water goes all over and I have to clean it about 3 times a day. I am planning on using a water bottle instead now.
 
I use ceramic bowls from the Dollar Tree, because they are only $1 each, very cute, and sturdy. I think they are for dogs and also cats, I may need to just look for something thicker. I went to crocs for water too, as I felt mine weren't able to get enough to drink with the bottles and then read about how that can be a problem....
 

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