The Bunny Chat Thread - For Bunny Owners

[FortCluck]

Well... I've had 4 rabbits in my life before him. Two lived in a hutch in my garage when I was a kid. One in my high rise apartment in the city when I was in University, and one in a house after school with my roommates. None ever got hay. Like EVER. So Im not worried about death.
He has been eating pellets and twigs/bark/branches. A slice of banana, and one cracker in the past week.

It is hay that has Timothy, Alfalfa, June grass and other grasses. Quite a bit of alfalfa and Timothy. I get it in bales and 5 x5 rounds because we have a barn and animals.

I would be very careful with not feeding hay or the bunny not eating hay because I just had a friend that had to spend hundreds close to 1000 on her bunny because he was only eating pellets and he ended up getting kidney stones... he ended up getting very very sick and started losing weight

 

[FortCluck]

So update on my funny bunnies... One is still free ranging on my property and we cannot catch it, but she does not leave the property she stays here.

The other two are in the huge rabbit house that we made for them that is 10‘ x 10‘ and they have a ton of toys and a cat tunnel. They are doing really well.

I think I am going to go buy a live trap tomorrow to try to catch my other bunny. The other bunny sleeps inside of our huge shed where our chicks brooder is. She sleeps by their heater.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I would be very careful with not feeding hay or the bunny not eating hay because I just had a friend that had to spend hundreds close to 1000 on her bunny because he was only eating pellets and he ended up getting kidney stones... he ended up getting very very sick and started losing weight

Agreed. It took me a decade to learn about the importance of a high hay, low pellet diet. Just because a person CAN live on chicken nuggets and Mac n cheese doesn’t mean they SHOULD. it’s all about learning and growing with time. None of us know everything! We are all learning.

 

[FortCluck]

Agreed. It took me a decade to learn about the importance of a high hay, low pellet diet. Just because a person CAN live on chicken nuggets and Mac n cheese doesn’t mean they SHOULD. it’s all about learning and growing with time. None of us know everything! We are all learning.

She has had her bunny for a very long time and he had been eating that way for 10 years, but all of a sudden he declined very fast.

don’t even get me started on the human eating I know people who drink Pepsi and eat fried chicken every day... they believe that that’s healthy, but their doctors say otherwise when they check their blood pressure and other things.

I actually have a friend who had to have a triple bypass because he ate a lot of processed foods and drive thru.

it always amazes me that meals at restaurants are usually made for two or three servings, but we eat them in one sitting

 

[LizzzyJo]

She has had her bunny for a very long time and he had been eating that way for 10 years, but all of a sudden he declined very fast.

don’t even get me started on the human eating I know people who drink Pepsi and eat fried chicken every day... they believe that that’s healthy, but their doctors say otherwise when they check their blood pressure and other things.

I actually have a friend who had to have a triple bypass because he ate a lot of processed foods and drive thru.

it always amazes me that meals at restaurants are usually made for two or three servings, but we eat them in one sitting

Absolutely true about the humans! People feed their kids coke and pizza and because the kid is skinny they think they’re healthy. Ugh.

For the rabbit diet, I suppose it is more important on the breeder side of things when we have multiple rabbits. As long as pets are going by their vets recommendation for food then it’s all good!

 

[FortCluck]

Absolutely true about the humans! People feed their kids coke and pizza and because the kid is skinny they think they’re healthy. Ugh.

For the rabbit diet, I suppose it is more important on the breeder side of things when we have multiple rabbits. As long as pets are going by their vets recommendation for food then it’s all good!

I actually got a list from my friend that her vet gave her about a bunny diet and they said to only feed about a quarter of a cup of pellets.

The rest of the food was fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and in bold letters it says to give hay 24/7.

Fruits you give like twice a week and a very minimal amount. Leafy greens it was 2 cups per bunny per day. Other veggies was a cup but nothing like carrots or what not that’s high in sugar. It was snap peas and healthy veggies.

My bunnies love corn on the cob I give it to them a couple times a week. I’m going to grow some hopefully. My bunnies really loved eating my garden zucchini, I’d cut it up in chunks for them.

I have been to other vets that say you can feed an all pellet diet. Not all bets give the same advice or recommendations.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Bear in mind, the majority of commercial/pet rabbit breeders do not feed hay. What matters mostly is the fiber content in their diet and many commercial pellets meet that. A 10 year old rabbit is VERY near the end of its natural lifespan anyhow.

I do feed hay, but that's a personal preference. I think it's fine not to if you give a high enough fiber diet.

 

[FortCluck]

Bear in mind, the majority of commercial/pet rabbit breeders do not feed hay. What matters mostly is the fiber content in their diet and many commercial pellets meet that. A 10 year old rabbit is VERY near the end of its natural lifespan anyhow.

I do feed hay, but that's a personal preference. I think it's fine not to if you give a high enough fiber diet.

Rabbits live longer than 10 years from my experience. At least all the ones I’ve had have lived real long lives. May be the way I feed mine that lets them live almost longer than a cat

 

[Minky]

PEOPLE PEOPLE, holy smokes, the bunny has hay 24/7. Its a rabbit. its not an idiot. If it wants to eat hay it will eat hay. I remove the pellets to encourage him eating hay over night. He hasn't eaten hay in 8 days. He's not going to die.

Whoever said the 10 yr old rabbit started to decline after not eating hay... LMFAO. it was 10. that's why is started to decline- not because it decided to not eat hay.
I mean HELLO!!??

I bid you farewell, apparently bunny owners are (a) either much younger and more reactive than chicken owners or (b) just not my type of people. LOL

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Rabbits live longer than 10 years from my experience. At least all the ones I’ve had have lived real long lives. May be the way I feed mine that lets them live almost longer than a cat

Please realize that the way this is phrased implies that you are the only good owner and people who do not treat their rabbits as you do are tantamount to killing them young. This is not a good hot take.

https://rabbit.org/fun/life-span.html
https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/live...e-victoria/other-pets/rabbits/owning-a-rabbit
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.co...rlds-oldest-rabbit-who-is-16-years-old-563690
https://www.thesprucepets.com/rabbit-lifespan-4582447
https://www.petmd.com/rabbit/care/how-long-will-my-rabbit-live

Note that all of these sources, from agriculture to medical to house rabbit society, cite 8-12 years as the average domestic rabbit lifespan in good care. And the Guinness world record lifespan for a rabbit is 18 years (currently oldest living is 16). Comparing this to the world record holding cat at 38 years, you can see how these are different.

Suggesting that someone whose rabbit develops severe health issues in the end stages of their natural lifespan is providing inadequate care is neither helpful nor accurate. There are many ways of keeping rabbits and many of them do not involve hay and result in long lifespans. Many of them include hay and involve short lifespans and improper nutrition. I understand your frustration with inadequate education on animal nutrition but it's always better to be helpful and check your facts twice.