What Food Can Rabbits Eat?

Your rabbits’ feeding plan should consist of:

• 85% – 90% unlimited grazed grass (not grass cuttings) or high-quality feeding hay (not bedding hay, which may have poor nutritional value). As a guide, provide each rabbit with at least their own body size in feeding hay every day.
• A small handful of rabbit-safe leafy greens, vegetables and herbs.
• Pelleted rabbit food – around one egg cup a day per rabbit. Rabbit nuggets help ensure your buns get all the vital vitamins and minerals they need.

You can also include some yummy, healthy rabbit treats to your rabbit diet chart to add enrichment. These are great for training and hand feeding, helping you to build your bond with your bunny chums.

Your rabbits must also have access to plenty of fresh water at all times. Provide a bottle and a bowl of fresh water daily – lapping from a bowl is more natural to rabbits, but bowls may be knocked over, so a bottle is a good back-up.

Rabbits eating lots of fresh grass will drink less, whilst those eating mostly hay will drink more. Importantly, their digestive system only works properly when it is well hydrated.

If you’re wondering what rabbits like to eat, then a selection of rabbit-safe leafy greens – a handful per day, per bunny – will feature highly on your rabbits’ favourite food list. This also helps add variety to a well-planned rabbit diet.

Ideal vegetables and herbs include:

• Broccoli
• Fennel
• Parsley
• Coriander
• Rocket
• Carrot tops
• Cauliflower leaves
• Mange tout
• Kale
• Mint
• Romaine lettuce
• Leaves from dandelions, hazel, willow or apple trees.

Rabbits don’t naturally eat root vegetables, so carrots are generally best avoided. The RWAF provide a comprehensive list of recommended vegetables and herbs.

While rabbits can enjoy some fruit as part of their diet, they should only be given in moderation. This is because rabbits don’t naturally eat fruit, which is generally high in sugar, and can lead to obesity.

So, while your buns may enjoy a couple of strawberries or a slice of apple, these should only be an occasional treat, once or twice a week.

Safe fruits that can be included in your rabbits‘ diet are:

• Apples – not the pips, they’re poisonous
• Bananas
• Kiwi fruit
• Melon
• Pears
• Plums
• Strawberries

There are a few items that are classed as unsafe food for rabbits and therefore should be avoided altogether. These include:

• Rabbit muesli – Two years of research at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, linked muesli style foods to life-threatening dental and digestive problems in rabbits. Muesli-based rabbit diets encourage selective feeding, where rabbits eat high starch/sugar components of the muesli, while rejecting the more fibrous pellets. This means they won’t be getting all the nutrition they need.
• Sweet treats – Some treats that are marketed as rabbit food – such as milk-based yoghurt drops or sticks of sweetened cereals – can contribute to obesity and tooth decay.
• Lettuce– Some types of lettuce, such as iceberg, contain lactucarium, which can be harmful to rabbits in large quantities. Light-coloured lettuce varieties are high in water, have very little nutritional value and will just give your rabbits the runs.
• Avocado– It’s very fatty and should never be included in your rabbits’ diet.
• Chard– It’s a leafy green but not one that rabbits can tolerate, causing colic and bloating.
• Grass cuttings– Rabbits should be given unlimited access to steadily graze on fresh grass, just as they would in the wild, but a pile of grass cuttings can be very harmful to them.
• Rhubarb – This common garden plant can be poisonous to animals if eaten raw.
• Bread, pasta and crackers– High-carb foods can cause series stomach issues.
• Nuts– All nuts are high in fat, not fibre, and will give your rabbits extremely uncomfortable indigestion.

If you’re not sure whether something’s safe for your rabbits to eat, it’s best avoided.