Today I will be discussing bowls and bottles. Which is better and why?
Did you know that a 4 pound rabbit could drink as much as a 20 pound dog a day? Now that's quite a bit of water, so it's important to pay attention to how your rabbit’s water is served. Let's start with reasons to use bowls:
Allows your rabbit to drink freely, quickly, and keeps them hydrated.
Bowls are easily cleaned, and sanitized.
Bowls are more natural, allowing the rabbit to drink off of ground level.
Bowls will prevent rabbits from getting sore necks, from drinking at odd angles from a bottle.
Now that we know the reasons to use a bowl, let's look at the few downsides.
If you are breeding, kits (baby rabbits) could accidentally fall into the bowl, drowning themselves.
Bedding, hair, hay, etc. will end up in the bowl, and it will need to be changed at least once a day, sometimes twice.
Some rabbits love to tip the bowls, and if you aren’t around to refill it, they could become dehydrated quickly.
Okay, so what about bottles? Here are some good points about bottles:
Will keep the water free from bedding, hay, etc
Bottles can’t be tipped, but I've had a few bunnies shake them off of the cage.
They will prevent young rabbits (Under 4-5 weeks of age) from drowning.
Here are some reasons why I don’t use bottles unless necessary:
Can you imagine drinking from a tiny spout that drips as you drink? It would take forever to get all that you needed. Imagine how your rabbit feels.
Bottles could cause aggression, I’ve seen plenty of rabbits get so aggravated at the bottle, and how little water they are getting that they will literally shake the bottle and attack it.
Bottles are extremely hard to clean, and almost never 100% sanitary.
I’ve read (but never experienced) that bottles can cause neck injuries, because it forces your rabbit’s head into an unnatural position to drink.
If outside in the winter and it goes below freezing your bottle will freeze quicker than a bowl, leaving your rabbit longer without water. Bottles can be harder to defrost too.
I have problems finding bottles that don’t drip. A dripping bottle can cause a dirty cage, bunny, and leave your bunny without water.
The spout can get clogged, and will leave your rabbit without water.
I always use bowls, except in a few circumstances. The only reason I will ever use a bottle is if the rabbit will tip both a normal bowl, and a bowl that latches to the side of the cage.
No matter what you use, the water will need frequent changing and cleaning. For bowls I dump and refill once a day, twice if needed. At least once a week, more often if needed I will take a rubber scrubby and clean the bowl out. Bottles need to be refilled when close to empty, and once a day in the summer. They can be cleaned out with a bottle brush. Don't forget to clean out the spout!
What kinds of bowls to use? I use the ceramic bowls from Dollar Tree. They are made for humans, but they work perfectly for bunnies. They come in different colors, and are typically hard for the bunnies to break (Now I have dropped a few and they do shatter, so as long as your bunny isn’t playing football with them, they will be fine). They can be cleaned easily, and are dishwasher safe.
For bottles, you will want to try your best to find one that doesn’t leak. The Walmart brands are terrible - don’t get them. You will also want a bottle brush, to clean it the best you can. You can get glass and plastic bottles, I also get the plastic ones as I am really good at dropping them.
If you use bowls or bottles, it doesn’t matter as long as your bunny is happy and healthy. Choose what works best for your bunny. Each bunny will be different, and will require their own care to cater to their needs.
If any questions feel free to reach out!
