# Fat bunny anonymous part 3!



## I_heart_Fraggles (May 10, 2012)

So since our big trauma with Fraggles we have decided that we NEED to control her weight and change her diet.

Jason sat down with her today and told her she has eaten her last nilla wafer,that she is no longer allowed to steal from his dinner plate and he will not be bringing her home a bread stick from olive garden anymore (I did not know he was doing that!!! :nope. We are determined to correct her weight problem. So in the spirit of this who is going to join us?

Lets talk about bunny weight and eating habits and feel free to use this spot to ask questions. Anyone who has read my fat bunny anonymous postings before knows that they can post about fat bunnies and there eating issues without fear of judgment or negative comments. Thats the rule, if you dont have something nice or helpful to say then please dont say it. I will delete any comments I find to be critical.

So post away, who's bunnies are going to join Fraggles in going from this :eats: to this :muscleman:...... I know your out there...Daisy Mae? Rueben??? Sophie????? Who is with us?


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## saidinjester (May 10, 2012)

Can I just say, I really didn't know weight could be an issue for rabbits. Or did I know that there are rabbits who would eat things like vanilla wafers or bread sticks! I guess since S.D. Is my first house bunny, just haven't experienced it. It's funny, I've tried to give him non bunny foods like cookies, cereal, etc. but he's not interested, just shakes his nose and runs away. 

Good luck with Fraggles' diet!


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## rabbitfarmer (May 10, 2012)

we are new to bunny raising and honestly have no idea how to tell if a bunny is over weight or not. We were told our rabbits are a mix of standard Rex and lion head. Our one rabbit (male) is about 5lbs. DH stepped on the scale with him and subtracted his weight. He is probably between 8-10 months old.

The female rabbits are bigger. We haven't weighed them yet. But i'm guessing they're around 7-8 lbs. They're the same age as the male rabbit.

Food wise. 

every day they get Green veggies (about 2c per rabbit), pellets (between 1/4-1/2c. depending on which rabbit i'm feeding), and unlimited timothy hay.

Chris mom to lots of rabbits, 4 daughters, a dog, and a husband


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 10, 2012)

Yes weight can be a big issue and take it from me dont start your bun on non-bunny foods. Once they start enjoying that stuff its very hard to not give them a "nibble" here and there. A bunny should feel filled out but not flabby. Feeling a little bone is OK and a good sign that your bun is at a good weight. Fraggles has "love handles" around her hips and a spare tire around her middle. She also has a large dewlap that is bigger then it should be. It sounds like your bunnies are getting a good diet Chris but rex breeds are prone to weight gain so make sure they get lots of run time.


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## fuzz16 (May 10, 2012)

Sebi needs to loose some....lol. like half a pound i think. Hes just so lazy he sits there all day!


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 10, 2012)

Have you tried a cat wand Brenda. Nothing makes Frags madder then a cat wand.


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## LakeCondo (May 10, 2012)

It's an extreme case, but that nearly 40-lb cat Meow who was in the news lately, succumbed to the previous owner's overfeeding. I'm sure it must be difficult to keep a free-roam rabbit out of people food. With an x-pen it's much easier & I think offsets the fact that there's less space to run around in.

I wonder if there's a mechanical cat [& rabbit] wand available, so you wouldn't have to be doing it so much. What happens when you throw a big piece of packing paper over Fraggles or Sebille? Honey loves to find her way out. Other times she'd rather tear it up.


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## SOOOSKA (May 10, 2012)

*Fraggles*, *Daisy Mae* here. I keep hearing *Mommie* say I need to loose weight. She's threatening me to cut off all dose bunderful tweats. But I'm too cute and when I beg at the cage door or the kitchen door she always gives me something.

*Mommie* says I'm so cute when I come running for those treats that she can't resist giving me one or two.

*Fraggles* I think you should get on a plane and come live with me and *Mommie*.

