C.

Random observation of our blobular house rabbit, George...

George has never been a huge fan of hay. You're supposed to make sure that hay/grass form a large part of a rabbit's diet - a majority of it, in fact - but that seems a bit too rustic for some bunnies. George is one of them.

He always has access to hay, of course - even if his food bowl is empty, there's always hay. And you'll see him pick at it sometimes.

But in the last few days I discovered that George is perfectly happy to eat hay for an indeterminate period - provided I sit on the floor and hand-feed it to him, one blade at a time. 🤦‍♂️

I've been a rabbit ~~owner~~ servant for 25 years, but I think this level of service is beyond me.

Sheesh.

#sheesh #HouseRabbit #rabbit #bunny #blobular #hay #grass #servant

May 9 at 4:49amWeb
Show threadCharlotteMay 9
@cazabon Our bunnies who free range to outside eat hardly any, but that's due to getting fresh. Some people, to get their bunnies to eat hay will spray a little watered-down apple juice on it. Just an idea?
Show threadC.May 9

@psychoticscroodlebum

Hadn't heard of that trick before - I may have to try it.

I wonder if I can make banana juice... 🤔

#nanners

Show threadCharlotteMay 9
@cazabon Maybe if you whizz some enough in a blender? OR, if you buy a sugar-free juice from a supermarket that has banana in it?
Show threadA Daily Violet 💜May 9
@cazabon @psychoticscroodlebum whisk some "just banana" baby food with water?
Show threadCharlotteMay 9
@ADailyViolet @cazabon Yeah!
Show threadBunnyMamaMay 9

@cazabon

Aww… George! It’s hard to get enough hay in the kid one strand at a time. I don’t know if this is George’s case, but my wise vet thinks that if bunnies don’t get hay when they are very young that they often never accept that it is food.

I used to hand feed my Eeyore the ends with the little flowers :)

Show threadC.May 9

@BunnyMama

I hadn't heard that theory, but it sounds right to me. Humans are pretty much the same way by default; many of them have to make an effort to try "strange" foods they didn't grow up with.

And that could apply to George. He and Gracie did not come from a loving home - cages in a barn, that sort of thing. I expect they'd only ever been fed alfalfa pellets before I rescued them.

Show threadBunnyMamaMay 9

@cazabon

Poor George! One thing that helps a little is fluffing the hay throughout the day so that it smells good — while also making yummy sounds — so bun has to come investigate :)

Show threadPicasso May 10
@cazabon With determination, practice, and focus, this level of hay service is within your abilities! 😉
Show threadNuno & Lua May 10

@cazabon Lua sometimes is the same, she will eat if I hand feed her, although other times she just goes to her haybox and eat.

I keep various kinds of hays, including a Bunny one that has a stronger aromatic smell. Sometimes I just switch and give it to Lua instead of her morning salad, I swear she's too sleepy and hungry to understand that something has changed as she eats voraciously🤭🤭 Although eventually she will be back pushing my feet to give her salad (or snac, or both)

Show threadC.May 10

@ncrav

😆 Is she then mad that you tricked her?

Show threadNuno & Lua May 10
@cazabon Sometimes I have to go back and get some small pieces of salad and throw them in, since she looks at me like "what is this?!" 🤣