A Complete Guide To feeding Your Rabbit
What should rabbit's diet look like?
A rabbits diet should mainly consist of hay, minimal pellet and greens. They should of course have fresh water at all times. It is best to follow the 80/10/10 rule. This rule suggests 80% hay, 10% pellets, 10% greens. Hay helps promote digestion and a rabbit's keep teeth ground down. Providing a proper diet to your rabbit will help ensure a long and healthy life.
Why should my rabbit diet be mostly hay?
Rabbits are hind gut fermenters meaning they digest food in their large intestine using microbes like cellulose to break down plant matter. Hay contains the essential fibers needed to make this process easy for a rabbits digestive system. This high fiber diet helps keep their digestive system moving which should essentially be happening all day. It is highly abnormal for a rabbit to go more than 6 hours without eating. Hay also mimics a rabbit's natural diet and encourages foraging, which is great mental stimulation.
If rabbit pellets are made of hay why should they not eat mostly pellets?
In short, pellets tend to be overly possessed resulting in a high calorie and sugar content as well as a low fiber content. Feeding a mostly pellet diet can result in many different health issues such as obesity, heart disease, liver disease, and kidney disease. Pellets definitely do provide essential vitamins and minerals, but unfortunately they are not a suitable diet alone. Oxbow is one of the best rabbit pellet options. It is high in fiber and very palatable. Oxbow was formulated by a team of exotic veterinarians. Additionally the pellets are all the same size and shape to prevent selective eating.
What are the best options for fresh greens for rabbits?
Dark leafy greens are the best options for rabbits. This includes but in not limited to collard greens, mustard greens, kale, red and green leaf lettuce. It is best to avoid romaine and iceberg as it has little to no nutritional value. Small amounts of fruits and vegetables can be offered 1-3 times weekly. Typically no more than a quarter size amount at a time.
Written by Emily Crowley, 5/18/26