Rabbit Eats Everything

[ashley.guadarrama]

Hi Ya'll, I have been a bun mom for over 4 years and my Original boy was amazing. Dobby was a double maned Lion Head 4 mo baby boy bun who was free roamed in my house. He was super outgoing loved to play with everything and anyone. he loved interacting with my 2 cats who are also free roamed and family members. he had a taste for cables so I quickly learned to never forget any cables in his area. I never had trouble with him trying to eat the cat food usually it was the cats trying to eat his food. After about 9 months with Dobby I got him a mate. Lionel was around 1.5 years when i got him and he is a black otter lionhead boy. he was super timid but sweet and food motivated but again he never tried to eat the cats food. Both Dobby and Lionel were amazing and super well behaved. Well back in june Dobby passed for reasons I still do not know to this day. Lionel was left without his buddy and started to get depressed about a week after Dobby's passing as the loss of his friend started to settle in. I made the decision to get him a new buddy. This is where problem bun number three Cilantro enters the chat. He is a super sweet cuddly nippy adorable 5mo Holland lop boy. Cilantro loves to attack everyone with kisses. By the way all are/were neutered. ever since I got Cilantro and he was allowed to free roam outside after being successfully bonded to Lionel I cannot keep him out of the cat food. I keep moving it and he keeps finding it. I took him to the vet and they said he is completely healthy and his blood work shows he is healthy and he seems super happy. He followed the vet around the exam room and proceeded to beg for pets and kisses. I am just wondering if anyone else ever had this problem of their rabbit eating everything. He steals any food left unattended. but especially the cat food. He has access to pellets and hay 24/7 since he is so young and he recently started with salad and the occasional fresh fruit when he sees that i am snacking on one. he eats timothy hay( unlimited amount, oxbow organic bounty adult pellets( 2 tbs when Lionel gets his), oxbow garden select young rabbit food (unlimited amount), salad made up of: green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, cilantro about 2 cups total ( he shares it with Lionel). they share two tunnels, one perch, 4 litterboxes (one is inside the cage), a cage witch is never closed, five hides, fresh water and of course the whole house where they free roam with the cats.

 

[Blue eyes]

What cute rabbits! Is there a way you can put the catfood up higher-- to a place only the cats can get (like a counter)?

 

[ashley.guadarrama]

What cute rabbits! Is there a way you can put the catfood up higher-- to a place only the cats can get (like a counter)?

I tried that but oddly enough I have cat Subny that is afraid of heights. Shes a 6 year old maincoon mix and ive had her since she was 5mo and not once have i been able to get her to climb higher that my hip and im 5ft 2 in so not high. When i cary her she starts panicking unless i hold her like a newborn baby in my arms. She loves to tunnel and burrow though. I tried putting the food on my bed and desk and of course Cilantro got to it the little weirdo can climb higher than the cat. The cat in the picture is Sunny and of course the fluff ball is troublemaker Cilantro

 

[Semac]

Maybe testy an automatic feeder for the cats? That way the food is only accessible at specific times. Of course this would only work if your cats eat all their kibble for each meal in one sitting.

 

[ashley.guadarrama]

Maybe testy an automatic feeder for the cats? That way the food is only accessible at specific times. Of course this would only work if your cats eat all their kibble for each meal in one sitting.

Yeah, i tried this but they dont eat their food and i tried blocking off the area to the food but little man cilantro is determined to be a cat

 

[Catlyn]

I have forgotten everything about cat care, so i might end up saying gibberish, but can't cats be fed 3/4/however many times a day at specific times, just like rabbits get their pellets and veg at one or another time of the day, and how most working people eat breakfast/lunch/dinner? Then, it would be easier for you to keep little Cliantro out of the way and still get the cats fed?
Or could you perhaps conjoin bun and cats' meals into single feeding times so that he would be busy with pellets/veg/refreshed hay while the cats get their meal? Kinda like how we give buns their veg so they wouldn't step into our bowls to steal our veg slices?

 

[ashley.guadarrama]

I have forgotten everything about cat care, so i might end up saying gibberish, but can't cats be fed 3/4/however many times a day at specific times, just like rabbits get their pellets and veg at one or another time of the day, and how most working people eat breakfast/lunch/dinner? Then, it would be easier for you to keep little Cliantro out of the way and still get the cats fed?
Or could you perhaps conjoin bun and cats' meals into single feeding times so that he would be busy with pellets/veg/refreshed hay while the cats get their meal? Kinda like how we give buns their veg so they wouldn't step into our bowls to steal our veg slices?

You were 100% right the problem is my cats dont eat all their food in one sitting and cilantro will look for the tiniest morsel of cat food to eat. I also feel like my cats may be enabling cilantro because i find them carrying bits of food around the house

 

[Momma Luvbun]

May I suggest a baby gate that the bunny can't get to the other side and feed your feline there

My 2 bunnies just lost their guardian feline 3 weeks ago .
When I was reunited with my feline (he was missing for 4 years) I had a different bun (Pepsipepper Pooper) and wasn't sure what my feline was eating all that time he was gone. I knew there were feral bunny colonies (oodles of buns who live in parks due to abandonment or being born there from the abandoned) and had no idea if my boy was surviving using his hunting skills. Because I was to begin a work week I'd lock my feline in my bedroom and at night open it with a baby gate in the doorway.
My boy didn't want to come out after I showed him we had a free roam bunny in the house. Took him the weekend after the week of me working to get used to coming out (I guess being home all day he wanted to come sit with me and make up for lost time)

I kept the baby gate in the doorway mostly because my room was the only bunny no go zone, not being bunny proofed, so I could sleep in my bed without a bun racing around etc. But I'm wondering if it'll work for your house

 

[ashley.guadarrama]

May I suggest a baby gate that the bunny can't get to the other side and feed your feline there

My 2 bunnies just lost their guardian feline 3 weeks ago .
When I was reunited with my feline (he was missing for 4 years) I had a different bun (Pepsipepper Pooper) and wasn't sure what my feline was eating all that time he was gone. I knew there were feral bunny colonies (oodles of buns who live in parks due to abandonment or being born there from the abandoned) and had no idea if my boy was surviving using his hunting skills. Because I was to begin a work week I'd lock my feline in my bedroom and at night open it with a baby gate in the doorway.
My boy didn't want to come out after I showed him we had a free roam bunny in the house. Took him the weekend after the week of me working to get used to coming out (I guess being home all day he wanted to come sit with me and make up for lost time)

I kept the baby gate in the doorway mostly because my room was the only bunny no go zone, not being bunny proofed, so I could sleep in my bed without a bun racing around etc. But I'm wondering if it'll work for your house

Awwee thats so cute. A gate was my first step and cilantro cleared it easily and it was a tall one. I dont know what to do at this point little man is a houdini bun

 

[JBun]

Not the cheapest option, but could you maybe have some sort of feeding crate/room with one of those electronic smart doors, where your cats wear a collar that allows them access through the cat door to go eat, but will block your rabbit, provided he doesn't figure out how to slip in with one of the cats?