Key Takeaways
- •Hay should make up 80-90% of a rabbit's diet — it's not just bedding, it's life
- •The amount of hay a rabbit should eat daily equals roughly their body size in volume
- •Pellets should be limited — about 1/4 cup per 5 lbs body weight per day
- •Fresh leafy greens daily (not iceberg lettuce — think romaine, cilantro, parsley, kale)
- •Fruits and sugary vegetables are treats, not dietary staples — small amounts only
- •Fresh water should always be available — rabbits need more than most people realize
The Hay Non-Negotiable
If there's one thing to understand about rabbit nutrition, it's this: hay is not optional.
A rabbit who doesn't eat enough hay will develop GI stasis — the life-threatening shutdown of gut motility. They will develop serious dental problems as their continuously-growing cheek teeth, deprived of the grinding action that hay chewing provides, overgrow and misalign. They may develop obesity if pellets fill the caloric role that should be filled by fiber.
How much hay? Unlimited. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Replenished daily. The rule of thumb: a rabbit should eat roughly their own body volume in hay every day.
What type of hay? For adult rabbits: Timothy hay is the standard recommendation — appropriate calcium and phosphorus ratios, good fiber content. Orchard grass hay and meadow grass hay are excellent alternatives.
For juvenile rabbits (under 6 months): Alfalfa hay has higher calcium and protein content appropriate for growth. Transition to grass hay between 6-7 months.
Hay quality matters: Fresh, green hay smells pleasant and is more enticing than dusty, brown, or stale hay. A rabbit who isn't eating hay is often eating hay that isn't appealing to them. Try a different cut, a different grass variety, or fresher hay.
Pellets: Supplement, Not Staple
Pellets were developed for commercial rabbit operations where hay wasn't always practical to provide in large quantities. For pet rabbits with unlimited hay access, pellets should be a small supplement — not the dietary foundation.
Recommended amount:
- Adult rabbits: 1/4 cup per 5 lbs (2.3 kg) of body weight per day
- A 4 lb rabbit: about 1/5 cup daily
- A 10 lb rabbit: about 1/2 cup daily
What to look for in pellets:
- High fiber (minimum 18% crude fiber on the label)
- Timothy hay based (not alfalfa based, for adult rabbits)
- No added seeds, dried fruit, or colored pieces — these are for owner appeal, not rabbit health
Pellets should not: Make up more than 10-15% of the overall diet. A rabbit whose primary food is pellets and who eats little hay is a rabbit at serious health risk.
Fresh Greens: The Daily Component
Fresh leafy greens should be offered daily. They provide moisture (rabbits often don't drink as much water as they need), micronutrients, and variety.
Safe and recommended greens:
- Romaine lettuce
- Green leaf lettuce / Red leaf lettuce
- Cilantro / coriander
- Parsley (in moderation — higher in calcium)
- Dill
- Mint
- Basil
- Bok choy
- Arugula / rocket
- Kale (in rotation, not exclusively — high oxalates)
- Collard greens
- Dandelion greens (if pesticide-free)
How much: About one packed cup of mixed greens per 2 lbs of body weight daily.
Introduce slowly: When adding new greens to a rabbit's diet, introduce one type at a time over several days. New foods can cause soft cecotropes or mild digestive upset; slow introduction helps identify any problematic foods for the individual rabbit.
Avoid:
- Iceberg lettuce (essentially water with no nutritional value)
- Spinach and beet greens (very high oxalates — okay occasionally, not as a staple)
- Rhubarb (toxic)
- Avocado (toxic)
- Onion and garlic (toxic)
- Beans and other legumes (digestive issues)
Treats and Fruits: Small Amounts Only
Fruits and sweet vegetables — carrots, apple, berries, banana — are loved by rabbits and are fine as occasional treats. The sugar content makes them inappropriate as dietary staples.
Safe treats:
- Apple (remove seeds)
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Small carrot pieces (carrots are high in sugar — more treat than vegetable)
- Banana (small pieces — very high sugar)
- Papaya (contains enzymes that may benefit digestion — some research supports this)
Quantity: A piece roughly the size of your thumbnail once or twice a week is a treat. More than this starts to become nutritionally relevant in the wrong direction.
Rabbit treat products sold at pet stores are often high in sugar and should be used sparingly or avoided — they appeal to what owners think rabbits want, not what rabbit nutritionists recommend.
Water
Rabbits need constant access to fresh water. The debate between water bottles and bowls is real:
Water bottles: Hygienic, no contamination risk, easy to monitor consumption. However, the ball-bearing mechanism can stick (check daily), and some rabbits don't drink enough from bottles.
Water bowls: More natural drinking position (rabbits naturally drink from ground level), many rabbits drink more from bowls. Downside: gets tipped, contaminated with hay and droppings.
Best approach: try a bowl first and see if your rabbit drinks well from it. If it's constantly tipped or heavily contaminated, a heavy ceramic or secured bowl works better. A sipper bottle as backup is a good safety measure.
Monitor water intake: A rabbit who suddenly stops drinking, or who is drinking dramatically more than usual, needs a vet visit.