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Perhaps you are a new rabbit owner or maybe you are planning to get a pet rabbit, however, you want to know what do rabbits eat and what is best to feed your pet rabbits beforehand.
Worry no more I will explain all you need to know about rabbit diet for a healthy and happy rabbit.
I will share with you what rabbits can eat and a list of fruits and vegetables that rabbits cannot eat:
A Rabbit Diet FAQ in general.
What do rabbits eat and drink to stay blissful?
A happy rabbit requires a diet that supplies them all the necessary nutrition to remain healthy. A healthy rabbit is always a happy rabbit.
Many times I have seen pet rabbit owners feed their rabbits only hays and not enough greens. Do you do the same?
You must not only feed your house rabbits hay. Because rabbit requires so many other vitamins and minerals which are not present in the dried grass and hays.
To provide your rabbit with all the vital minerals and nutrition you have to feed them a balanced diet of greens and fruits together with hay.
However, if you cannot always provide them with adequate greens and fruits you shall buy some rabbit pellets >>> Rabbit Pellets for Rabbits.
What can rabbits eat and not eat list?
Definitely, you need to feed your rabbits a balanced diet of grass, hay, vegetables, and fruits.
Although your rabbits need all these foods included in their diet there are some certain vegetables and fruits which is not suitable for any kind of rabbits.
All rabbits have a very delicate stomach and it may easily break and you have to face the struggle of cleaning soft poops.
It is not only a hassle for you, but it is also too dangerous for your favorite pet rabbits as well.
Rabbits don’t understand what is good for them and what is not. They will eat all vegetable and they crave for some food that is forbidden for them.
Let me share a story with you:
My pet rabbit absolutely loved peanuts.
I used to give her peanuts sometimes. So there was this one day I fed her so many peanuts because I could say she certainly loved peanuts by the look of it.
Nonetheless, it did not go well at all for her fragile stomach.
The next day I found soft poops everywhere. My rabbit looked a bit weak too.
What did I do then?
So as most people would do, I went online to find what is wrong with my dear rabbit.
But there was not enough online at that time, so I took my rabbit to the nearest vet.
Finally, the vet there told me:
There was something I fed which was, of course, the peanuts did not adjust with my rabbit’s weak stomach at all.
Since then I never gave my rabbit peanut.
As a rabbits guardian, it is entirely your responsibility to give them the right food for a perfect rabbit diet.
But the rabbit diet is also different for baby rabbits and adult rabbits. A rabbit older then seven months is considered an adult rabbit.
You have to understand that likewise.
What do baby rabbits eat to remain healthy?
Bunnies need a diet mostly full of protein which will allow them to grow faster. Alfalfa hay is the best for young rabbits as it will give your bunnies a diet that has sufficient protein.
Among all mammals, rabbit milk has the most calories present. So in case you want to feed baby rabbits milk, feed them kitten milk replacer or goat milk.
Once your rabbit is over seven months already, you can replace alfalfa hay with timothy hay.
Different types of hay for Rabbits.
A rabbits diet must contain hay. Depending on the age of your rabbit you may choose from different types of hay.
But the hay you choose for rabbits has to be fresh. A fresh bag of hay will smell sweet and has to be less dusty.
Hays are vital for rabbits to keep them healthy because hay provides them with plenty of fiber. As well as hay prevent rabbits from growing their teeth.
Rabbits’ teeth grow throughout their life and continuous chewing on grass or hay prevents their tooth from growing.
Rabbits in the wild get abundant green grass whereas the house rabbits, it is difficult for you as a rabbit guardian to give them green grass all the time.
So grass hay is simply dried green grass and it works as a very good alternative for house rabbits.
Alfalfa hay for rabbits under 7 months.
Alfalfa hay contains protein and calories which is crucial for young rabbits’ growth.
Any rabbit which is under 7months old must be fed with alfalfa hay with any other food.
Timothy hay for adult rabbits.
