Top 3 Food Choices and Diets to Keep Your Rabbit Healthy and Happy
Rabbits have specific dietary needs that directly impact their health and well-being. A balanced diet is crucial, from supporting dental and digestive health to promoting a longer, happier life. In this guide, we’ll explore the top three food choices for rabbits and share tips on how to select the best diet to keep them healthy.
1. Unlimited hay: The Foundation of a Healthy Rabbit Diet
As herbivores, rabbits are naturally inclined to spend most of their time munching on fibre-rich vegetation. A proper rabbit diet should always include unlimited access to high-quality, tasty hay, whether your rabbit lives in a spacious hutch or enjoys the freedom of an indoor, rabbit-proof room.
Timothy hay
Timothy hay is rich in indigestible fibre, just perfect for helping to keep delicate bunny digestive systems in full working order and teeth in tip-top condition. But the nutritional value of hay varies according to things like time of harvesting and storage conditions.
Science Selective Timothy Hay comes from the first cut of the year and is harvested from carefully chosen Timothy grass that produces the largest, tastiest seed heads. And because it is so tasty, it encourages your rabbit to forage through the leaves and stems, providing enrichment and encouraging them to express their natural behaviour. So, Timothy hay is among the best hay for rabbits, but what other options are there?
Meadow hay, such as Russel Rabbit Tasty Hay, is another good source of fibre. Meadow hay is a general term for hay that has been harvested from permanent pasture and it may include other plants and flowers as well as grass.

2. High-Quality Rabbit nuggets: Essential for a Balanced Diet
While hay is a vital part of your rabbit’s diet, it doesn’t provide all the nutrients they need. Our pets do not have access to the same variety of vegetation that their wild cousins do, so feeding a carefully measured portion of high-quality rabbit nuggets every morning and evening will ensure that you are providing your bun with the very best rabbit diet and that they are getting all the essential nutrients that they need.
The best food for bunnies will have:
- Delicious natural ingredients
- No added sugars
- High fibre
- And be highly palatable
Science Selective Rabbit Food comes recommended by vets and the single component extruded nuggets also prevent selective feeding. Being extruded, the nuggets are easier to digest and have a delicious crunchy texture that rabbits love.
What’s more, the range features a rabbit diet for all life stages and lifestyles.
- Science Selective Junior Rabbit Food for young growing rabbits up to 20 weeks of age
- Science Selective Four+ Rabbit Food for rabbits aged four years and over
- Science Selective House Rabbit uniquely formulated for indoor bunnies
- Selective Naturals Grain Free Rabbit Food
And of course, alongside this tailored nutrition, a daily handful of leafy greens adds variety and helps top up that all important fibre.

Or how about Tiny Friends Farm Russel Rabbit Tasty Nuggets? Packed with delicious linseed and lucerne plus all the vitamins and minerals your pal needs for a happy, healthy life, the nuggets prevent selective feeding and are sure to tempt those taste buds.
And of course, alongside nuggets and hay, a daily handful of leafy greens adds variety and helps top up that all important fibre.
3. Supporting Your Rabbit’s Health When They’re Unwell
A nutritious diet with unlimited hay, high-quality nuggets, and leafy greens will keep your rabbit fit and healthy, but what happens when they’re unwell?
If your rabbit is not eating, or eating less than normal, the first priority is to book your bun a vet check. Alongside veterinary care, there’s lots that you can do to get your pal back on track. Even a few hours without food can cause a sick rabbit to deteriorate quickly, so the top priority is providing nutritional support.
What to do when your rabbit’s not well
When pets are unwell, offering a highly palatable extruded nugget rabbit diet, like Science Selective, may be enough to tempt those tastebuds. You can try softening the nuggets with a little water if necessary. This can be especially useful in rabbits suffering from dental problems and the softened nuggets can be offered from a dish or mashed to a paste for syringe feeding.
However, syringe feeding a softened nugget diet is tricky and a rabbit diet specially formulated for the purpose is best. Science Selective Recovery Plus is rehydratable as a nutritionally complete liquid feed. Rich in natural forage and herbs, it’s super tasty and high in fibre too.
Top tips for syringe feeding
- Feed a highly palatable rabbit diet
- The food must be able to pass through the syringe easily, with minimal force
- Feed small amounts at a time
- Give your rabbit time to chew between mouthfuls
- Patience is key; allow 20 to 30 minutes
- Use foods with plenty of long stem fibre, such as Science Selective Recovery Plus, to support gut motility
While syringe feeding helps to support your rabbit’s recovery, it is important to encourage your pal to eat voluntarily as soon as possible. You can start by offering Recovery Plus in a bowl, alongside hay, grass or a tasty dandelion leaf, or even moulding the liquid rabbit diet into your own home made ‘nuggets’ to help tempt reluctant eaters.
For more information on picking the best rabbit diet, read our blog Which rabbit nuggets are best, next.
