What have I done?! And how do I undo it?

Thumper has been picking at her pellets the last few days so I've been trying to encourage her to eat them by feeding her by hand.

Well, my little princess has decided she wants to be hand fed. All the time

Food has been right under her nose all night and she hasn't touched it, but she took plenty of it from my hand 10 minutes ago!!!!

I need to put a stop to this as soon as, I work full time and therefore can't be here to get her entire breakfast down her.

Should I just leave her be, in the hope that she'll eat it eventually? I'm not confident that will work as her not eating it got us here in the first place!

I know it's a long shot, but any other suggestions?

If it were me, I would let her be. She will not starve herself, and it's just her being obstinate. She'll eat when she gets hungry.

I don't suppose there's anything else I can do

I just worry about her stopping eating altogether because she's old

Thanks.

Oh I dont know what to suggest hun.

See how she goes today. What a little monkey she is. x

What happens if you gradually lower your hand to the floor and then put the food on the floor for her to eat? When I first gave Florence green food she would only eat them if I was holding them, but if I done that she did start then eating them from the ground. Now I don't have to hold them at all.

It's nice that she trusts you enough to eat from your hand, but yup they don't understand the "I have to go to work talk" do they.

I think you should be as stubborn as she is being, as much as you are scared she will starve herself. I think she's just gotten use to be pampered! cheeky devil!!

You could leave it a while and she how she gets on eating the pellets on her own. If you notice her losing weight then take her to the vet and see what they say. I had magnum at the vets yesterday and the vet told me that although feeding a good quality pellet is ok its not essential?! as rabbits in the wild would souly survive on hay and greens....so dont panick if she doesnt eat her pellets for a day or to as shes probably filling up on hay!!

icedancer wrote:What happens if you gradually lower your hand to the floor and then put the food on the floor for her to eat? When I first gave Florence green food she would only eat them if I was holding them, but if I done that she did start then eating them from the ground. Now I don't have to hold them at all.

It's nice that she trusts you enough to eat from your hand, but yup they don't understand the "I have to go to work talk" do they.

^ This sounds like a good plan!!

emma.b_90 wrote:I think you should be as stubborn as she is being, as much as you are scared she will starve herself. I think she's just gotten use to be pampered! cheeky devil!!

You could leave it a while and she how she gets on eating the pellets on her own. If you notice her losing weight then take her to the vet and see what they say. I had magnum at the vets yesterday and the vet told me that although feeding a good quality pellet is ok its not essential?! as rabbits in the wild would souly survive on hay and greens....so dont panick if she doesnt eat her pellets for a day or to as shes probably filling up on hay!!

Emma, Thumper is more stubborn than you realise, she doesn't like hay either!!

emma.b_90 wrote:I think you should be as stubborn as she is being, as much as you are scared she will starve herself. I think she's just gotten use to be pampered! cheeky devil!!

You could leave it a while and she how she gets on eating the pellets on her own. If you notice her losing weight then take her to the vet and see what they say. I had magnum at the vets yesterday and the vet told me that although feeding a good quality pellet is ok its not essential?! as rabbits in the wild would souly survive on hay and greens....so dont panick if she doesnt eat her pellets for a day or to as shes probably filling up on hay!!

You maybe don't know that Thumper is the elderly lady of the forum. She is nearly 11 and gives her bunny slave the run around. She sometimes doesn't eat easily and although with a much younger rabbit, I would agree that this is a bit of a power thing, with Thumper it is probably to do with getting very old. Old people's appetites diminish with age and I am sure that bunnies are the same.

I like the idea of lowering the hand as it is a nice middle way of dealing with this. Hope you can find a solution as no doubt she is thinking about her next little foible.

Thanks guys, I will give Icedancer's suggestion a go, sounds like a good plan

In an attempt to get her to eat, I just made her a 'pie'. Boiled pellets, grated carrot and shredded mange tout. She gobbled it down. From the bowl I think she just can't be ar$ed eating the pellets

I'm away to attemp to put a video (my first) of it in photoshoots

Indeed she is a little menace, the next foible has already been committed! Let's just say, lots of wee and a bunny bath were both part of my morning

She's a mare, but I wouldn't be without her

Maybe chewing is just too much for an old lady. You could try soaking her pellets, although your 'pie' sounds really good - for a rabbit.

Pie sounds yummo! (if I were a bun!)

It does sound like she wants to eat but it is just such an effort for her bless her.

She really is a wonderful old lady. Please give her a special cuddle from me x

Hmm, might have to try your pie on the kids when they won't eat their dinners

You totally should!

She loves it. She's actually eating a carrot one right now

I'm thinking about sneaking some hay in the next one, her being a non hay eating bun and all