What Do Rabbits Eat?
Raising rabbits is great fun, watching the little twitching noses and floppy ears and their funny little hops. But like any other pet, the diet you feed them is important for their health. A healthy diet will make for a healthy rabbit.
By Abbey Mitchell
As rabbits have increased in popularity so has the information about what is the best diet for a house/companion rabbit. But there is still much misinformation out there about what is the best way to feed your rabbit and there are even rumblings amongst experts now that the traditional diet of pellets may be causing the obesity we are seeing in pet rabbits today. A small, but growing, number of bun owners are choosing to move away from pellets to a more natural way of feeding based on hay, vegetables and small amounts of fruit.
So, what do rabbits eat and should pellets be part of this diet?
To answer the question let’s start by looking at why a manufactured food like pellets came into existence.
Pellets were developed specifically for breeders with high levels of calories and nutrients so that their rabbits would grow quickly. This speed up their breeding programme and also gave extra nutrients to rabbits that were essentially living in a high stress environment. Rabbits that didn’t make the grade by a certain time (a few months) were ‘removed’ from the programme. So, bottom line is that pellets are designed to put weight on quickly for rabbits in a high stress environment. They weren’t originally designed for companion rabbits who live long lives in a low stress, low exercise situation. It’s little wonder that our bunny buddies are stacking on the weight!
Left to their own devices in the wild, rabbits eat a wide variety of plants. They munch on grasses, flowers, fruit and vegetables and keep their teeth trim chewing on twigs and branches. They graze constantly on high fibre plants that may have low nutrient value however they eat so many ‘bits and pieces’ here and there that over the whole day that they end up consuming the range of nutrients they need. Their diet is extremely high in fibre which is vital in helping their digestive system function correctly. In addition, eating is not just for fuel, it relieves boredom and the action of chewing may also be a stress reliever as it is with dogs.
So if you want to mimic this (as best we can) what should you be feeding?
The most important part of a bun’s diet should be hay. Around 70% of his diet should be made up of high quality Timothy hay (if you can find it). Hay is low in calories and high in fibre so perfect for all day munching. Hang it in her cage to keep it off the floor so she doesn’t walk or pee/poop on it.
The next 25% should be made up of a handful of greens (1 cup per 3 pounds weight) – this can include carrot tops, parsley, clover, dandelion, green peppers, dark lettuces, cilantro, dill, spinach, broccoli, kale and watercress etc. Aim for 3-4 types a day. As with the way humans eat, the key is variety.
The final 5% can be made up of treats. Small portions (teaspoons, or a tablespoon if a larger rabbit) of fruits like apples & pears (no pips), mango etc and carrots can be given. Carrots are high in sugar so they go on the treat list!
In the end the choice is up to you. If you are considering moving to a natural diet then consult your vet and do as much reading as you can on the subject to help you make a decision.
If you do decide to move to an all natural diet then do so very slowly. Introduce your bun to greens and fruits one at a time and check to see if it agrees with her before adding another. And, ALWAYS have water available no matter what diet you feed her.
Be patient and both you and your bunny will eventually reap the rewards of happiness and health!
About the Author
Abbey Mitchell is a long-time animal lover and rabbit enthusiast. To answer your question What Do Rabbits Eat? in more detail, visit her site http://www.RabbitsForPets.com. Abbey is dedicated to delivering the best information available on pet rabbits, delivered in her signature down to earth, fun style.
