Rabbits are the most desired and cutest pets which a lot of people love to adopt. But these fluffy bunnies possess a very delicate digestive system hence their care becomes more hectic and horrid. Especially a lot of pet owners struggle with the diets for pet rabbits. There are a lot of regular foods items which humans and other animals can easily consume but the similar ones are highly toxic for rabbits. Therefore, it takes good care to acknowledge various toxic foods for rabbits that they must be avoided at all cost. In the given below guide best foods for rabbits are discussed in detail along with a brief list of suggested foods that a rabbit must avoid as such foods can completely imbalance a rabbit’s digestive system to such extent that the fatal ones can lead to Rabbit’s death. So let’s start our guide with speed a rabbit chews his juicy carrots!

List of Best Foods for Rabbits

1. Hay

One of the common and regular diets that suit almost all breeds of Rabbits is Hay. Preferentially, timothy, grass, and oat hays are perfectly suitable for Adult rabbits. Whereas, younger rabbits should be fed alfalfa. And don’t mix up the diets as Alfalfa should not be given to adult rabbits because due to their lack of enzyme proportion which can hardly digest the higher protein and sugar content alfalfa strips. Hay is essential fibrous foods for rabbits which supports good digestive health and aids in wearing down of rabbit’s teeth (which continuously grow) transcending good dental care to the rabbits With cute Lil faces, rabbits have nagging selective noses which frequently denies any mouldy or scruffy hay. Hence, make sure the rabbit food looks and smells fresh. Do not choose hay that is brown or mouldy or no longer smells like fresh-cut grass. If you are unable to get fresh hay on regular terms then put the grass in a cool and dry place stored in a container that allows airflow to avoid its rotting. If possible you can buy hay from a local farmer which tends to be much more affordable than buying bags from a pet store daily.Suggested Read: >Common Health Issues in Rabbits

Pro Tip: Placing hay at one end of a litter box will be useful if you desire your floors to be free from rabbit’s poop because weirdly rabbits tend to eat hay and poop at the same time.

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2. Vegetables

As mentioned earlier with a delicate digestive system and contaminated vegetables coated with toxic pesticides can be a disastrous even for your small bunny. Therefore, always make sure that the vegetables are washed thoroughly before feeding them to the rabbits. Veggies are apparently the most nutritious food for pet rabbits. But that doesn’t contemplate that you feed rabbits the leaves from any of your houseplants as many are plants are highly poisonous to rabbits. Do not feed your rabbit potatoes, corn, beans, seeds or nuts as these are the blacklisted items from the rabbit’s safe food memo. Since these veggies own an excessive amount of starch and polypeptides its difficult for rabbits to digest. Well, if there’s an endless list of ‘not to feed the rabbit’ foods then what is left might be your concern now! Don’t worry there are still a lot of delicious and crunchy veggies which can make their way to your bunny’s tummy without causing any harm.

The rabbit will enjoy some of the following vegetables:

• Basil
• Bok choy
• Broccoli leaves
• Carrot tops
• Celery
• Cilantro
• Clover
• Collard greens
• Dandelion leaves
• Dill
• Kale (sparingly)
• Lettuce – romaine or dark leaf
• Mint
• Mustard greens
• Parsley
• Watercress
• Flowers: calendula, chamomile, daylily, dianthus, English daisy, hibiscus, honeysuckle, marigold, nasturtium, pansy, rose

Pro Tip: Especially Dwarf breeds and rabbits under five pounds should get just one cup of fresh veggies per day. You can add one new vegetable at a time, and watch for signs of loose stool or diarrhoea. If such symptoms occur remove the particular veggie from your rabbit’s diet or consult a good veteran to find alternative options of feeding the same nutritions through different vegetables.

