Water bottle fun

[maherwoman]

Does your bunny bite the metal water bottle spigot (of sorts)?? Maisie seems to not quite have the hang of her water bottle, and bites (top, bottom, or both) while she drinks. Do your bunnies do this, too?

As you've probably noticed, I'm a bit paranoid about Maisie...and it seems like this would hurt her teeth. Is she ok? Should I worry?

The reason we switched from a dish to a bottle was (a) she would get stuff in her water and then not want to drink from it, (b) she would spill it, and (c) she would run out of water terribly fast.

So...is this a normal bunny occurance...the biting/chewing of the metal water bottle spigot??

 

[Krissa]

Gandalf bites the water bottle spout, but for reasons unknown. I think he just doesn't like it when it pokes him in the back, so he's like "hey stop that you evil metal spout!"

 

[Kristinpsc]

Yes Max does this too. I just thought that when shes really thursty and her tounge is not moving fast enough to get the amount of water she wants, she bites it as it almost to say hurry up im not getting enough!!!

 

[proxima centauri]

my buns hated the water bottle. So I provided them with a water bowl instead. They pee more, but they are happier too.

 

[bunnylover78642]

Leo does but that is because of the type of water bottle we have. There is a stick at the bottom instead of a ball and if he bites or nudges the stick mater will come out! So he has learned to bite it out of the way and drink around it!

 

[naturestee]

proxima centauri wrote:

my buns hated the water bottle. So I provided them with a water bowl instead. They pee more, but they are happier too.

Same with mine. Poor Mocha was so frustrated with every one we tried! She'd end up chewing on it and then completely giving up. Fey and Sprite were used to a water bottle but would chew it if it wasn't dispensing fast enough. They loved their water bowl so much that they guarded it from me for the first few days!

 

[edwinf8936]

Al does it for no reason, gets on my nerves.

Ed

 

[Nadezhda]

My baby was so spoilt. When Oreo would drink (noisy metal ball) during a movie, someone (usually me) would go sit beside her cage and squeeze the bottle so that she could sit there and let the water dribble into her mouth. Water with no effort! After she got used to that, she would grab the spout and bang the bottle whenever someone sat down by her. Soon she would do it whenever she felt we weren't giving her enough attention!

The newest bottle she had, before she died, had a habit of the ball getting stuck. She soon figured out that she could just bash she bottle, as loud as possible, and it would unstick the ball.

If she was angry, she would sit there and bash the bottle repeatedly.

 

[JimD]

Chippy does this. Only one out of 8 bunnies that does.
It seems to make the water flow from the bottle without her trying to move the font with her tongue.

 

[bunnylover78642]

I want to get one for Luke ( he is not in Leos cage and is using a crock instead of a bottle) but Iwas wondering if I should get a bottle like the one I have with the "stick" or one with a ball. The one with the "stick" doesnt leak but is harder for the rabbits to use I think.

 

[JimD]

bunnylover78642 wrote:

I want to get one for Luke ( he is not in Leos cage and is using a crock instead of a bottle) but Iwas wondering if I should get a bottle like the one I have with the "stick" or one with a ball. The one with the "stick" doesnt leak but is harder for the rabbits to use I think.

Hi bunnylover,

I use water bottles for all my buns. I don't think I've seen the one with the stick.

I've tried several brand of the kind with the fonts (balls). We had 12 hamsters that all had their own bottles, too.
The one I've had the best luck with is made by Farnum. It has 2 fonts in the tube and seems to hold the vacum better. It's also suppose to be weather resistant. I've bought them at PetGoods. I was looking on line to see if they had a pic, but I don't see them listed. They aren't the clear ones, and unlike the other weather resistant ones they have, mine don't have the angled top (bottom?) hmmmmm:?

I've also been curious about the "flip top" style bottles. Does anybody use these?

~JimD

 

[maherwoman]

Hmm...we might be buying one of the ones youtalk about (with the two fonts) soon because I think all of Maisie'schewing on her current bottle has suffered the vacuum. Inoticed last night that it's now dripping. Lookslike I'll either have to put something under it, or buy a newone. I'll see if I can find a pic of the one you mentiononline, or some such.

I've never heard of one that uses a stick, either. bunnylover, can you find a pic of it online?

Edit: here's a site I found that looks like the water bottle you mention, Jim. Is this it?

http://www.farnampet.com/product.ph...t=Water+Bottles&maincat=For+Other+Animals

Rosanna

JimD wrote:

bunnylover78642 wrote:

Iwant to get one for Luke ( he is not in Leos cage and is using a crockinstead of a bottle) but Iwas wondering if I should get abottle like the one I have with the "stick" or one with a ball. The onewith the "stick" doesnt leak but is harder for the rabbits to use Ithink.

Hi bunnylover,

I use water bottles for all my buns. I don't think I've seen the one with the stick.

