Water is a favourite of rabbits and more or less the only liquids they can take in. This helps to regulate the function of their organs. Regularly check the water supply in the hatch; if spoiled, the rabbit may not drink it. Ensure the water bottle is cleaned, washing all component parts to remove stains and smells. If it is not drinking then it may be a dietary problem, so offer something different to it in a change of diet, introducing different fruits. Conversely it may have been overfed or is bloated, or something serious has happened and it should be taken to the vet. In the wild, grass is their staple diet. Exercise is crucial and water will help them replace the energy they have lost. Rabbits eat most of the time they're awake, so make sure grass or hay (dried grass) is always freely available with plenty of fresh, chemical-free filtered or bottled water. As their diet is naturally coarse and abrasive, it needs lots of chewing. This wears down the grinding surfaces of their teeth, keeping them sharp enough to pulverize the vegetation they eat. A problem with feeding processed 'bunny mix' food to herbivores is the demineralisation of the bones, resulting in osteoporosis. The weak bones are unable to support the teeth, which end up erupting up into the eye socket and down, out of the bottom of the lower jaw, because there is no room for them in the mouth. If a rabbit is fed on a varied diet of hay, herbs, wild plants and vegetables there is no need for dried cereals, pellets or flaked food and no need for vitamin or mineral supplements. Dried foods such as hay will make them drink more water; there is recent evidence that some rabbit do not drink enough and as a consequence are prone to bladder problems. Nipple drinker bottles are not the best solution as rabbits will drink more in total from a simple open water dish. Thus water should be top priority for all aspects of a rabbit’s diet.