I think your *Daddy *(*Jason*) is doing the right thing giving you all those treats. I tink this is your *Mommie'*s (*Katie's*) "Bright Idea". *NOT*.

We'll pretend to be dieting. Hee Hee.

Hugs

Your *Petite Lionhead Bunny*

*Daisy Mae*


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## LakeCondo (May 10, 2012)

Ladies, sometime you may no longer be able to come running for treats if you aren't careful. And you want to be able to reach your cecals, don't you; not have them get all squishy on your butt?

Daisy Mae, petite means short, not thin. For humans, there are petite women's sizes; 20pw etc.


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 10, 2012)

Dearest Daisy Mae. I have heard a few things about a certain lionhead bum that has needed washing cause someone is maybe a tad to porky. I wont mention names but....its not Muppets bum.
:bunnybutt:


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## fuzz16 (May 10, 2012)

Lol...i have a kitten he doesnt budge for and only gets ip when babys on top of him of tuggin on his ears, hes just a fat lazy boy. Having babies around hes been a bit better though. Hes a popcorn junkie though


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## Nancy McClelland (May 10, 2012)

When we got Coal, she was a 9 pound Mini Rex that looked like a long eared blob. We put her on unlimited hay, veggies twice a day, and a tablespoon of pellets twice a day. It took quite awhile, but she's now just under 5 pounds.


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 10, 2012)

A nine pound mini rex??? Wow.


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## MagPie (May 11, 2012)

Actually Harvey's on a little diet. To also get him to eat more hay. To be honest he's only a little over weight. I'm not used to rabbits and boney is ok. Whereas it's not good for a cat to be boney. I am now feeding half his pellets at night (he would graze on his pellets alll day and ignore his hay). I still like to give him banana chips and oats, but I've cut back on those. 

**Harvey was a bit of a chunk when I got him :expressionless**

Now my fat cat is the one that really needs to lose weight. It's tough with him because he steals food from the other cat and never gets people food. I need one of those cat exercise wheels.


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 11, 2012)

Muppet is not a good hay eater also but here are some tricks.Offer hay in smaller amounts several times a day. Also if you give him four or five pellets at a time threw out the day he will eat them and stimulate his appetite thus getting him to want to eat the hay.


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## MagPie (May 11, 2012)

That's another good idea  Tho that was what he basically was doing. He would make his pellets last all day. He's getting the idea now that hay is good.  he's eating it finally haha.


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## MiniLopHop (May 11, 2012)

Yes, Sophie is watching her figure. She is getting much more trim since she gets lots of run time now. 

However, Gary is starting to get a little too round in the rump. Being a mini-rex I don't want him to end up with sore hocks, so he has had his snack ration reduced. I now give Becky her extra snacks while snuggling so she doens't get too thin and Gary is running around so he doesn't notice. It is working well so far. 

I also use cat treat dispencers for part of their pellets so they have to work to get the food. If they are truly hungry there is always hay. As it is for Katie, it has been mostly about training my husband not to be so free with the fruit snacks and cherios. He thinks we are "starving" them because they beg all the time. 

"Oh look at the poor wee hungry bun" leaseplease:


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## LakeCondo (May 11, 2012)

They know a soft touch when they see one & if they were really wee buns their intake wouldn't be a problem. As Marie Antoinette didn't exactly say "let them eat hay & greens."


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## Anaira (May 12, 2012)

Ah, this topic is needed! I was looking at Reuben the other day, and realized his diet is not working at all...I think he has put on weight.  Oh dear! I'm going to try a different brand of pellets, and see how that goes. It's so dang hard to find a decent brand over here, though! 

He is a greedy sod though.  I had a mug on my floor this morning; I can't remember what I had in it, but was probably black tea, and he tried sticking his head in and drinking the dregs of it. His head got stuck! It isn't often you see him in a silly position, and he let me know my laughter was not appreciated. :wink


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 12, 2012)

Jason's training is actually going very smooth. I think he realizes the importance of keeping her healthy if we wanna keep her...Ahhhh theirs my Rueben. Show us your top model pose!


