If you have a rabbit at home who only knows how to drink from a bowl, then you must have wondered, How To Train Rabbits To Drink From A Water Bottle?
Rabbits drink a lot of water! Compared to other mammals their size rabbits tend to drink much more water. On average, an adult house rabbit needs about 1.5 to 5 ounces per 2.2 pounds or 50 to 150 ml/kg of drinking water by body weight everyday. That’s why providing your bunny with a fresh and unlimited supply of drinking water is really important.
Traditionally rabbits would drink from a water bowl or dish but the pet water bottle has emerged to be a solid alternative, in many aspects better than the bowl because,
- It is spill proof
- Does not take up space in the rabbit’s cage
- Easy to clean and requires to be filled less often
- Its fun for the rabbits as well
This is the reason that most rabbit owners have replaced their water bowls with bottles, but there is a catch. Drinking out of a bottle does not come naturally to bunny rabbits. It is a skill that they need to learn with your help. Follow our step by step guide below to find out How To Train Rabbits To Drink From A Water Bottle!
1. Place The Bottle Just Above Their Water Bowl
This is the first step to introducing the water bottle to your rabbits. If your bunny already knows how to drink from a bottle then, this should be enough to get them back into it.
Just place the bottle at a height that your bunny can easily reach without standing up, rabbits prefer having all four feet on the ground. They feel comfortable drinking this way.
At first, remember to keep a water bowl below the bottle. It may take some time for rabbits to develop the habit of drinking from a bottle. Figuring it out completely usually takes a couple of weeks.
So we don’t want them to get dehydrated while they are still trying out the bottle.
2. Hold The Bottle To Their Face
A rabbit may seem wary of the bottle at first, since most bottles come from a factory they may still have some lingering scents that your bunny may not trust.
Hold the bottle up to their face so that they can smell, lick and interact with it. This way they will know not to be afraid of the bottle anymore.
Plus they have the reassurance of their human, anything you are giving to them must be good right?
3. Put The Bottle Tip In Their Mouth
The next step in the process would be to show them that the bottle drips water when licked. The best way to achieve this by slowly putting the bottle tip into their mouth.
They will quickly realize that the bottle has water inside and start licking the ball at the end of the water bottle!
5. Rub A Sweet Fruit On The Bottle Tip
Some rabbits can be especially picky and just plain not interested in the water bottle. They would rather do everything else then try the bottle.
The best way to get a bunny interested is food. Try rubbing some sweet fruit that your rabbit likes on the bottle tip and try putting it near their mouth
The sweet scent of fruits will surely lure your bunny into trying out the bottle.
6. Give Them A Treat When They Drink From The Bottle
By now your rabbit should be well aware how the water bottle works, all you need to do now is to cement in their habit and get rid of the water bowl.
Keep hand feeding your rabbit water from the bottle and give them a treat every time that they drink from the bottle on their own.
This way they will have a positive association with the drinkig bottle and will not likely stop drinking from the bottle ever again!
FAQ About How To Teach Rabbit To Drink From Water Bottle?
Lets explore some other Frequently A Questions about the topic!
How Long Does It Take To Teach Rabbit To Drink From Water Bottle?
Teaching a rabbit anything is much faster when they are young. Older rabbits generally have difficulty in picking up new habits.
That being said, it could take anywhere to a few days to a couple of weeks to get a rabbit to drink from a water bottle.
Remember, every rabbit is different and that’s why they may need different amounts of time to learn. But, in most cases they can pick up drinking from a water bottle pretty quickly.
Bottle Vs Bowl - Which is better?
I would say both work equally well. It all depends on you and your rabbit. Some rabbits take up drinking from a bottle in a day and some just prefer drinking from a bowl. But here are the pros and cons of each.
Water Bottle Pros
- Spill proof & Mess free
- Can be refilled from outside the cage
- Water remains clean inside bottle through the day
Water Bottle Cons
- Harder to clean
- Takes time teach rabbit how to use it
Water Bowl Pros
- Does not require any teaching
- Much easier to clean
- No need to even buy a specialized bottle
Water Bowl Cons
- Easily spilled or turned over by rabbits
- Can get contaminated with rabbit poop or pee
What Are The Best Rabbit Bottles?
A good rabbit bottle should be made out of food safe materials and last a long time without any leaks.
Some of the best Rabbit Water Bottles on amazon.com that I like are
Depending upon your needs, one of these three will suit you perfectly!
Conclusion On How To Train Rabbits To Drink From A Water Bottle?
The water bottle can be a really convenient addition to your rabbit’s enclosure. I hope this guide helps you train your rabbits to drink from a water bottle.
If you are new to pet rabbits then please consider checking out some of my other article on the topic
- Top 10 Things To Keep In Mind Before Getting A Pet Rabbit
- Top 5 Best Indoor Rabbit Cages Of 2020
- 10 DIY Rabbit Toys Made From Household Items
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