The main part of a rabbit’s diet should be timothy hay. They should also receive fresh leafy green vegetables every day (depending on the size of the rabbit) and a small amount fortified pellets. Treats (including carrots, bananas, berries, etc.) should only be given in very small amounts.
Our little fluffy friends have very sensitive digestive systems. Digestive illnesses are common in rabbits and can be fatal if they’re not dealt with quickly. You’ll want to make sure you’re careful about the food you give your rabbit so they can flourish and live a healthy life.
If you want to know which products and brands I recommend for rabbits, check out my recommendations page. I do a lot of research to find the best brand out there and only recommend products that I also use with my own rabbits.
If you have a rabbit younger than 6 months, the diet will be different. Learn about a healthy diet for young rabbits.
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Part 1: Unlimited Grass Hay
It is incredibly important that your rabbit has is a constant supply of grass-based hay. This should make up the bulk of your rabbit’s diet, and it’s important that you never let your rabbit run out of hay. Hay helps the rabbit’s gut remain balanced and helps them maintain good dental health.
Timothy hay is the most fiber-dense type of hay and it is the coarsest, so it’s generally considered the best choice for rabbits. However, there are other types of grass hay that you can mix in with your Timothy hay to offer your rabbit some variety, including orchard hay, oat hay, meadow hay, and ryegrass hay.
You can get hay at pet stores, online, or even from a local farmer. I like to get hay for my rabbits from an online store called Small Pet Select. I trust them to always send me fresh hay that my rabbits love. This store also has a few different varieties of hay that are difficult to find in pet stores.
I recommend the 2nd cutting timothy hay and feel free to add in some of their fresh oat or orchard hay. If you use the code BUNNYLADY at checkout, you can even get 15% off your first order!
Learn more about hay and why it’s so important to your rabbit’s diet
What about Alfalfa Hay?
If you have already been to the pet store and had a look through the hay aisle, you may have noticed that alfalfa hay is commonly sold. This hay has higher protein and calcium content that makes it not ideal for an average adult rabbit since it can cause weight excessive weight gain. The exceptions to this rule are young rabbits and elderly rabbits who can benefit from the extra calories and calcium content.
Part 2: Fresh Leafy Greens
Fresh greens provide your rabbit with the nutrients they need to thrive. It’s also great for their mental enrichment to give them additional flavors and textures, so try introducing some new types of veggies sometimes, to find out what your rabbit’s favorites are.
About 10% of your rabbit’s daily food should be made of of these fresh leafy greens. The amount you need to give will depend on the size of your rabbit, but about 2 cups for an average 5 pound rabbit is a good rule of thumb.
Read more about the kinds of vegetables that are best for rabbits
Part 3: Pellets
Dry food rabbit pellets should make up a much smaller percentage of your rabbit’s diet than you expect. Strictly speaking, pellets are not even a necessary part of your rabbit’s diet, but they can be an easy way to provide extra nutritional value and usually your rabbit will love them.
Again, rabbits have pretty drastic size differences so the amount of pellets you give them will depend on the size of your rabbit. A good rule of thumb is to start with about ¼ of a cup a day.
Don’t worry if your rabbit gobbles up all the pellets right away or finishes them before the end of the day. It’s okay for them to have an empty bowl. Remember, your rabbit still has their unlimited hay available for munching. You want to encourage your rabbit to eat more hay than pellets, so you shouldn’t replenish them until the next day.
I recommend getting Oxbow pellets for your rabbits. I performed an analysis on the nutritional content of various brands, and this is the one that came out on top. They are a very high quality and reliable brand that I’ve trusted for years. My rabbit’s favorite is the Garden Select variety (check it out!).
Part 4: Water
Rabbits should have unlimited access to fresh water. You should replenish their water bowl or water bottle with fresh water on a daily basis, and check to make sure there is no dirt or mold building up. When refreshing your rabbit’s water, tap water works just fine, but you can also use purified water if that’s what you prefer. If the water is safe for humans to drink, then it’s also safe for rabbits.
Rabbits drink a surprisingly large amount of water. They can drink about as much water as a small dog would drink in a day. That comes out to around 1-2 cups of water per day. But, of course, the amount of water a rabbit drinks will vary depending on a number of factors. Larger rabbits will drink more water, as well as rabbits that are pregnant. Rabbits are also likely to drink more in the hotter months of the year or if they are very active rabbits.
As a general rule water bowls offer rabbits a more natural way of drinking and encourage better hydration. It’s usually best to get a heavy ceramic dog bowl to make sure your rabbit doesn’t try to flip it over and make a mess.
Part 5: Treats
Fresh or dried fruits and vegetables (with NO added sugar) are the best types of treats to give your rabbit. A small amount of oats or extra pellets are also okay to give as treats to your rabbit.
But be careful! Too much sugar can wreak havoc on a rabbit’s digestion, so you should only give rabbits these treats in moderation. In general, you want to try to give less than 2 tablespoon a day.
I know it’s difficult to resist their adorable pleading faces, but it really is better for their health in the long run to limit the amount of treats you give them.
Tips and Tricks Newsletter
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Sources:
- Ackerman, Sandi. “The Perils of Bunny Obesity.” House Rabbit Society. Jan. 15, 2012.
- Brown, Susan DVM. “Small Animal Nutrition.” House Rabbit Society. Jun. 10, 2012. rabbit.org/small-animal-nutrition.
- Clauss, Marcus PD Dr. med. vet., MSc, Dip. ECVN. “Clinical Technique: Feeding Hay to Rabbits and Rodents.” Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine. ScienceDirect. Jan. 2012. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1557506311002229.
- Fisher, Cindy. ”Plants Poisonous to Rabbits.” Sacramento House Rabbit Society. www.allearssac.org/badplants.html.
- “Natural Nutrition I: The Importance of Fiber.” House Rabbit Society. Jul. 10, 2011. rabbit.org/natural-nutrition-part-i-the-importance-of-fiber.
- “Rabbit Food.” House Rabbit Society. https://rabbit.org/care/food-diet/.
- Ramnaraine, Amy. “The Importance of Hay.” House Rabbit Society. Mar. 8, 2017. https://rabbit.org/care/diet/the-importance-of-hay/.
- “What Can Rabbit Eat?” RSPCA. www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits/diet/myths.
Products Mentioned
Important: These are Affiliate links. As an associate to Amazon, Small Pet Select, and Chewy.com, I may receive a small commission from qualifying purchases.
- Hay: Small Pet Select 2nd Cutting Timothy Hay
- Pellets: Oxbow Garden Select Pellets
- Drinking bowl: Ceramic dog bowls
- Healthy Treats: Oxbow Baked Hay treats