3. Pellets

The easiest and illustrious way of feeding your pet rabbits are the pellet foods which are prepared by various industries infusing a fine balance of nutrients and flavours perfect for any food a rabbit can eat. As bunnies will turn their noses up at stale pellets you must be aware of the fact that purchasing fresh pellets that are high in fibre and low in protein is your primal job. You have to limit your rabbit’s pellet intake as he/she ages. Because as the rabbit age keeps increasing, their capacity to digest a lot of complex nutrients keeps on decreasing. Pellets that are high in protein can lead to accumulation of fat in the body or in fatal cases obesity while other health issues in reckon to rabbit’s muscular and metabolic growth are eventually going to arrive. So take care of your cute bonbon and find good foods for rabbits as far as you can.

Pro-Tip: Do not give pellets that have “treats” mixed in such as dried corn, peanuts etc. These added treats are never healthy for rabbits and can cause digestive problems. No matter how much your rabbit craves them you must be aware, what future harm they can cause therefore avoid such contretemps by avoiding the pellet treats.

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4. Treats

Removing the treats from pellet’s packaged foods doesn’t mean you rabbits don’t deserve any treats at all. Everyone loves a treat now and then, but you have to be acknowledged about your rabbit’s health and maintain an occasional flow of treats instead of regular doses. The first and very essential rule is- high in carbohydrates products are among the list of foods for rabbits to avoid at all costs. Such as bread, crackers, pasta, pretzels, cookies, chips, or cereal. The fruit is the best option for a treat if you really feel like offering. Just like vegetables, be sure that they are thoroughly washed.Never give chocolate to your rabbit as it is toxic to rabbits.

List of the best food for rabbits under the food sections are as follows (one or two times a week):

• Apple (no seeds)
• Banana
• Berries: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries
• Cherries (no seeds)
• Grapes
• Melon
• Nectarine
• Orange
• Papaya
• Peach
• Pear
• Pineapple
• Plum
• Watermelon

Pro Tip: The appropriate serving of treats is one to two tablespoons of fruit (either one kind or a mixture) combined with five pounds of body weight each. This means, 1-2tbs for 5 pounds or 2.267 Kg or 2-3tbs for 10 pounds or 4.53 Kg.

5. Fresh Water

Finally, a small note if you haven’t bothered that rabbits are very active species of animals. Rabbits need to stay hydrated spontaneously. Therefore, they should have an unlimited supply of fresh water, which should be changed daily to avoid contamination and smell odour repelling the rabbits altogether to refuse such water. The water container should be cleaned with soap and watered every few days. Don’t consider Water bottles as they are not easy to clean and can be difficult for rabbits to fit their furry Lil mouths in them(No matter how funny that looks, it’ll leave your bunny thirsty so avoid that!) Heavy ceramic bowls are better since it doesn’t tip over easily. No wonder, how balanced you are feeding you dog irrespective of the best rabbit food you must not miss the water intake level of your rabbit at any cost.

Foods to Avoid Giving Rabbits

Even after a brief summary about what not to feed your rabbits? delineated in the above section I will discuss some of the essential foods rabbits can’t eat and their pet owners must monitor them regularly as that they are not sneaking out from the homes to eat the given below food items. For more safety and finding safe foods for rabbits under any circumstances follow up the given below list. Here are foods to avoid giving your bunny completely:

• Beans
• Beet greens
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Cereal
• Chocolate
• Corn or corn-cob treats
• Crackers
• Iceberg lettuce
• Legumes
• Mustard greens
• Nuts
• Pasta
• Peas
• Potatoes
• Rhubarb
• Seeds
• Sugar
• Turnip greens
• Yoghurt

Hope you acquired a keen understanding about what foods rabbits can eat? And what must be avoided? At an extreme level to save your rabbit’s life and supports its longer life expectancy. There are various suggestions about the time and proportions related to the rabbit’s food which you can also read the above-mentioned food guide. Have euphoric parenting experiences with your bunnies as taking care of a rabbit is just like raising a nagging kid who is exceptionally cute yet possess endless demands and specifications for its food that you can’t run away from. For more interesting and informative contents like these visit our other blogs. Do tell us in the comment section any feedback or appreciation you would like to dwell in our journey.

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Nisha Patel

I'm Nisha, a passionate pet enthusiast who love to share my knowledge with all pet owners. With years of firsthand experience and a deep love for animals, I bring a unique perspective to the world of pet care.