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## Bunnylova4eva (May 12, 2012)

Taffy definitly needs this. She's over 5 pounds and always looking for handouts. I'd like to see her down between 4-41/2. The problem is that she gets many treats (raisins, apricot, cheerios, and papaya treats) pretty frequently from other family members who don't see the importance of her losing weight. And, she really doesn't get enough exercise but we can only let her hop outside. (She's an outdoor bunny) Ripley comes in for exercise, but if we had Taffy come in here too at times, he would go crazy smelling her. 

Outside, she tries to run of and tries to kill me if on a harness. We have a small pen, but then she just sits and eats and eats. 

Should she still receive *unlimited* hay?? She eats as much as I'll put in there-almost a flake of hay in one day! This may contribute to her not being able to tak any weight off..

EDIT: Taffy's a almost 6 yr old mini rex-I'd like her to lose some weight as she's getting older easpceilly now to keep her healthy. She's had really bad sore hocks even before from being too heavy and thumping her feet.


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 12, 2012)

Can you make a place for Taffy in your home that no other bun can be in? 
Rex's are prone to weight and with the sore hocks its a bad combo. One thing that has happened Jason see the light is being told by vets and by Sas that Fraggles could die of fatty liver disease before she is five if she does not lose weight and stop eating surgery treats. I have thrown out the treats now and cut her pellets to a tablespoon in the morning and one at night. She gets hay and a cup of greens. No treats though and that is the way its staying.


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 12, 2012)

Yes she still needs unlimited hay. But you must kill the treats,cut the pellets and find a way to exercise her.


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## MagPie (May 12, 2012)

Hmmmm... does Fraggles want to come over and chase my fat cat? haha I'm sure the exercise would do them both good.


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## Anaira (May 12, 2012)

*starts the process in her mind*

Kill the treatsâkill the treat dispenserâkill my sister??

ok, ok, I have a twisted mind.  Seriously though, I don't really know how to stop that; she feeds him my rats lab blocks. While they are a very good stable food for rats, they're too high in protein, and fats for rabbits. I can't get her to stop, and I obviously can't remove the source. :/ I stop her when I'm there, but I have no idea how often she feeds him behind my back. I've tried telling her why, but she's only looking at the now; and the now is, he loves them, and it's the only time he's nice to her. 


And um....yeah. Not his best pic, I'm afraid...


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 12, 2012)

Fraggles would LOVE to meet kitty. Oh and um *cough* Rueben is a sexy beast....


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## Anaira (May 12, 2012)

Someone on facebook just suggested strapping a rod to his back, and dangling a treat in from of him. I would be afraid to sleep in the same room as him!


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## MiniLopHop (May 12, 2012)

I have to admit, I have never seen a male bun with a dewlap like Ruben. Are you SURE he's a boy?

I need to get a new picture of Sophie, she is looking good. I trimmed everybun's toenails today. Gary is going to have to give up the oats, he's getting a little chubby and his hocks are getting sore


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## Anaira (May 12, 2012)

Oh, you should have been him before his neuter. You would have had no doubt then....even the vets commented on the size.  *cough* He was a big boy in more ways than one!


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## JessicaK (May 12, 2012)

Ok this thread is making me nervous about over feeding....
Gunston in particular. He is more bold, so gets first dibs on treats and food.
Neither of them are comfortable enough with me yet for me to weigh them (I'd guess 5-7 pounds each). Is there a good way to judge their chubbiness by looking at them?
Also, I'm concerned about giving them too many pellets. They currently get 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup in the evening.


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 12, 2012)

:rofl::laugh:


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## MiniLopHop (May 13, 2012)

I'm thinking 1/2 cup may be a little much. Sophie, who is 10 pounds, gets 1/4 cup to keep her trim.

