# Water bottle or water bowl?



## katnanw (Feb 28, 2012)

my bunnies have not drank outta their water bottle since their op (and even before that) so I placed a water bowl inside their cage. They love it, drink out of it greedily everytime I put fresh water in and keep it REALLY CLEAN. But my mum said a water bowl isn't really the best option for rabbits, so should I make them go back to their bottles? :?


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## ZRabbits (Feb 28, 2012)

I have to respectfully disagree with Mom. All my boys drink out of water bowl with no problems. If your bunny is more comfortable drinking from a bowl than bottle, stick with the bowl. Bunnies NEED water, lots of it to digest properly. 

Keep up the good work. You are getting to know you bunny. And bottles have a lot of cons behind them. 

Mom is concerned, but you know your rabbit. 

K


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## MikeScone (Feb 28, 2012)

My first rabbit, Scone, liked a bowl much more than a bottle - he didn't like having to crane his neck to lick at the spout, and found the bowl much more natural and easier. Natasha is the same way. I have one of those LeBistro bowls, with a two-liter inverted bottle to keep the bowl full all the time - it's sold as a small cat waterer, but works great for bunnies. You need to keep it clean, of course, but that's not a big deal.


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## katnanw (Feb 28, 2012)

Yay glad to hear that using a bottle isn't wrong  yeah there's still so much to learn about my little boys, it's like I learn something new everyday lol thanks again Karen! :biggrin:


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## katnanw (Feb 28, 2012)

MikeScone wrote:


> My first rabbit, Scone, liked a bowl much more than a bottle - he didn't like having to crane his neck to lick at the spout, and found the bowl much more natural and easier. Natasha is the same way.Â  I have one of those LeBistro bowls, with a two-liter inverted bottle to keep the bowl full all the time - it's sold as a small cat waterer, but works great for bunnies. You need to keep it clean, of course, but that's not a big deal.



Hey I use that too! I have a cat waterer that my cats don't fancy anymore and another small but deep bowl I use to put water :] it works perfectly and my bunnies love it to bits (which is why they're really careful not to stain or drop hay in their water dishes )


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## toyabrooke (Feb 28, 2012)

We have always used bowls for rabbits, and I have heard that bottles aren't as good because of the amount they need to drink. I recently bought a feeder though with a long tube at the top that slowly lets out food or water as the bowl at the bottom empties so Poe has clean water no matter how much he drinks or messes it up - That might be a good compromise? They aren't too messy with their water bowls as a general rule of thumb (unless they get hay in it), so it shouldn't be too bad. 

Good question though - I have always wondered what people think about the two! 

T


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## LakeCondo (Feb 28, 2012)

Some people really like the water bottle, but I like the bowl. I use one that's identical to Honey's food bowl, tip-proof & keep it in a corner & as far away from her hay as possible. In fact I have 2 water bowls so that one is always in her cage while the other one is cleaned & allowed to dry.


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 28, 2012)

I use heavy crocks for my buns. Since they are free roam space isn't nearly the issue it is for cages so I have two water dishes on opposite sides of the room. That way if one gets dirty they have the other, or they just prefer the closer dish. The cats like to drink out of the crocks too even though they have a water fountain, go figure.


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## MarisaAndToby (Feb 28, 2012)

Toby will drink out of either of them, but he gets really rambunctious and likes to knock over his water crock (it's a deep, heavy ceramic one, he still manages to do it) and dump out all his water on my carpet.

Soooo I stick with the bottle.


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## mrbunny (Feb 29, 2012)

More than one bowl (ceramic plant pot) and the knocking over of the bowls is usually done by me (well, only me).


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## MikeScone (Feb 29, 2012)

*MarisaAndToby wrote: *


> Toby will drink out of either of them, but he gets really rambunctious and likes to knock over his water crock


Natasha knocked over her bottle-and-bowl waterer in the picture above a couple of times in her excitement, but a bungee cord holding the bottle to the cage solved that problem.


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## deaners (Feb 29, 2012)

My first bun Munches switched back and forth from bowl to bottle over the 10.5 years with us.
We bought bottles for our new buns and the first day or two they wouldn't drink. So I got them bowls and they love them. 
Since I can't monitor their bowls while I'm at work I have resorted to filling the bowls with fresh water and giving a water bottle. This way even if they don't like to drink from the bottle they still have access to water.


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## BunMommaD (Feb 29, 2012)

Cookie drinks from the water fountain we have for our dogs when he is roaming free and a bottle in his enclosure... But he gets tons of water from his veggies, as I wash them and then pour about 2cups of water over them before he gets them  he goes crazy for them so wet and won't eat them dry now! Lol nobody is spoiled around here


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## katnanw (Mar 1, 2012)

So I tried giving them the bottle today and they nipped my hand. Guess I'm gonna stick with the bowl then  hehe . They absolutely love their bowls .


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## LakeCondo (Mar 1, 2012)

They have decided.


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## katnanw (Mar 1, 2012)

Yes, and you know how stubborn rabbits can get if things aren't done their way >.<


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## ZRabbits (Mar 2, 2012)

Bunnies always tell you what they like or dislike. They got ATTITUDE! And I love it. 

You get to know your bunny, he/she will let you know what they like and dislike. You get to that point, it's the best relationship between human and animal ever. 

In my eyes, they will never replace the canine, but boy do they come close. I'm just amazed at how intelligent rabbits are. I know my boys taught me a lot. 

K


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## katnanw (Mar 3, 2012)

ZRabbits wrote:


> Bunnies always tell you what they like or dislike.Â  They got ATTITUDE!Â  And I love it.Â
> 
> You get to know your bunny, he/she will let you know what they like and dislike.Â  You get to that point, it's the best relationship between human and animal ever.Â
> 
> ...



Yes :] omg that feeling when they really like you and always come to you is good enough to make anyone jealous :] btw love your new pic Karen :biggrin:


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## Nancy McClelland (Mar 3, 2012)

Commander Bun-Bun was the only bunny that would drink from a bowl, but she'd also drink from a bottle, so we eliminated the bowl.


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