Need help getting bunny to eat fresh greens

[Amber Seay]

So a little back history on my boy Henry... I found Henry in a small dog crate left in the middle of the Wal-Mart parking lot in front of my Jeep at 10pm back in Sept. 2019 with a letter and his pedigree papers. I call animal control in my area and they told me to take him home and they would be in touch the next day. So the next day when they called they informed me that they had found his former owners by reaching out to Henrys' breeder from the pedigree papers and that they were in a continuing animal hoarding investigation and that he now belonged to me if I wanted him as he wouldn't be returned to the former owners. So owning rabbits in the past I knew what I needed to get for him to be a happy bunny and I rushed out to get it all however he absolutely refuses to eat any fresh veggies or fruits at all I am trying to figure out how to get him to eat at least fresh kale, spinach, etc. but he literally hops over sniffs it backs up and stomps his feet until I remove the plate of greens. So any suggestions on how I can get him to eat things besides hay and pellets would be appreciated!!!

 

[Blue eyes]

If you have his papers, do you know his age?

 

[Amber Seay]

If you have his papers, do you know his age?

He is 7 months he will be 8 months on the 29th and he is a male American Polish pedigree

 

[Blue eyes]

Okay. So he's an adult now. That let's us know what his diet should be.

Thankfully he's eating hay. That's more important and could be a challenge if he was refusing hay.

I would suggest trying some greens that are safe for every day (spinach, being high in oxolates, is not good for every day). But just pick one to start. I'd try something like basil or green leaf lettuce. Choose one type and offer a piece on top of his pellets. If he ignores the piece, fine. Try again with the same type of green on the next day. Each day, for several days, keep trying the same type of green to see if he'll try it. Sometimes it is the unfamiliarty that keeps them from trying it. But he'll becomes more familiar with the smell if it is offered day after day.

If he tries it, great! Keep up with offering more and more each day of the same type of green. That will be one down and then you get to start on a new type.

If he still refuses to even nibble it after a week, then move on to a different type of green and start the process over again.

How much pellets are you feeding him? If you aren't limiting the pellets, I'd also start scaling back on the amount of pellets he gets. Too many pellets could discourage him from trying the greens.

 

[Amber Seay]

Okay. So he's an adult now. That let's us know what his diet should be.

Thankfully he's eating hay. That's more important and could be a challenge if he was refusing hay.

I would suggest trying some greens that are safe for every day (spinach, being high in oxolates, is not good for every day). But just pick one to start. I'd try something like basil or green leaf lettuce. Choose one type and offer a piece on top of his pellets. If he ignores the piece, fine. Try again with the same type of green on the next day. Each day, for several days, keep trying the same type of green to see if he'll try it. Sometimes it is the unfamiliarty that keeps them from trying it. But he'll becomes more familiar with the smell if it is offered day after day.

If he tries it, great! Keep up with offering more and more each day of the same type of green. That will be one down and then you get to start on a new type.

If he still refuses to even nibble it after a week, then move on to a different type of green and start the process over again.

How much pellets are you feeding him? If you aren't limiting the pellets, I'd also start scaling back on the amount of pellets he gets. Too many pellets could discourage him from trying the greens.

He LOVES his hay he is on Oxbow young rabbit pellets and he eats less than 1/4 cup in a week he really just prefers his hay over everything. He is definitely a picky eater and quite a character if his hay box isn't in the exact spot he wants it he throws a fit

 

[majorv]

Many rabbits do fine on hay and pellets. I wouldn’t give up trying, but if you’re unsuccessful it’s not that big of a deal IMO.

 

[Augustus&HazelGrace]

With him being over 6 months old I would slowly switch over to adult pellets. The young has alfalfa in it and he is an adult so he doesn't need that rich of food. But with him not eating that much in a week, after you get him eating greens you may get him to no pellets at all. Or it could be that he doesn't like the pellets you are giving him. But he may not like pellets at all. Lots of people feed them as treats on here. They just give them the daily ration throughout the day as treats. But don't quit the pellets until he is on several types of greens per blue eyes's instructions. Just giving another type of diet. Some give all three, some give just hay and pellets, and some just get hay and greens. It is a GREAT thing that he chooses hay over everything else. What type of hay are you giving him?

 

[Amber Seay]

With him being over 6 months old I would slowly switch over to adult pellets. The young has alfalfa in it and he is an adult so he doesn't need that rich of food. But with him not eating that much in a week, after you get him eating greens you may get him to no pellets at all. Or it could be that he doesn't like the pellets you are giving him. But he may not like pellets at all. Lots of people feed them as treats on here. They just give them the daily ration throughout the day as treats. But don't quit the pellets until he is on several types of greens per blue eyes's instructions. Just giving another type of diet. Some give all three, some give just hay and pellets, and some just get hay and greens. It is a GREAT thing that he chooses hay over everything else. What type of hay are you giving him?

He loves Timothy and orchard grass hay