Because there are so many different frame sizes for buns, particularly if they are mixed, it's impossible to say a bun is or is not over weight without getting hands on them. The best way to tell is run your hands over their back/ribs. If you can feel bone but it is not sharp, that is what you want. If there's a thick padding of fat over the spine and ribs then they need a diet. If the bones are sharp then they need to gain. You may also see a fat roll around the middle or sort of a skirt around the bottom if weight is an issue as well. Hope this helps.


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## LakeCondo (May 13, 2012)

About other family members feeding a chubby bunny: If this includes your parents, it'll be harder to deal with. Talk with your parents & see what they suggest. What comes to my mind is putting up a sign, similar to ones at zoos, saying not to feed the animals; it is bad for them. If that doesn't work, can the treats be locked up where your sister can't get at them?


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## JessicaK (May 13, 2012)

MiniLopHop wrote:


> I'm thinking 1/2 cup may be a little much. Sophie, who is 10 pounds, gets 1/4 cup to keep her trim.
> 
> Because there are so many different frame sizes for buns, particularly if they are mixed, it's impossible to say a bun is or is not over weight without getting hands on them. The best way to tell is run your hands over their back/ribs. If you can feel bone but it is not sharp, that is what you want. If there's a thick padding of fat over the spine and ribs then they need a diet. If the bones are sharp then they need to gain. You may also see a fat roll around the middle or sort of a skirt around the bottom if weight is an issue as well. Hope this helps.



Thanks


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## MagPie (May 13, 2012)

Anaira wrote:


>



Ooooh Reuben :inlove:


Looking at this thread has got me thinking I really need to step it up with my fat cat, since Harvey is under control.


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## Bunnylova4eva (May 13, 2012)

I_heart_Fraggles wrote:


> Can you make a place for Taffy in your home that no other bun can be in?
> Rex's are prone to weight and with the sore hocks its a bad combo. One thing that has happened Jason see the light is being told by vets and by Sas that Fraggles could die of fatty liver disease before she is five if she does not lose weight and stop eating surgery treats. I have thrown out the treats now and cut her pellets to a tablespoon in the morning and one at night. She gets hay and a cup of greens. No treats though and that is the way its staying.



That's an idea; although Taffy has a tendency even to try and 'spray' is she smells another bunny even on me. So, I try to keep her outside where not too much damage can be done. The treats definitly have got to go. Reminds me, maybe I'll go let her out right now.


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## Anaira (May 15, 2012)

Locking treats up won't work, as it's my rats normal everyday food, so even if I do hide them, it's a simple matter of opening a cage door; and she has done this. Talking doesn't seem to work, either...however, I've recently had to change the brand I buy, and this brand isn't vegan; it uses fish meal. He still seems to like these, but I don't want him eating them. I'll have to see if that knowledge will make her change.

Reuben just went 'Hmph' when he heard about all his admirers. He takes you as a matter of fact, and is only really interested if you're actually on your way with treats.


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 15, 2012)

Fraggles is not on her way with treats but she says Rueben can have Muppet.


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## Anaira (May 15, 2012)

But but but, we have lots of cats here for Fraggles to "befriend"! Six of our own, and two neighbours cats, who seem to have decided to move in...She will have lots of options. 

How does Muppet like cats? If she hates them as much as Rubey does, she's welcome.


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 15, 2012)

She chases them but she wont hump them lol.


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## Anaira (May 15, 2012)

Rubey doesn't hump them either; he views them with pure hatred. Unfortunately, the neighbours cats seem to thrive on it, and the more he thumps, nips, and growls, the further they annoy him...they've taken to sleeping in BOTH our beds now. I've given up trying to chase them out. :/


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## I_heart_Fraggles (May 15, 2012)

Muppet would be to busy chinning all of Ruebens things to bother with the kitties.


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## Anaira (May 15, 2012)

Oh fine then. Guess Reuben will have to rely on this alliance with the rats to destroy catkind, then!


