Are you confused about what you should be feeding your rabbit? If so, you’re not alone. By far the most common question we get asked is ‘What do rabbits eat?’
As an owner of a bun, you’re right to be asking this as diet plays a huge role in the health or otherwise of your bunny. So let’s break down what you should be feeding…
Hay – approximately 70%
Plain old hay should form the basis of your bunny’s diet. It may seem boring to us but is absolutely vital for three key reasons:
1. It aids digestion, keeping your bun’s insides nice and clean. This is especially crucial in the case of a long-haired variety such as an Angora as a bun will naturally consume hair as they groom themselves. The hay keeps the hair moving through their bowels and body.
2. The constant chewing ensure your rabbit’s teeth are kept nice and short. Rabbit teeth grow constantly and chewing hay is a natural way to grind them down.
3. It relieves boredom. Rabbits are designed to be grazers – to happily munch all day. Hay is low in calories so it won’t make your bun fat, rather will provide them something to pass the time. Wouldn’t it be nice if we humans could snack all day without piling on the pounds!
Feed fresh hay freely every day Can rabbits eat apples. On a practical note it’s a good idea if you can find a way to tie the hay up off the floor of the cage/floor so that it stays fresh. No one likes to eat food they’ve been walking on!
Green Vegetables – approximately 25%
Sounds like bunny moms are just as fussy as human ones because ‘Eat your greens’ applies equally to our furry friends. The key here is loads of variety such as carrot tops, parsley, peppers, spinach, dandelion leaves and flowers, watercress, celery etc.
Feed about 1 cup of greens per 3 pounds of bunny weight. Greens provide fibre and nutrients for your bun.
