Rabbits need:
- Fresh clean drinking water continuously, checked twice daily. Ensure water doesn’t freeze in winter. Without water rabbits become seriously ill.
- Good quality hay and/or grass should constitute the majority of rabbits’ diets.- Rabbits graze, naturally eating grass/other plants for long periods, mainly at dawn and dusk.- Rabbits’ digestive systems need grass and/or hay to function properly.- Read meal planner and feeding tips.
- Hay and/or grass as they’re much more important than commercial Rabbit pellets (‘nuggets’).- If giving pellets, follow manufacturer’s instructions.- Don’t top the bowl up as Rabbits might stop eating enough hay and/or grass.- Growing/pregnant/nursing/underweight Rabbits may need larger portions.
- Healthy diets. Avoid muesli-style foods as they are associated with health problems. See muesli is unhealthy for rabbits for advice on transferring rabbits to healthier diets. Contact your vet for dietary advice.- Rabbits’ teeth grow continuously, needing wearing down and keeping at the correct length/shape by eating grass/hay/leafy green plants.- Not eating the right diet results in serious dental disease.
- Root vegetables (e.g. carrots) or fruit only in small amounts as treats. Don’t feed other treats as they may harm your rabbit.- Rabbits don’t naturally eat cereals/root vegetables/fruit.
- Safe, washed leafy green vegetables/herbs/weeds daily. Take care – some plants are poisonous.- Avoid sudden changes in diets and do not feed lawnmower clippings as both these can upset your rabbits digestive systems causing illness.
- Feeding quantities adjusted to prevent them from becoming underweight/overweight.- Quantities rabbits need to eat depend on age/lifestyle/general health.- Rabbits become overweight and may suffer if eating more food than needed.
- The amount they eat and drink monitoring. If these habits change, droppings gets less/stop, or soft droppings stick to their back end, talk to your vet immediately as they could be seriously ill.- Rabbits produce two dropping types – hard dry pellets, and softer moist pellets they eat directly from their bottom and are dietary essentials. View the rabbit poo infographic to see why.