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## LakeCondo (May 15, 2012)

Fraggles would eat the rat food, so Reuben wouldn't get any & your problem is solved.

Seriously, what do your parents say & how old is the sister. If she's stealing the rats' food, your parents should be concerned.


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## Anaira (May 16, 2012)

She is 23, or thereabouts. Yep, old enough to know better. :/ It's not really much good going to mum, as any time 'food' and 'Reuben' are mentioned together, her automatic response is 'You're starving that rabbit, Ariana'. Seriously, they think I underfeed him....does he look it??


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## MiniLopHop (May 16, 2012)

This is an article from the house rabbit network, do you think they would read it?

Weight Watching for Rabbits 
by Astrid M. Kruse, DVM 
Your rabbit friend is, in essence, an adorable bundle of fur and personality wrapped around a most immense and complex digestive system. Because the rabbit gut is so specialized and eating is so central to the rabbit's life and well-being, a healthy diet is key to a healthy rabbit. A whole 40% of the rabbit's digestive tract consists of the cecum, a large fermentation vat where all fibrous food is processed into useable energy (the human appendix is the pathetic remnant of our glorious evolutionary ties to a common ancestor). The rabbit's digestive system is evolved to eat only grass and vegetable matter- the farther you stray from its design specifications, the more trouble the bunny gets into. Plenty of good quality hay for roughage should be the major portion of your rabbit's diet, and many rabbits can live well with just hay to eat. Sounds boring, so we add in tons of greens and veggies, pelleted diets, and sneak in treats like Cheerios and fruit. 

As a result, the most common GI problem in rabbits is obesity, which causes a number of health difficulties in rabbits. First, an unhealthy (and unnatural) diet leads to chronically softer stools, as the gut is not good at handling the refined foods being fed. In addition, the rabbit has a difficult time eating cecotrophs (fermented feces from the cecum, important for their vitamins and healthy gut bacteria) directly from the anus, tipping over as they try to reach around. This results in smeared floors and is one of the causes of the affliction kindly known as "poopy butt". Female rabbits will also grow an enormous dewlap, which may become chronically wet from drinking and develop skin infections. Some rabbits suffer from arthritis with age, and being overweight only makes the problem come on earlier and with greater severity. Luckily, it does not seem that rabbits are susceptible to the endocrine disorders humans develop in obesity, like type 2 diabetes. However, maintaining a healthy weight will help your rabbit live a longer, healthier and happier life. 

Ideally, you should weigh your rabbit every month or so, and note any weight changes. Steady weight gain points to a needed diet change, while unexpected weight loss can be an indicator of illness. Having lived with a bunny that weighed 19 1/2 pounds at one point, I have intimate experience with scrubbing floors and bathing a kicking bunny's derriere. However, by eliminating pellets and feeding only hay, a dinner salad of greens, and some vegetables as a treat, my adorable sweet bunny lady managed to drop down to the fit weight (for a Flemish Giant) of 14 pounds. She had more energy, the floors and her bottom were clean, and she could finally see her feet and hurl herself into the air in a "binky". 

How do you know if your bunny is fat? Many house rabbits are, and they are not at all embarrassed by it! Rabbits store fat inside their abdomen, which makes just eyeballing them for love handles ineffective. Run your hands along your rabbit's side, feeling the rib cage. When you reach the end of the ribs, your should be able to feel a slight inward slope, the waist. Fat bunnies will balloon out instead. Remember that the ribs are palpable in even quite obese rabbits, so don't let your bunny fool you into more snacks! 

The key to diet change and weight loss is to do it GRADUALLY. Any fast weight loss will risk doing major, sometimes fatal, damage to the liver as it becomes clogged with fat. Slowly wean your rabbit off pellets, reduce starchy vegetables like carrots but always make sure your bunny has plenty of hay. Provide your bunny with lots of exercise time and toys. Not only will your rabbit look like a supermodel, and be fit as a triathlete, but they'll feel great and hopefully be snuggling with you for years to come. 


