# Water Bottle or Water Bowl?



## Lunachick (Aug 15, 2007)

Just wondering who here uses water bottles and who uses bowls? I had a bowl in mine for quite awhile. It's up on the second floor and stays clean because no litter can get in it and it's too small for the rats to sit in. But last week I bought a water bottle and thought that would be good cause it would save a bit of space, etc. But I've noticed that they seemed to be struggling to drink the water from it. So I put their bowl back in to see what they would do and BOTH of them ran to it, and drank for about 1min. So that had me worried that they weren't really getting any water from the bottle. Should I just forget the bottle and keep the bowl? Maybe it's just a bad brand of water bottle :?


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

I'm all for water bottle. Check to make sure yours works well, that could be the problem.

My rats were briefly on water bowl, but when I had them switch to the water bottle it was no problem at all. It actually amazes me how easily they always figure out where the water bottle is and how to use it.


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## Lunachick (Aug 15, 2007)

Yeah exactly. I was so amazed when Toby went straight for it and figured it out right away. I'd like to keep it. But I'm just really worried it's not working right. I'll test it out. What brand is yours? Maybe I'll just buy another one.


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

I have two and I'm happy with both. Unfortunately I know the brand of neither. They are both glass (I learned fast a long time ago to have glass water bottles. I came home one day and there was a huge hole in the plastic one), and one has a yellow rubber ducky in it? It came from PetSmart I believe. That's really all I know.


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## Lunachick (Aug 15, 2007)

Oh really? I had glass bottles when I had hamsters years ago and switched to plastic because I came home one day and found the bottle on the floor smashed to pieces :lol: 
The one I bought has a plastic ducky in it too! Though, if yours is glass, it's not the same bottle lol. I'll go check out the glass ones. I think they allow more water to come out then plastic.


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## lina (May 28, 2007)

My 2 young rats found it hard learning how to use a watter bottel so I put a bowl of water in as well. They soon learnt how to use it good job low coz they started playing in the water bowl and kept making the water mucky. Have you tryed running your finger over the ball on the water bottle to see if any water is coming out it may have air in it stopping the flow of water.


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

I use water bottles in the cages, and I have bowls of water out for free range time. The water in the bowls needs to be changed daily, because the rats not only drink the water, but they like to just dip their hands in it, and sometimes use the water to groom their faces (very cute!), and if it's hot enough, they'll dip their tails in too.

I use Oasis water bottles. I have one purple 16oz that is the main one in the big girls' cage, and two 8oz green ones, one as a secondary in the big cage, and one in the little girls' cage. Since they're on the outside, the plastic doesn't get chewed on, and they're not drippy at all. And they're pretty! ^_^


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

I used to have nothing but plastic, but then when I got my first girl she sure enough chewed right through those even though they were outside the cage. Everyone's rats are different though! My first two rats didn't bother it at all.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

I use all bottles. The times I've used bowls (hospital cage, etc) the rats have spilled, dirtied, etc the water quickly.

I have four bottles. The rats only use three. The biggest one (with the ducky in it) isn't used at all, because the ball is spring loaded and they don't like to use it or don't have the strength to use it. The rest are vaccum sealed (the ball bounces back and forth if you shake it) and they use them easily.


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## Lunachick (Aug 15, 2007)

Ok thanks everyone! You've been a huge help. I definitely like the sound of those Oasis bottles Mana


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

They're cheap too ^^;


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## Inesita (Feb 18, 2007)

I use bottles aswell, I find bowls too much of a mess


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## Squeak (Sep 4, 2007)

My rats don't like using bottles. I still make them use bottles (which their beginning to get used to) , but they much prefer bowls!


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## Lunachick (Aug 15, 2007)

I realized why the bottle doesn't seem to work >.< The ball in the valve is spring loaded. Don't know how I didn't know this but it did not say it was spring loaded on the box. I hope the pet store will allow me to return it


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

I use all glass lixit bottles for the glider, as i dont have rats yet lol. Lixits are NICE bottles. They have them in glass and plastic, but water from glass is supposed to taste better than plastic, it also holds less bacteria


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## Lunachick (Aug 15, 2007)

Lixit looks good too.
This is what I bought - http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind.../PET/2769314&fbc=1&parentPage=family&keepsr=1
Doesn't even say that it's spring loaded. Grrrr!


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Ha! That's the exact one I have! I guess it's not just my boys that won't use it.


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## Lunachick (Aug 15, 2007)

No. I don't know who in their right mind would design something like that. Sure it's drip-resistant, but come on...you have to allow SOME water to escape for the poor animal to drink lol Sheesh, it's garbage.


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