I've tried several brand of the kind with the fonts (balls). We had 12 hamsters that all had their own bottles, too.
The one I've had the best luck with is made by Farnum. It has 2 fontsin the tube and seems to hold the vacum better. It's also suppose to beweather resistant. I've bought them at PetGoods. I was looking on lineto see if they had a pic, but I don't see them listed. They aren't theclear ones, and unlike the other weather resistant ones they have, minedon't have the angled top (bottom?) hmmmmm:?

I've also been curious about the "flip top" style bottles. Does anybody use these?

~JimD

 

[bunnylover78642]

The ones with the stick have the flip top thatyou are thinking about getting. I have only used to flip tops and neverones with the fonts or that you would have to turn over to open. I willsee if I can find one with a good vaccum and the brand you mentioned.Hopefully I will be able to find it since he doesnt really seems likehe likes Leo's water bottle.

 

[thor]

Thor bites her water bottle as well.Here's something else she does (does anyone else's rabbit do thistoo?) When her bottle is empty/she wants water, she willnudge the bottle with her forehead until it falls from the holder andlands on the floor! Ha ha! It can get somewhatannoying, but she hasn't done it too much this year. I usedto think she did this to entertain herself. She just wants tomake her statement sometimes. (Thumping, nudging, pooping,etc.).

 

[peapoo_bunny]

do any of your rabbits put their foot on the side of the cage when theyre drinking? peapoo always does that

 

[maherwoman]

Maisie doesn't put her foot on the side ofthe cage, but she drinks with her head tilted nearlyupside-down. Is that something anyone else's bunnies do??

peapoo_bunny wrote:

do any of your rabbitsput their foot on the side of the cage when theyre drinking? peapooalways does that

 

[bunnylover78642]

maherwoman wrote:

Maisie doesn't put her foot on the side of the cage, butshe drinks with her head tilted nearly upside-down. Is thatsomething anyone else's bunnies do??

peapoo_bunny wrote:

do any of your rabbitsput their foot on the side of the cage when theyre drinking? peapooalways does that

Bella (my old rabbit) used to drinkthis way... I thought it might be because of the heighth of where thewater bottle was and so I moved it higher and she only did itoccasionaly after that.

 

[maherwoman]

Hmm...we've tried putting it higher...maybeit wasn't high enough. We'll try that. Itlooks so cute...being able to see her little chin like that...but itlooks like she's having a hard time, so we'll try higher than we triedbefore.

Thanks!

bunnylover78642 wrote:

maherwoman wrote:

Maisiedoesn't put her foot on the side of the cage, but she drinks with herhead tilted nearly upside-down. Is that something anyoneelse's bunnies do??

peapoo_bunny wrote:

do any of your rabbitsput their foot on the side of the cage when theyre drinking? peapooalways does that

Bella (my old rabbit) used to drinkthis way... I thought it might be because of the heighth of where thewater bottle was and so I moved it higher and she only did itoccasionaly after that.

 

[Maureen Las]

Mine don't chew the water bottles. Ichange my bottles for all six every day because I think stale waterwould taste awful...at the shelter I worry alot about the water bottleswith the buns because I am not there every day and sometimes the stafflookat the bottles and think they have enough water and then I come inthe next day and they are empty or close to it. When it really comesdown to it at the shelter I have a water bottle obsession as I have tostand and make sure that they are functioning correctly and and thatthe buns can get the water OK...(like if the black ring come out of thetop the whole thing will run out.) I gave the biggest rabbit a huge dogwater bowl just to make sure ..did I hear this on this forum? I heardsomewhere that if a bunny is used to a bowl and you change the bunny toa water bottle that rabbits have died from dehydration because theydidn't know what it was!!!Isn't that horrible!! really freaked me:shockut a lot

 

[maherwoman]

As far as switching a bunny from a dish to abottle killing them, I watched her to be sure she KNEW what it was andhow to use it. I think if you at least make sure that yourbun is drinking enough of it everyday, he/she will be justfine. For instance, we have to refill our bottle once every1.5 days. Before, we were refilling her small crock/bowlthree times a day. So we deduced, when figuring in the factthat every time we gave her new water in her bowl it was completelyempty (meaning she would have drunk more if it had been available), andthe fact that we have a med size bottle, she actually drinks about thesame now (if not more).

Bottom line, if you pay attention to what your bun is doing/not doing,there shouldn't be a problem, IMO...ya know? Sounds like youwon't have to worry in that respect...you're on TOP of it.

angieluv wrote:

Mine don'tchew the water bottles. I change my bottles for all six every daybecause I think stale water would taste awful...at the shelter I worryalot about the water bottles with the buns because I am not there everyday and sometimes the staff lookat the bottles and think they haveenough water and then I come in the next day and they are empty orclose to it. When it really comes down to it at the shelter I have awater bottle obsession as I have to stand and make sure that they arefunctioning correctly and and that the buns can get the waterOK...(like if the black ring come out of the top the whole thing willrun out.) I gave the biggest rabbit a huge dog water bowl just to makesure ..did I hear this on this forum? I heard somewhere that if a bunnyis used to a bowl and you change the bunny to a water bottle thatrabbits have died from dehydration because they didn't know what itwas!!!Isn't that horrible!! really freaked me :shockut a lot