Adult rabbits or rabbits over 7 months old must be fed only timothy hays. Timothy hay contains less protein and sugar.
For an adult rabbit, it’s unhealthy to consume more protein and sugar.
A diet full of sugar will allow the rabbits to gain more weight which can be fatal for a rabbit.
On the contrary timothy hay contains enough fiber for an adult rabbit to have a healthy digestive system.
Oat hay for rabbits.
Oat hay is similar to timothy hay, contains high fiber and less protein. Oat hays can be used as an alternative to timothy hay.
Depending on the hay available in your nearest pet store you can purchase oat hay or timothy hay for your rabbits over 7 months.
You might as well purchase both timothy hay and oat hay to mix it in your rabbit’s meal which will give them a taste of different flavor.
This way your rabbits will not be bored of the same grass hay every day.
What veggies can rabbits eat?
Vegetables and greens play a crucial part in any rabbits diet. Nevertheless, all vegetables are not right for a rabbit to eat.
Hence you as a rabbit guardian have to understand what do rabbits eat and which vegetables are right for you to feed them.
Below are the most common questions asked by pet rabbit owners regarding which vegetables to feed rabbits and whatnot:
Can rabbits eat tomatoes?
Yes, rabbits can eat tomatoes. But you must give tomatoes to your rabbits as a treat only. Tomatoes contain sugar and too much sugar is not good for your rabbits’ digestive system.
Therefore every once in a while you can offer your rabbits a tomato.
But tomatoes are almost poisonous for baby rabbits. Tomato stems, leaves are a no-no for your rabbits.
Can rabbits eat cherry tomatoes?
Regardless of what type tomatoes you want to feed your rabbits, tomatoes are always considered as treats for rabbits.
So yes cherry tomatoes are sugary for rabbits and you must only feed them when you want to give them a treat.
Can rabbits eat spinach?
Yes, rabbits can eat spinach but it’s your duty to limit spinach consumption by your rabbits due to the fact spinach contains a high level of oxalic acid.
So much oxalic acid in your rabbits’ diet can be harmful.
For a more detailed answer, you can read here.
Can rabbits eat cabbage?
Cabbages are one of the best leafy greens you can feed to your rabbits. Cabbage is a very nutritious food for rabbits.
Cabbage is a good source of vitamins and minerals and to maintain a healthy and balanced diet for your house rabbits you must give them cabbages.
However not all rabbits like cabbage as much as some will. As well as suddenly introducing cabbage to a rabbits diet can cause an upsetting stomach.
So you must give cabbage to your rabbits in order to keep your rabbits healthy but depending on your rabbits you have to figure what amount of cabbage is perfect for your rabbits.
You can read here for more details >>> Click Here
Can rabbits eat cucumbers?
Rabbits can eat cucumbers but it is not really very nutritious for rabbits. Hence just give cucumbers to them when you want to give your rabbit a change in their food menu.
But do not feed your rabbits too much cucumber because it can cause rabbit diarrhea.
Can rabbits eat broccoli?
The answer is YES. But broccoli contains more sugar compared to other leafy greens. So you can give your rabbits to eat broccoli but it has to be in limitation.
You have to notice their stools if it is ok after your rabbits eat broccoli.
Too much broccoli will result in a gassy stomach for your rabbits and that will be uncomfortable for the house rabbits. That is something you definitely don’t want as a rabbit guardian.
Can rabbits eat asparagus?
Asparagus contains more water yet it is a really nutritious vegetable. However, you have to feed your rabbits asparagus in moderation.
Too much asparagus can be a cause of diarrhea for your rabbits. A thumb size of asparagus with other vegetables would be perfectly fine for your rabbits to eat.
Observe the stool of your rabbits once you start giving them asparagus. If the stool of your rabbit is watery then you must stop giving them asparagus.
Can rabbits eat pumpkin?
YES, Rabbits can eat pumpkin but too much pumpkin can be the reason for your rabbit’s gassy stomach.
