| Diet & General Info |
| Feeding your rabbit should not be a difficult task. Compared to other exotic pets, rabbits are fairly simple to feed. Three main things should make up your rabbit's diet: Pellets should make up the majority of the diet. The "rule of thumb" to follow when deciding how much to feed is 1oz pellets per pound of rabbit. For instance, a 6 pound rabbit should be fed 6oz of pellets. A 2 pound rabbit should be fed 2oz. Quality pellets are high in fiber and low in protein. There is very little dust (or fines) in the bag. Healthy pellets are greenish in color. If the pellets you are feeding your rabbit are large and brown, please, by all means, switch to a better brand. Small pellets make for less of a mess, so many of the quality brands are smaller pellets.You can find high quality pellets at your local farm supply or feed store. Purina, Blue Seal, Manna Pro, Oxbow, and American Pet Diner are a few brands to look for. Most pellets are alfalfa-based. There are a few brands (American Pet Diner and Oxbow) that are primarily timothy-based. You may be thinking, "what's the difference?" Well, alfalfa hay (which is a legume hay; not a grasshay) is very high in protein and calcium while timothy hay is highest in fiber. Because rabbits are herbivores they thrive from the excess fiber. Does that mean timothy-based pellets are a better choice? No, not exactly. This brings me to my next point; the importance of hay in a rabbit's diet. As was stated above, there is a great difference between alfalfa and timothy hays. Knowing the difference is important in providing your rabbit with the best possible diet. Timothy hay is more beneficial to your rabbit than alfalfa hay due to its high fiber content. Again, because rabbits are herbivores they benefit from more fiber than protein. Since alfalfa hay is high in protein and protein is the nutrient least needed in a rabbit's diet, health problems can give rise. Kidney and bladder problems (sludge) are a couple of the problems associated with too much protein. Because most pellets are alfalfa-based the excess alfalfa is unnecessary. Other grasshays such as Timothy, Oat, Brome, and Orchard hay are much preferred over alfalfa hay for the reasons explained above. The final most important aspect of your rabbit's diet is unlimited water. A rabbit that has no water will not drink. Fresh clean water should be available at all times in either a 32oz water bottle or a nontippable ceramic crock. If you choose to keep the water in the crock versus the waterbottle, please note that you will need to change the water much more frequently in order to avoid disease from unsanitary conditions. If you choose to keep the water in a waterbottle you will need to scrub out the bottle frequently to avoid buildup of algae from the lack of fresh air. Treats Anything else fed to your rabbit should be considered a treat and therefore should be fed sparingly. Comparing rabbits to children briefly, if you offer a child a plate of green beans and a plate of cookies, which do you think the child will accept? The cookies of course. The same can be said for rabbits; if more veggies are offered than are pellets, the rabbit will eventually begin to turn its nose up at the pellets and "demand" for more veggies. Obviously this is very unhealthy and potentially dangerous to the rabbit's well-being. Some sources suggest that 1-3 cups of fresh veggies each day is a necessity. The truth is, they are wrong. The argument is that rabbits are herbivores and need fresh greens to survive. Domestic rabbits are herbivores, however over a period of thousands of years they have become accustomed to thriving on a diet of dry food (pellets, hay). Without the proper knowledge of how to introduce new foods and which veggies are ok and which are dangerous, many rabbit owners soon find themselves rabbitless. When introducing any new food one needs to remember to do it gradually. Assuming that your rabbit has never had any fresh greens, any veggies given to him can cause him to become bloated, they can cause the GI tract (gastrointestinal tract) to fail, and it can cause diahrrhea. In young rabbits (6mo and younger) diahrrhea can be a life-threatening problem. Their systems are just getting acclimated to eating pellets and hay and drinking water . . . . adding veggies, which are usually high in water content can be detrimental. Rabbits under 6 months of age should NOT be fed any fresh foods!!! Veggies If you choose to feed any veggies at all you must be aware of what is safe and what is potentially deadly. Good veggies: Parsely Cilantro Bok Choy Kale Romaine Lettuce Basil Beet tops Broccoli Carrots Clover Collard Greens Dandelion greens Endive Escarole Green peppers Mint Mustard Greens Radish tops Raspberry leaves Spinache Water cress For foods to avoid, please click here. |
| High fiber, low protein pellets Grasshay Water |