This is also a good link: http://nockrabbits.com/RabbitWeight.pdf

Perhaps if you can educate them about the risks of the excess weight they might see how serious it is. We adore Ruben and want him to live a very long time!


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## Bunnylova4eva (May 16, 2012)

Perhaps if you can educate them about the risks of the excess weight they might see how serious it is. We adore Ruben and want him to live a very long time![/quote]

:yeahthat: I've had similar issues. If they can see why and who important it is, it can make a huge difference.


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## LakeCondo (May 16, 2012)

I was assuming your sister was, at the oldest, 12. Maybe it's time for you & Reuben to find non-family roommates.


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## tamsin (May 16, 2012)

I think the key to the treat issue is to treat (no pun intended) normal food as treats. Rabbits go mad for pellets, so instead of giving them in a bowl, use them as treats. Have a treat pot you fill with the days amount and then dole out as and when.

If you want to make them more exciting then try some of the homemade treat recipes that are floating around. 

Anaira - perhaps if your sister had something specifically for him that he really liked she wouldn't feed the others?


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## jujub793 (May 16, 2012)

walter really hates thse things (cat stick thingys)too, he charges at it like a locomotive! its so funny!!


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## Anaira (May 18, 2012)

Heh, I did once try a poster. Didn't really work, I'm afraid!  Moving out isn't practical, for a wide variety of reasons. This isn't the sister I share a room with, though; luckily! 

I think the main problem with mum is, she free feeds her guinea pigs pellets. So when she sees me giving Rubey his small amount, she thinks that isn't enough, especially since he's so much larger than them. She doesn't feed him behind my back any more, though. I don't know about my sister, though. :/ She has an eating disorder herself, so I have wondered if that affects how she sees animals, and feeding them...but I don't know.

The main problem is, he's a little fusspot.  There isn't that many foods he likes, that is actually good for him. He likes sugary stuffs! Plus, veggies seem to upset his stomach, so he rarely gets them, either. 

The other day, my order of lab blocks arrived, and I put the box on the floor, opened it, took one bag out and went to top up the rats plates with it. Heard a rustling, Reuben was stretched up, head in the opening at the top, trying to chew his way into a bag.  Harlan-aholic!


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## Apebull (May 19, 2012)

Twigs is not fat or at least I don't think so. But he has all the hay and pellets he wants all day. From what I'm reading here that's not a good idea.
If he's not fat should I change it???


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## MiniLopHop (May 19, 2012)

How old is twigs? Less than a year many people free feed pellets because the bun is growing. It may also depend on his personality. I have one bun that I have to give healthy snacks to or she gets too thin. The others need to have their food monitored to help them stay a good weight. Sophie in particular LOVES to eat junk. She has been known to knock over my husband's juice and lick it off the carpet while he's trying to clean up. She also likes to go through the trash looking for anything sweet.


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## Apebull (May 19, 2012)

He's 2 yrs old and has always had free pellets. We got him from my mom and she free feeds ALL her animals. We do limit his greens to about 2 cups a day and treats like fruit are just that treats.


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## ZRabbits (May 19, 2012)

*Apebull wrote: *


> He's 2 yrs old and has always had free pellets. We got him from my mom and she free feeds ALL her animals. We do limit his greens to about 2 cups a day and treats like fruit are just that treats.



Time to get off Mom's schedule of free feeding.lol. At two years old, pellets should be limited to a certain amount. My little guys get about a 1/4 cup each day, with veggies ( 1 cup) offered at night. Fruit is considered candy (lots of sugar) so they get tiny tastes once in a while. Also they love their Cheerios. 

I have found that at 7 months, it's time to start backing off on free choice pellets. So far, Dobby and Kreacher, who are my oldest bunnies (1 year) have done well with this diet. No hefty bunnies. I worry about weight. Bunnies tend to get arthritis in their older age and don't want any extra weight burdening them. 