Although pumpkin will provide rabbits with necessary vitamins and minerals, pumpkin contains more sugar.
Sugary vegetables are the reason why your rabbits will have a stomach ache.
Rabbits can eat pumpkin skin and the inside except for the seeds. The pumpkin seeds can be really harmful to rabbits.
So whenever you have pumpkin in your rabbits’ diet, you must remove the seeds.
What fruits can rabbits eat?
Rabbits love fruits. Due to the fact, rabbits love fruits and fruits contain high sugar, I personally prefer to use fruits only as treats for rabbits.
Most fruits are sugary and too much sugar in a rabbit’s diet can cause discomfort in their stomach. Fruits can be easily considered as junk food for house rabbits.
Below is a list of fruits which you can use as treats for your rabbits but in a moderate amount.
Can rabbits eat apples?
You must give apples to your pet rabbits only as treats. It is a crunchy snack and safe for rabbits to eat apples.
But too much apple can be dangerous for your rabbits. One or two slice once every week is fine for your rabbits.
Rabbits will have a variation in their taste bud and they will absolutely love the treat.
Can rabbits eat grapes?
YES, rabbits can eat grapes. However, you must remove the skin and seeds before you treat your rabbits with grapes.
As well as like all other fruits grapes must be given only as a treat.
Four grapes a week without skin and seeds are fine for your house rabbits to eat.
Rabbits will love the treat and will not have a bloated stomach if given only four to five grapefruits each week.
More than four to five grapes a week will be the reason for your rabbits’ gassy stomach and discomfort.
Can rabbits eat bananas?
Bananas must be given to your rabbits only as snacks and not as a meal replacement. Like all other fruits banana is high in sugar.
Banana skins can be fed to your rabbits as well. But before doing so you must wash banana skin thoroughly with water.
High starch in bananas can interrupt with the digestive system of your house rabbits. So give your rabbits a thumb size of banana as a snack and not more than that.
Can rabbits eat pineapple?
Pineapples are good as only occasional treats for your rabbits.
Although pineapple has so much health benefits for your rabbits, feeding pineapple regularly to your rabbits will cause serious health issues.
Nevertheless, a tiny bit of pineapple without skin will not harm your favorite house rabbit.
Can rabbits eat strawberries?
YES, rabbits can eat strawberries. Strawberries are not toxic for your rabbits.
But there is definitely a limitation for that. A thumb size of strawberry is absolutely fine for your rabbits to bring variation in their taste bud.
Like all other fruits feeding strawberries regularly can disrupt with your rabbit’s digestive system.
Once in a while give your rabbits strawberries to bring variation in their taste buds.
Can rabbits eat oranges?
Feeding rabbits with oranges reasonably have health benefits for your rabbits.
However, as I said earlier that fruits are considered as junk food for rabbits, you must not give your rabbits oranges every day.
Can rabbits eat watermelon?
The answer is YES, yet the high sugar content in watermelon can result in a gassy stomach for your rabbits.
Watermelon is too watery, so once you treat your rabbits with watermelon, check the stools in next 24 hours.
If the stool is soft, then avoid watermelon for some time. Treating rabbits with any fruit for the first time can be the reason for runny stools.
It takes a while for your rabbit to get used to with a new fruit or treat.
Conclusion
Knowing what do rabbits eat and what is not good in their diet helps prevent your pet rabbits from unnecessary health issues.
You do not want to see your house rabbits getting sick.
Maintaining a proper diet for house rabbits is really easy if you simply remember these:
- House rabbits diet must contain mostly hay;
- Rabbits also love green vegetables. Green vegetables provide them with various nutrition, minerals, and vitamins.
- Fruits are only good for treats. Always give a thumb size of the fruit and only occasionally.
- Keep pellets in the house to provide your rabbits more often, so that they always get adequate nutrition.
- Clean drinking water must be abundant in your rabbits running space at all time.
If you have any more concern regarding your rabbits’ diet just comment below.
You may refer to this article here for >>> Best Rabbit Food.
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