Rabbits can be wonderful pets, but they do take some work, to be happy & thrive. They need a variety of foods & are not an animal you can feed & go away for the weekend. They need to be fed daily pellets, hay & fresh foods
As baby rabbits they can be fed alfalfa based pellets such as this Oxbow which is the brand I recommend https://amzn.to/3FVHIxE . A rabbit should be fed 1/4 cup of pellets for every 4 lbs of body weight 2 times a day. The same amount of food for an adult rabbit, but over 10 months of age they need to eat Timothy based pellets, such as these made by Oxbow. https://amzn.to/3FXY3So Alfalfa has too much calcium & can cause stones in an adult rabbit. They need to have Timothy hay available at all times (24/7) https://amzn.to/4ciq1nU https://amzn.to/3FXYJHq
Rabbits should be fed 1 cup of fresh greens/vegetables per day for very 4 lbs of body weight, no more than 1 Tablespoon of fruit if any, once a day. Fruit contains natural sugar, & they should not have much.
There are a variety of fresh foods you can feed a rabbit. I always say try foods they can have a few times a year to see if they may eat it. I am sure you are not always in the mood for lets say a plum, but it might sound good sometimes. Feeding a variety of greens & veggies is good for your rabbit & pay attention to favorites & they can also be used as treats when training. A rabbit can be taught some basic things as to come when called, stand up on their back legs & to go down to the ground on their belly. You might think of some other things, like hop up a low ramp or to jump up on a chair or off a chair (not too high of a chair, so it doesn’t hurt its back). Some of the vegetables & greens you can feed are:
Alfalfa (small amount for an adult rabbit) Beet Greens Carrots (mini amount) Basil Clover sprouts Celery Brussels sprouts Swiss Chard Collard Greens Bok Choy Cilantro Dandelion greens Bell Peppers Endive Escarole Fennel Flat Pea pods Kale Mint Mustard Greens Parsley Peppermint Leaves Peas Radicchio Red Leaf Lettuce Green Leaf Lettuce Romaine Lettuce Radish Leaves Spinach (mini amount) Watercress Zucchini
Some Herbs & other plants they can eat are:
Sage Dandelion leaves Plantains Yellow Clover Chicory Dill Make sure if from a yard that NO PESTICIDES were used in that yard, or on the garden if from your garden.
Fruits you can feed (No more than a TBLS a day):
Apples Blueberries Blackberries Banana Grapes (mini amount) Kiwi Mango Melon Papaya Peach Pear Plum Pineapple Raspberries Strawberries
Please remember just like you & I, there will be food they may not like today, but in 4 months when it’s more in season they may like the taste. Rabbits are not as picky of eaters as many other pets can be. Fresh foods are a VERY important part of their diet & variety is important so they get natural vitamins & minerals from these foods. Vitamins are added to pellets, but getting it the natural way is the best for any body, absorbed easier & used by the body better.
When I fostered Rabbits & Guinea Pigs I would sometimes have as many as 7-8 of them in my home, also other foster parents with our rescue would have some. I had a local market (small grocery store) that had a nice produce section. The workers would daily pick off the leaves that were hanging off or starting to wither ect & toss them out. I went in and asked if I could have the pieces they were discarding, 80% was very edible for the pets. They said yes & they would fill up a box for me & I’d take it home every Friday & the other foster parents came & picked it up & the animals ate a great variety. I have a compost pile, so I compost whatever wasn’t good for the pets. I have suggested this to some who have adopted from me & they did the same thing, just asked for a small box as they didn’t need as much as I did weekly. I also suggest you grow some lettuce in pots in your home & you can feed them fresh lettuce. Under a grow light lettuce does well inside in pots.
I hope you are finding this series on rabbit care helpful & educational. Plus the photos of some of my previous fosters. If you have not seen my other posts on rabbits they are Post #’s: 18, 21,24, & 27. I don’t want my posts to get too long, so I will do one more post next week on what you should have ready for your bunny before bringing him or her home. If you have a bunny already you may still find it a great check list to be sure you have all you need. If you have questions or ideas for future posts feel free to reach out to me at echoinggreatpetcare@gmail.com
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Echoing Great Pet Care 