Care info

Care and feeding:

Rabbits are herbivores and much has been learned in recent years about what they need for a long, healthy life. In their natural environment they eat large quantities of leaves and grasses, and occasionally browse on flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

The important foods in the basic rabbit diet are grass hay, green foods, and cecotropes. Rabbits have an wonderful digestive system with a very unique ability. Their digestive tract develops a special dropping called 'cecotropes'. The cecotropes contain organisms rich in additional nutrients which the rabbit eats directly from the anus. In this way rabbits get the most nutrition out of the foods they eat. Cecotorpes are an essential part of the diet and you will generally not notice these special dropping in the cage.

Grass hay is made from timothy, meadow, oat, rye, barley or Bermuda grasses. A variety of grass hays should be available at all times and are good for all ages of rabbits starting at weaning. Grass hay is rich in nutrients, provides the "food" for the micro-organisms that make up the cecotropes, and has indigestible fiber to keep the intestinal tract working. It promotes healthy chewing activity which gives them proper wear on their teeth, satisfies their appetite, and may help keep them from chewing on inappropriate things such as furniture.

There is another type of hay called legume hay which is made up of alfalfa, clover, peas, beans or peanuts. Legume hay however has more nutrients than a house rabbit needs, so should be used as a supplement or when grass hay is not available.

Green foods are just as important in their diet as hay, containing a wider variety of micro nutrients as well as water. Greens can be fed to any age of rabbit starting with weaning. Feed one packed cup of greens for each 2 pounds of weight per day, more is fine. If you rabbit has not had green foods, they may get soft stools while their digestive tract is adjusting but this is not a health problem, just a bit messy until they are use to it. Start them with hay, and add the greens gradually. Some green foods include broccoli, brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale, cabbage, celery; romaine lettuce, water cress, and dark leafy greens like swiss chard, mustard greens, dandelion greens, parsley, and the tops of carrots or beets.

You can offer some supplements such as flowers, fruits, and vegetables too. These are also great as part of a reward or training system. These foods should be feed sparingly, at about 2 tablespoons for each 2 pounds of weight per day. Some fruits and vegetables you can offer include apples, pears, peaches, bell peppers, carrots, squash, bean sprouts; some berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries; and some flowers include roses, pansies, and snap dragons.

Commercial treats and other foods that are high in fat and/or starch should be avoided; though a rabbit can handle a very tiny amount they can cause health problems. Some of these include beans, peas, corn, breads, cereals, chocolate, refined sugar, nuts, seeds, wheat, oats, and other grains. It is better to use the supplements described above as treats for your pet.

The rabbit pelleted diet, which use to be recommended as the staple rabbit food, was actually designed for commercial use. Rabbit pellets are loaded with concentrated nutrition to promote rapid growth and they work great for industry purposes. But for a pet rabbit that will have a long life, they have been found to be too high in protein, have too many calories, and don't have enough indigestible fiber. Many brands today have changed their composition to be suitable for pet rabbits by increasing the indigestible fiber and reducing the proteins and calories, but some have also added seeds, nuts, and sugars which are nice to look at but not a good dietary staple. It is recommended that you use pellets only if hay is unavailable.

Make sure that a constant water supply is available, as water is very important. Gravity-flow water bottles, which can be found in pet stores, are a good idea. For a healthy rabbit It is not necessary to provide vitamins, nor do they need do a salt or mineral block.

Provide the green food in a heavy dish (ceramic works well) that can't be easily tipped over. You can put the hay directly in the cage or use a hay rack for less mess. Feed approximately once a day. Remove any fresh food at the end of each day so that it doesn't go bad. Clean food dishes with hot water at least once a week.