What do rabbits eat?
A key part of caring for your pet rabbits is understanding their dietary needs—what they enjoy eating and, more importantly, what keeps them healthy. Let’s explore the essentials of rabbit nutrition.
Here’s our rabbit food list:
- Hay
- Fresh water
- Concentrate (nuggets or mix)
- Fresh, leafy green vegetables
- Snacks or treats
- Your rabbit will benefit from eating all of these foods.
Hay – should form most of a rabbit’s diet. Most rabbits will eat a bundle of hay about the same size as their body each day. There’s no real need to restrict hay if your rabbit would like to eat more. As rabbits are also quite fussy about the hay they eat, it needs to be high quality. Fresh, green leafy hay is more attractive and it should be dust free.
Fresh water – must always be available. It can be provided in a bottle or a bowl. Make sure to check the sipper of the water bottle at least daily as they can become clogged. Water bowls should be heavy so they are not knocked over.
Concentrate – rabbit food concentrates provide the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that may be absent or present in variable amounts in other foods. It is important they also provide fibre as rabbits need this to wear down their constantly growing teeth and to keep their gut healthy. Nuggets or kibbles provide all the nutrients needed in each mouthful. A mix provides the nutrients that are needed overall in each of the components. It is important when feeding a mix to ensure the bowl is cleared before it is topped up, so that each meal provides all the nutrients.
A high-quality concentrate will contain natural ingredients that rabbits like to eat, without the addition of sugary syrups which can result in digestive upset or dental disease.
Leafy, green veg – A small handful of leafy green vegetables is a welcome daily addition to your rabbit’s diet. Not only are they nutritious, but they also add variety. Make sure to choose vegetables that are safe for rabbits; you can find a list of suitable greens in our guide to small pet nutrition.
Rabbit treats – hand feeding a treat or snack is an important part of bonding with your rabbit. Rabbit food treats like our Selective Naturals are healthy and contain no added sugars. Choose the varieties suitable for herbivores for your rabbit.
