Your rabbit needs constant access to fresh, clean water and a variety of foods as they like to graze throughout the day, unlike dogs for example, who tend to eat their meals at particular times of the day.
Your rabbit’s basic food requirements are a diet of hay and pellets or a mix feed.
Hay can be placed anywhere in your bunny’s enclosure, or in a ‘hay roller’ that minimises mess and wastage. Pellets and mix feeds are best placed in a durable bowl, as your rabbit may chew on a plastic one.
Tip
A ratio of 80% hay and 20% pellets or mix is a good guide to follow.
Rabbit Food Guide: What’s Safe & Potentially Dangerous?
You may also like to provide your bunny with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Below is a guide of what rabbits can safely eat and foods to be avoided.
| Safe food for rabbits to eat | Safe to eat occasionally: one or two teaspoons at a time |
Do not feed |
|---|---|---|
Cos lettuce Spinach Rocket Cucumber Brussel sprouts Capsicum Broccoli Parsley Dandelion Greens |
Apples Bananas Carrots Strawberries Raspberries Oranges |
Cauliflower Raw Beans Rhubarb Cabbage Iceberg Lettuce |
Your rabbit may also enjoy some fresh grass, however avoid this if your bunny is under six months old as it can cause a stomach upset.
Provide your buddy with fresh, clean water in a dispenser with a nozzle. Your rabbit will learn to nibble at this anytime he is thirsty. Easily fixed to the inside wall of your buddy’s enclosure, these nozzles are a non-drip design to ensure your rabbit’s bedding doesn’t become unnecessarily wet, which may cause moist dermatitis and coccidiosis. It also eliminates the risk of your rabbit knocking over their water dish, leaving them thirsty for the day!
Your Rabbit Loves to Chew!
Rabbit teeth grow continuously, so your bunny will want to chew constantly and keep them at a suitable length. They might chew on their hutch or bedding or even shoes and carpet if they live indoors! A great way to minimise damage to your rabbit’s hutch and keep his teeth healthy is to provide a variety of toys to play with and gnaw on. You could also provide food and treat options that are of a bigger size, which force your rabbit to chew more than they would on a mix feed for example.