Binky is a fussy eater!

My French Lop Pumpkin is great when it comes to eating. He eats his eggcup of pellets every morning, and about twice his body size in timothy hay each day. He drinks lots of water, and eats any greens I provide him with. This is exactly what the vet recommended,so I am very happy with him.

My other rabbit Binky isn't so keen to helpfully eat the recommended amounts though, and I am worried about him. I have had him for about two weeks and the pattern he has settled into is either ignoring or slightly picking at his pellets (I tried two different brands and he completely ignored the pricier one!). He only eats about a quarter of his body size in hay each day, which I know is not enough. He drinks normally.

I don't understand what the problem is, because he is eating the exact same brands his previous owner gave him, although I suspect he was showered with treats and greens too. I suppose it's possible he's always eaten this way, but I want to get him on a healthier diet rather than feeding him treats all the time because it might have been what he was used to. I'm reluctant to try feeding him greens as his main food rather than hay, not only because it's more expensive, but because I understand hay should be the staple of his diet.


At the moment both buns are in seperate hutches but in the same room. Binky is not neutered, but I plan to make an appointment for that. I wonder if the smell of the other male bunny is messing up his hormones and stopping him from eating properly? Is that possible?

Stress can cause a bun to eat less or stop eating altogether. Does he seem bothered by the other bun? Or stressed about anything else?

Is he a youngster? I wonder if you are expecting him to eat as much as an adult French Lop, and he just won't because he is that much smaller. Are you actually keeping an eye on his weight? If it is not dropping, then he is eating enough. If he is young he should be steadily putting on weight. If he is not eating enough then the weight will probably come off quite fast so would be noticeable within a couple of days, so if he is not visibly skinny after being with you for 2 weeks, I suspect he is eating more than you realise.

I wouldn't worry too much about him not wanting pellets, they're not essential for a buns diet although it can be nice to know they are getting all the micronutrients they need. If he is eating a few pellets, he probably is. What measure of pellets do you offer him?

It may be worth getting his little teeth looked at - if he has come from somewhere in the past where he didn't get enough hay he could be battling with a molar spur.

I hope he gets his appetite back soon hun, I have a Binky too and he can eat for Englnd LOL!!

Hugs

Jo xx

Just to let you know; Binky is eating better now that he has had more time to settle in. He's nowhere near as greedy as Pumpkin, and he still eats less hay than I would like, but I am hoping that will improve. He eats an eggcup of pellets, though he'll turn his whiskers up at anything other than his usual brand, and he is picky with treats too, though he will munch most fresh greens if the portion isn't too big, and given a few hours. He still is iffy about hay, and though I see him eating often, the pile only seems to need topped up every second day (the pile is twice his body size).

On a brighter note, he has become more adventurous and affectionate and has started befriending the cats...though they need special supervision at the moment as they tend to want to play with him, and I'm not 100% sure whether it's predatory or curiosity...