Can rabbits drink from a bowl? A silly question in the eyes of many people. But pet owners like yourself know the value of every tiny detail. Either you already have a pet rabbit or are planning to get one. Because you’re a responsible pet owner, you must ensure you take proper care of them.
It’s essential to keep that fluffy thing happy and healthy, but what’s the best way for you to meet their needs of life and health-sustaining hydration?
A natural and beneficial way for a rabbit to drink water is from a bowl, which replicates their natural way of drinking from the puddles and streams. Rabbits can and will drink from a bowl if you place it in their cabinet or enclosure.
The most popular way many rabbit owners use is to clip a water bottle to the side of the cage. These water bottles are hung upside down with a small, drip-proof nozzle extension that your rabbit can lick to release water whenever he’s thirsty.
A water bottle is convenient, but still, owners ask if rabbits can drink from a bowl. Or not. Yes, of course, they can.
It’s essential, and professionals recommend it.
What do Rabbits Drink?
Before discussing what your rabbit should drink, let’s consider what you should give him instead. Water, I know you’d be thinking that we already know this. But you have to have broader thinking. We humans enjoy a lot of beverages, alcohol, milk, caffeine, citrus, coffee, etc., which could be dangerous for your pets. Rabbits can’t handle anything with too much fat, salt, or sugar volume.
I prefer water because it’s hygienic, safe for the fluffy fellow, and always does the job. Give your rabbit water and only water, nothing else.
How Do Rabbits Drink?
Rabbits love drinking water as much as they can and whenever they can. The thing you should look for is how your rabbit drinks water. The best way I could tell you is to imagine a cute fluffy bunny in the wild. It’s thirsty and looking for a pond of water or just somewhere to drink water. He finds a tree or a pond of water. His natural drinking position, then, is to bend forward to drink the water.
When you see it’s a natural way of drinking, think about how you can provide a comfortable and more natural way to drink water. Can you offer him anything besides a howl of water?
Drinking from a water bottle forces the rabbit’s head to move upward to reach the nozzle and stretch unnaturally so that he can lick at the tip of the nozzle. Please remember that nozzle won’t fulfil the desired amount of water he needs.
Ok, I know you’d be thinking you said above it would be a great idea now you’re saying it would be uncomfortable for the bunny. I’ll talk about this later.
What Kind Of Water?
This won’t be a surprise but follow a rule: give the fluffy guy the water you are drinking or tap water served at room temperature, and a bon appétit drink is done, and they would love it.
What Kind Of Bowel?
You can find rabbit water bowls in various designs online or at your local pet store.
When choosing a bowel, consider some factors.
- A bowel that it could drink quickly on.
- The bowel should be shallow.
- Get a bowel that’s not too light nor too heavy.
- Get a bowel that can be easily attached to your bunny’s cage.
- An easily removable bowel for cleaning.
- I prefer ceramic because of the excellent weight, and they are often decorated with fun stuff (NOT A HARD RULE ANY BOWEL CAN WORK JUS GIVING A PERSONAL OPINION)
Ok, now that we’re almost done. Let’s look at placing a water bottle in the cage and bowl. In the wild, rabbits constantly make choices, so they like having options when living in your cabinet.
It would not be a bad idea to place a water bottle next to or directly above your rabbit’s water bowl so your bunny can go back and forth according to whatever suits his fancy.
When Should I Clean The Water Bowl?
Rabbits are hygienic creatures. They tend to live and drink in a clean environment. The fluffy fellow won’t drink from a dirty bowl, so you should clean its bowl every day. Just wash the bowl with soap and warm water, rinse and refill it.
It’s a good idea to sanitize the bowl once a week with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of bleach in a cup of water.
Conclusion
So, Can rabbits drink from a bowl? Yes, they can and probably prefer to drink water from a bowl. As we discussed, it is the most natural way for them to drink water. There are a variety of types of bowls that you can get online or at the pet store.