Trouble with our new water bottle?? Placement in cage?

[my3esses]

We got our new chin yesterday. I set up her cage as much as I could ahead of time (have some things on order still) and bought a glass water bottle in a local pet store. It has the little duck in it. I think maybe it wasn't working right but after playing with it a bit water is now coming out - is that often a problem? Should I be checking it often if it seems like she isn't drinking?

I tried to put the bottle on the outside of the cage but the spout doesn't seem to go into the cage far enough so its inside. She stands on the top of it or stands on the food dish and pulls at it but she won't just stand at it and drink. I am wondering if maybe I should put it somewhere else in the cage. Where is the best spot for it (in FN)?

 

[carmen holt]

i also had troubles with that bottle i checked it frequently and when he was drinking i always checked for the bubbles i bought a lixit water bottle it has a green turtle in it and like it much much better

 

[seachin]

With those I find that after you fill it you put the cap in and then shake it up and down until water drops come out..then it is fine. As for the placement, it is suppose to be outside, but I've never tried that type of bottle on an FN cage.

 

[mercynursie]

Can you remember/find out what type bottle or nipple she was used to drinking from? There are a few different types of bottle nipples/spouts and she may not be used to the ball nozzle type.If that is the case and she can't figure out how the nozzle works,that is the one and only time I make an exception to the no raisin rule.I squeeze the pulp from the raisin and rub a little on the tip of the bottle nozzle.Chin will lick sweet raisin pulp and get water thus learining how it works.

 

[Basket_of_Chinchillas]

I have that water bottle attached from the outside to a FN cage and have never had a problem with it. I find when I refill it I need to make sure that the rubber sealing ring is pushed down properly on the spout side (not sure if that makes sense...a rubber sealing ring sits inside the spout side of the water bottle where you screw it on to the glass part of the water bottle), because otherwise it leaks. I also always leave an inch or so of air at in the bottle (versus filling it 100% full).

I have never had it leak profusely or not work, but I still check it everyday as a matter of course, just because I'd rather be safe than sorry. I have heard stories of this and other brands of water bottles getting clogged/jammed/otherwise not working, but I (luckily!) haven't had that problem. As with all water bottles, make sure that you clean them properly so they don't gunk up.

 

[my3esses]

she has been at the bottle all night now, so thought she was drinking good cause a few hours ago I was testing it out with my finger and it worked, but now I tried it again and it didn't seem like anything was coming out again. I think I need to find a new water bottle. :banghead:

And I think mine can't hang from outside the cage because it is a smaller one. They had a bigger one and I didn't get it - wasn't sure how much water a chin goes thru a day. The bigger one probably had a bigger/longer spout.

Is the lixit one glass?

 

[akane]

It might help to not fill it all the way and use room temp water. Cold water and not having any air in it will create a very strong vacuum and water won't come out easily. Also I have no trouble putting them on the outside of the FN cage. They only need a couple inches of spout. Part of daily checks here are not only if water went down but to tap the end of every bottle and make sure you get a wet finger and the ball didn't stick or requiring more force than normal.

I only use lixits and critter canteens. I've had some 10 years. Sadly my oldest lixit bottle finally sprung a leak. Although replacing the 10+ year old sealing ring would probably fix it. I've only had one critter canteen malfunction and it was a manufacturing defect that led to a perfectly round little hole in the side of the spout after the rabbit chewed on it a little getting water.