Bowl or Water Bottle?

[Faith.Dungy]

Right now Buttercup uses a water bottle, but I was told by a HRS volunteer that I should use a bowl. I trust the HRS volunteer's advice but still confused. Is one better than the other?

 

[Evey]

Hello,

I honestly think both are perfectly fine, as there are pros/cons to both. With bowls, rabbits tend to drink more, which is great, but mine seem to enjoy putting their toys/random poos in them so I need to change it at least twice a day. I would offer your rabbit a bowl and a bottle to see which one he prefers!

-Kathy

 

[undergunfire]

Evey wrote:

I would offer your rabbit a bowl and a bottle to see which one he prefers!

I second that!

I use a bowl because that is what my guys prefer. I am going to eventually buy some Water Buddy water bottles and try them out. My bunnies poop in their water, step in their water, put toys/hay in their water....so I think a bottle might be useful for us...if they will use it .

 

[PepnFluff]

Bowl's for me, they have a bottle but are too lazy to use it I have to change the bowl water very often though as Ruby thinks it's great to use water as a litter box:? Just use what Buttercup likes

 

[Flashy]

I have bowls, but that's just mine and their preference. I too would test them out. There are pros and cons to both and its just what you and your bunny find works best.

 

[irishbunny]

I use waterbottles because I don't have time to change the water that often, mine poop, pee, stand in their water and spill it over so they get all wet and have to be dried and have to get the cages all cleaned out. So ya bowls drive me up the wall.

 

[Luv-bunniz]

Evey wrote:

I would offer your rabbit a bowl and a bottle to see which one he prefers!

I third that.
Try put the same amount of water in a bottle and a bowl, put them next to each other and then at the end of a day measure how much is left in each, check over a fed days and the one with the most taken out should be your answer

 

[irishbunny]

The which one he prefers thing is a good idea, but he'll probably pick the bowl because it's the easier option. If you don't have time for cleaning up the water and changing it then get a bottle and show him how the water comes out, leave him with nothing but the bottle for a few hours and if he still hasn't drank out of it give him back the bowl so he doesn't get dehydrated, then give him back the bottle and show him how to use it again. If he's still not takingto it then put jam on the tip of it where the water comes out so when he licks it water comes out. He will get the hang of it

 

[kherrmann3]

I, myself, prefer water bottles. Toby likes to play in the bowls, and Berry-Boo tries to drink too much water and ends up flinging her head back and sputtering.:shock: I'm afraid of her getting water up her nose... They both like to tip them, too... Doesn't work so well in a solid-bottomed cage... :? That's just my opinion, though. Try out both, and see what your guy likes best!

 

[gentle giants]

I prefer bowls, myself. I use the thick heavy crocks so they can't tip them over. I find that bottles tend to leak and make a wet spot in the cage, and get that slimy build-up in them that is dang near impossible to get cleaned out. Bowls you just take a washcloth and some hot water and wipe 'em out, and you're done. Plus the bunnies really do drink more out of bowls.

 

[tiabia0]

Either work. The bad thing with a bowl though is hair tends to get into it! One of my rabbits stopped drinking out of her bottle for a bit so ever since then she's had both a bottle and a bowl. She seems to enjoy the bowl better these days.

 

[degrassi]

I prefer bowls. I have stainless steel ones that bolt onto the side of the cage so he can't tip it over and I can easily wipe under them. I find my bunny drinks way more water out of the bowl then he did with the bottle.

I got rid of my water bottles because it almost always leaked or dripped after my bun drank out of it. A couple times it even dumped all the water out because the metal ball got stuck in the "on" position. Plus I couldn't stand the metal "tap tap tap" the bottle made when he licked it as it was in my room.

 

[Phinnsmommy]

Me and my bunnies prefer bowls.

I think they drink more if they have a bowl, but one downside is you have to change it ALOT more.

 

[Dublinperky]

For me Merin and Nessa both will either sit in their bowls or with the hang on the side kind put all sorts of stuff in it so I use water bottles but with Fintan (my spoiled little boy) he won't drink out of the water bottle at all so I have to use a bowl. I also think that it just depends on your rabbit on which type of water thing they like better!

Aly!

 

[BethM]

My bunnies prefer a bowl. I use the heavy crock-style ones so they can't be tipped over. They do need to be changed more often, though. (Amelia seems to dip her dewlap in the water sometimes, and I can tell where she likes to drink from, by the fur stuck on the lip of the bowl.) Tobi sometimes likes to put her plastic ball in her water.
I have noticed Nick and Amelia drinking out of their bowl at the same time.