If you have a pet bunny or are planning to adopt a dwarf rabbit, one of the first questions you’ll ask is: what does a rabbit really eat? A balanced rabbit diet is essential for its health and happiness, since these animals have a very sensitive digestive system and teeth that never stop growing.
Here’s the complete guide to feeding rabbits properly, including recommended foods, safe fruits and vegetables, and what bunnies should never eat.
Hay for Rabbits: The Basis of the Diet
Hay is the main food and should make up 80-90% of a rabbit's diet . It must always be fresh, fragrant, and available in unlimited amounts.
Why is hay essential?
- Dental health: Rabbits' teeth grow 2-3 mm per week. Only chewing hay allows them to wear down properly, preventing dental issues such as malocclusion.
- Digestive health: The long fibers in hay keep the digestive system active and prevent gastrointestinal stasis, a very dangerous condition for pet rabbits.
Which hay to choose?
- Timothy Hay: perfect for adult rabbits, rich in fibre and low in calcium.
- Polyphyte hay: offers a variety of herbs, very welcome.
- Alfalfa: only for puppies, growing or recovering rabbits; too high in protein for sedentary adults.
Tip: Use a hayrack to keep hay clean, dry and appealing. Domestic rabbits easily reject dusty or stale hay.
Vegetables for Bunnies: Which Are Good and Which Are Not
Fresh vegetables should make up approximately 10-15% of the diet of domestic and dwarf rabbits (150-200 g for every kg of body weight per day).
Vegetables a rabbit can eat every day
- Fennel (bulb and leaves)
- Celery, chopped into small pieces without hard strings
- Radicchio, chicory, escarole, swede
- Romaine, green-leaf and red-leaf lettuce (no iceberg)
- Arugula, endive, aromatic herbs such as basil and parsley
- Carrot leaves (excellent). The root should only be given as a treat.
Vegetables to be offered in moderation (2-3 times a week)
- Spinach and Swiss chard (high in oxalates)
- Kale, Savoy cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower (can cause bloating)
- Ripe tomato: only the red pulp, never the leaves or green parts
Vegetables forbidden to bunnies
Potatoes, onion, garlic, leeks, legumes, mushrooms, aubergines, rhubarb.
Important rule: Always introduce only one new vegetable at a time and monitor your stool for 24-48 hours.
Fruit for Domestic Rabbits: Only as a Reward
Fruit is sugary and should be given in moderation, maximum 1-2 tablespoons a day for a dwarf or medium-sized rabbit.
Fruits that bunnies can eat in small quantities
- Strawberries
- Apple and pear (seedless)
- Melon and watermelon
- Banana (tiny pieces)
- Blueberries, raspberries, papaya, pineapple
Fruit to be given rarely
Grapes and pitted cherries (only once or twice a week). Raisins only as a special treat.
Fruits forbidden to rabbits
Avocado (toxic), dried and oily fruit (walnuts, almonds, coconut), fruit in syrup or sugar .
What Rabbits Should NOT Eat: Common Myths
There are many myths surrounding the feeding of domestic and dwarf rabbits. Here are the most common foods that seem harmless but are harmful:
- Dry bread: Doesn't wear down teeth, causes intestinal problems.
- Rodent snacks: Full of sugars and grains, not suitable for bunnies.
- Mixtures of colored seeds and cereals: they unbalance the diet and promote obesity.
- Milk and dairy products: rabbits adults are lactose intolerant.
Proper Rabbit Nutrition: The Winning Formula
To ensure the health and happiness of your dwarf or domestic rabbit, follow these simple rules:
- Hay always available (80-90%) : essential for teeth and digestion.
- Fresh and varied vegetables (10-15%) : at least 3-4 different types every day.
- Fruit as a reward (1-2%) : only occasionally.
- No industrial snacks, bread and human food .
A properly fed bunny will live longer, be more active, and show you its happiness with unexpected runs and leaps. Its nutrition isn't just a matter of health, but a true daily act of love.