Bunny wont eat her pellets...

[Thatrous]

Emmy's original owner was feeding her one of the rabbit foods with lots of little added things. I have been continuously seeing that those are no good and plain pellets are better but when I tried switching, Emmy just does not touch the pellets.

Even when I tried doing a mix of old and new she just dug around for the old stuff and left the new. I tried getting another brand but she just sniffed it then hopped away.

I can't afford to give her lots of fresh vegetables so I am hesitant about going for a pellet free diet. She does have unlimited hay that she eats no problem and I just got a few varieties for her but I wonder if I should still try to get her to eat pellets.

Any suggestions?

*As a side note she was never a big pellet eater to start with but she did eat some every day, now she does not touch them.*

 

[fantaysah]

I would think that eating lots of hay and having the pellets available would be ok. If she's hungry after the hay she will eat it. You could give grass from your yard as long as you don't spray it for bugs. Mine love grass and clover! They are big on pellets too though. Make sure she is pooping fine and give her time. U could try missing a VERY small amount of pellets with unsweetened apple juice to entice her. Not enough to make them too wet just enough to make them smell great i did this when mine refused to eat hay... now they eat in on their own. If all else fails try a small slice of banana with pellets and mix in a bowl until they are coated and try that.you wouldn't be able to pick the banana out then.

 

[BunBuns Human]

It is a contest of wills. Can you prevail ?

When she is hungry enoughshe will eat the pellets.

The boys turn up their noses at the pellets too when I spoil them with marked down bananas. When the bananas aren't forthcoming and they get hungry, they eagerly eat the pellets.

 

[majorv]

Yep, she was spoiled. If I get a picky rabbit then I'll give them extra hay, but when they get hungry enough they'll start eating the pellets everyone else gets. I, personally, would never do a pellet free diet. It's just too hard to provide all the dietary requirements a rabbit needs through greens and veggies.

 

[LakeCondo]

Pellets are necessary for rabbits' health.

I think I'd hold back on the veggies until she eats at least a tablespoon of pellets twice a day, more if she's over medium-sized. Give the pellets first & give the veggies only after the pellets are eaten. Once this is successful, increase the amount slowly.

I've even read there are some rare instances where the hay should be cut back on for awhile. I wonder if this is one of those times. Hay's main purpose is to push the nutrients along rather than to provide them itself.

 

[Thatrous]

Thanks everyone for such quick responses! I like everyone's suggestions and will give it a try starting with the unsweetened apple mist (I wonder if mixing unsweetened apple sauce in water would work? I have that in the house...) I'll stop giving her so many veggie treats too so that she will decide to eat the pellets when she is hungry.

I am also currently growing a clover patch for her so she will have that as an additional source of nutrition.

I will Prevail! Haha!

 

[fantaysah]

stick with it !! it took almost 2 months to convince mine that hay is their friend! now they gobble it..

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Peter was spoiled when we got him and would only eat pellets--we cut way down and the second day he began eating hay and now prefers it. Just be patient.

 

[LakeCondo]

You could put just the slightest bit of applesauce in a container, add pellets, & shake to get the pellets coated.

But making them more palatable isn't a long-term solution & applesauce contains added sugar that apple juice doesn't, though maybe fewer chemicals. I'm not a fan of apple juice, myself.

 

[fantaysah]

After about a week mine didn't need the juice on the hay anymore. So it could work on the pellets. I slowly reduced the amount i used like i spritzed once but then added more and more hay each time.