Getting them to use a bottle

[MidwestMatthew]

If you've seen my previous threads, you know we're new rabbit owners (less than a week in). We have three rabbits, all over a year old, and the breeder says they all know how to drink out of a pet bottle. The problem is, we hadn't gotten the bottles yet when we got the rabbits, so we started them with crocks. Now that we've put the bottles in, they still will only drink out of the crocks.

It's getting into the mid-80's here. Will they figure out the bottles in time if I just take away the crocks? Or is there a better way to get them to use the bottles?

 

[SoDak Thriver]

If you offer them both, they will use what they're accustomed to. I've had the same issue. I put a little water in the crock in the morning, just a couple tablespoons' worth, and then made sure that there was a little water on the bottle nipple (or ball valve) so the rabbits knew it was there. At night, I would give 4 ice cubes on the wire. The rabbit got enough water to stay alive, and cool off a little, but the ice would just melt through the cage, so the only stored water was in the bottle.

I would try this with one rabbit at a time. That way, if they are so resistant to using the bottle that they get dehydrated (I seriously doubt that will happen) and die, you've only lost one. Theo nly way to get them to use the bottle is to make them uncomfortable enough to try it.

 

[Winterwolf]

I recently acquired two new rabbits -- a three year old doe and a four year old buck -- they'd both been raised on water crocks. I put water bottles on their cages and showed both of them where to go for the water. The buck figured it out in a few minutes; the doe less than a half hour later.

If you take away your rabbits' crocks and show them how to get water from the bottles, they should adapt pretty quickly. Just make sure to monitor them until you're sure they've got it figured out.

 

[LittleFluffyBunnies]

I have heard if you put a dab of peanut butter on the tip, they will learn to use it, but I've never tried it.

 

[MidwestMatthew]

Thank you for the replies. We will try the peanut butter idea tomorrow.

Today, I took the crock away from one of our does and left the bottle. I even helped her get some water out of it first and she seemed to drink some. Then I hung it up and left her for about five hours. This rabbit generally drinks quite a bit out of her crock in that amount of time, but when I came back the bottle looked like it hadn't been touched. When I relented and gave her the crock back (it was pretty hot today), she drank desperately for a very long time - close to a third of the crock.

I'd appreciate any further tips. They seem to be able to get water out of the bottles but for some reason choose not to.

 

[SoDak Thriver]

Give an ice cube instead of the crock, or put a lot less water in the crock. They will not stubborn themselves to death, but they don't like change.

And give it time! My method took about 10 days for the rabbit to "get it." I forgot to mention that part.