As much as we love to spoil our animals, weight plays a big part in their health and definitely in their longevity. So how do I spoil them? Lots of time with me!

K


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## MiniLopHop (May 19, 2012)

I totally agree with Karen, I love to spoil them by spending time together. We play games and go out to the park and snuggle. No calories for anyone. 

I do grow wheat grass and will feed it to them one blade at a time. It's great for them but they think of it as a treat. I'm putting in an herb garden on my glassed in porch today so I can grow lots of herbs year round! Flowers that are safe (species and cleanly grown) are a low calorie special treat as well. Nom nom nom nom!


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## kmaben (May 20, 2012)

Yikes to all the weight jokes! I love you people. I would never have survived my rabbits without you. I have noticed the word giant but have not seen a weight even close to Kai's. His daddy was a 24 pound giant and he wasnt fat. Mama was about 22 pounds and not fat. Kai at 4 months old is already nine pounds. I think I may be in over my head.


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## ZRabbits (May 20, 2012)

*kmaben wrote: *


> Yikes to all the weight jokes! I love you people. I would never have survived my rabbits without you. I have noticed the word giant but have not seen a weight even close to Kai's. His daddy was a 24 pound giant and he wasnt fat. Mama was about 22 pounds and not fat. Kai at 4 months old is already nine pounds. I think I may be in over my head.


In what you are saying, Kai is going to be a BIGGGGG boy. I don't think you in over your head. Just remember that all bunnies are built differently. Some are very larged frame and some are frail. That's how you determine what a bunny should weigh. 

We all worry. And sometimes we go overboard. I did with Jake for a while. But got his weight down so that he could manage. Like Brandy posted, always bring down weight gradually. And there are lots of ways to feed your bunny. And there are many people here that will help when your BIG boy is full grown. Just remember, exercise is a key. With good food, and lots of water. 

K


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## LakeCondo (May 20, 2012)

When Kai is full-grown, he could probably pull a kiddie wagon/dog cart. But definitely consider rabbit hopping/agility. His size would give him an edge, I'd think.


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## MiniLopHop (May 21, 2012)

Sounds like Kai will be able to leap small buildings in a single bound! Imagine his stride length!

I finally got Gary to keep his socks on over night. I am determined to clear up his sore hocks. He has the cutest little round butt, his diet might help make him a little more svelt.


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## lauratunes12 (Sep 23, 2012)

Faith gets 1/4 cup of pellets and quite a bit of hay everyday. She doesn't get unlimited hay, because she inhales it all as soon as we give her any. I keep having these visions of her eating too much and getting really sick because bunnies can't throw up. 

Oh, then she gets about half a strawberry and a carrot every day, because she's still young.

She poops aplenty and is a good weight, so I think we are feeding her right.


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## LakeCondo (Sep 23, 2012)

I don't think any rabbit whose not underweight can eat too much hay. The more the better as far as I;m concerned.


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## christinebunnies1 (Sep 26, 2012)

Oh but they are so cute when they`re plump. Sully is a little junkie - she`s always begging for crackers, pieces of bread and jumps on the kitchen table and runs of with the pizza crust - and then she follows my 18 year old son around because he always gives her stuff like chips or dried fruit and nuts. She is getting a little plump so I have to be careful. She also runs up and down the stairs and pummels the doors in the morning to get everyone up - so she has some muscles in her arms. She is a New Zealand White and weighs 12 lbs. I think thats about right. Well I should be careful with her and make sure she doesn`t get too plump - my younger son calls her a fat polar bear. She is only a year old and doesn`t have much of a dewlap yet - her plumpness is around her shoulders and neck. We all should be careful but a little bit of chub looks so cute and makes them so cuddly.


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## LakeCondo (Sep 28, 2012)

When a rabbit gets too overweight it can't reach behind for it's cecals. And of course even before that it isn't healthy to eat all that grain-based stuff.


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