These lovely fluffy rodents until recently were bred exclusively because of fur and dietary meat, but now in pet stores, you can find decorative rabbits that are suitable for keeping in a cage under conditions such as an apartment. One of the peculiarities of the contents of these rodents is the need for constant access of the animal to clean and fresh water. One rabbit can drink up to 1 liter of water per day, which means it is necessary to take care of a convenient bowl of a suitable container.
How to make a drink for rabbits?
Of course, you can fully use a capacious bowl as a drinker, but keep in mind that it needs not only to be carefully attached to the wall of the cage, but also to ensure that the animal does not spill water. In addition, getting hay, feed or grass in a container with water will lead to spoilage of the liquid, so it is necessary to follow such a water bottle and regularly change the water in it.
How to choose a drinker for a rabbit?
A drinking bowl for ornamental rabbits can be purchased at a pet store. In addition to the standard bowl that is installed in the cage, pay attention to the suspended drinking bowls, where the spout remains in the cage, and the water hole closes with a ball. When the animal wants to drink, it repels the ball with a tongue and a small amount of water enters the rabbit's mouth immediately. Such a drinking system is very convenient and rational, water is not spilled by, and the rodent very quickly understands how to use the metal nozzle of the device.
Nipple drinkers for rabbits are most often used by farmers who have a large rabbit farm. The peculiarity of nipple drinkers is that several nozzles can be installed using one large capacity water tank, for example, it is possible to hold water in several cells placed in a line using a tube with nozzles running along all the cells. The advantage of nipple drinkers lies in their purity, the economic efficiency of water consumption, the low pressure required from the animal for drinking.
In winter time, the use of drinking bowls for rabbits with heating is actual. Even at a negative temperature, if rabbits are kept on the street, water does not freeze in such drinkers, and animals do not suffer from thirst. A drinking bowl with heating can be purchased, but you can do it yourself. For a small number of rodents, buying such a device will cost a little expensive, but if you have enough rabbits, then in winter several times a day pour water from the kettle - a busy and dreary activity, after a short time in ice drills will again be ice.
If you decide to make a heated drinker by yourself, then the simplest option is to ensure the heating of the water in the tank, from where
How to teach a rabbit to drink?
If there is a bowl of water in the cage, your rabbit will not need help, he will understand how to drink water. However, as already mentioned, a bowl is the most unfortunate option and it is better to purchase a ball-point drinker, the volume of which will be not less than 500 ml. When the animal is in the cage, touch the ball of the drinker with your finger and let the rabbit sniff a drop of water on your finger. You can even moisten this drop in the mouth of the animal. After a short while, the rodent will understand how you extract water, and, pushing you away, will start to push the ball of the drinker with his own tongue. The main thing is to set a positive example.