So Cleo is about 8 weeks now, the breeder we got her off said she knew how to use a water bottle, but she wont drink from the one I have in her hutch, I have tried putting honey on it, didn't work, and I've showed her that water comes out of it but she just drinks from her dish, which is right underneath the bottle and I dont want to take the dish out because then she wont have any water at all

Does anyone know how I can get her to use it?

(she's VERY stubborn lol)

Thanks  

Hi Paula,
Wish I did. Nermal Nomnoms was trained on a water bottle when the people who adopted her brought her back she wouldn't look at one (and I know she had one at their place too) and refuses to even try though I have now tried multiple bottles. Nomnoms insists on using an oversized capuccino cup as a crock and it is the only thing she will drink out of.

Is there a particular reason you want her to drink out of the bottle instead of the dish? Many of us here actually recommend using a heavy ceramic dish for water - bottles can harbor bacteria and are more difficult to clean, and a quick rinse and refill of the water dish only takes a few seconds.

Have you ever actually seen Cleo drinking from the bottle, or is she entirely unaware of how it works?

Some rabbits just prefer to drink out of a bowl or dish, it's more natural, and like peppypoo said much easier to clean. I picked up a ceramic cat food dish for Ruby and she drinks out of that. For a while I did have both in the cage, and she knew how the bottle worked and she'd lick it once in a while, but only actually drink from the bowl so I just got rid of the bottle eventually.

The bowl in the cage that you have is actually great though, since the little house keeps it in place. I had that with Ruby when she was little but she outgrew the house so that's when I switched to the ceramic :p

If you are worried about spills with bowl that isn't held in place you can keep the bowl in a corner. I honestly had a harder time with the bottle because it's REALLY hard to find one that doesn't drip.

This is so funny because mine refuse to drink from a bowl. They like their water bottle. Not just any water bottle either, but THEIR water bottle. It is small and has the balls in the spout. I hate those kind. They don't like the one I have that has a stick in the spout.

I haven't seen her drink from it as of yet, but I guess if she wants to drink out of a dish that's what my Baby will get I don't particularly care as long as she's getting water.
I just spent so darn much on the bottle haha and Imais, mine still drips despite the price it was!!

Haha, water bottles are quite faulty when it comes to leaking! I would just get a heavy crock It is super funny to watch a bunny drink from a bowl and they tend to drink more.

It's very likely that your bun knows water comes out of the bottle, but it might be that she just prefers a dish. I know Rex will always choose a dish over a bottle any day. I agree with peppypoo, why not let Cleo have a dish? They are much easier to clean, and if you get a good sturdy ceramic one they usually don't spill or get debris in them. (Plus they come in lots of cool designs!)

Does she bite at the nozzle of the bottle when she drinks from it? That usually means that a bun (or other pet) would like a good gulp but can't get one. I know for some people it seems weird to let a rabbit drink from a dish, but it's more natural and easier for most buns.  

Sometimes its the nozzle they don't like. When I first got Yuki, the breeder had him on water bottles. When I picked one up from the store, I got one that had a stick instead of a round ball at the end. Yuki hated it. I ended up exchanging it out for a ball-tip nozzle and he very much appreciated it.
I leave out a ceramic bowl + the water bottle and most of the time, he's drinking from the bowl. They really love it, its funny because when he gets too hot, he'll put his whole paws in there too ah so adorable lol.
But anyway I agree with everyone else here, ceramic bowl tends to be a popular preference among our bunnies :]