One of our favorite things here at Hobby Farm Heaven is to offer our rabbits healthy vegetables, greens and fruits as a boost to their high fiber hay diet. However, we know it can be tricky to know which veggies are rabbit-safe!
If you’ve been wondering Can Rabbits Eat Cauliflower? You’ve come to the right place, because in this post we are gonna touch on all you need to know about offering cauliflower to rabbits.
Technically, yes, mature rabbits can eat cauliflower as it is a non-toxic plant. However, the natural characteristics and components of cauliflower make it a questionable option for your bunnies, and we suggest limiting the amount of cauliflower offered to your rabbits, as well as how often you give them cauliflower.
Nutritional Information: Cauliflower For Rabbits
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) is the characteristically white vegetable that is actually the heads of aborted flower buds.
As a brassica, it is closely related to a number of different garden plants, such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, and kale.
And like many of its cousins, cauliflower offers some great nutrients per 100g serving, including essential salts and minerals such as:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Phosphorous
- Sodium
As well as about 2g of fiber per serving. Cauliflower even has small amounts of important micronutrients for rabbits, such as zinc, copper, manganese, and some helpful amino acids!
Brassicas are also known for the quantity of antioxidants they naturally contain, and cauliflower is no exception. It is well-known for its antioxidant compounds, such as glucosinolates, phenolic compounds, and carotenoids, all of which can benefit the long term health and happiness of your rabbits in small amounts.
Is Cauliflower Healthy For Rabbits
All of that nutritional information sounds great, doesn’t it?
Well, not so fast. Although cauliflower has all of that to offer your bunnies, it is a potentially dangerous treat for rabbits because rabbits cannot pass gas and all members of the Crucifer plant family are well known for causing serious gas in the digestive system!
PETA even has cauliflower on their list of dangerous food for rabbits alongside avocados, which are immediately and extremely toxic to bunnies.
While we don’t see these two foods quite so equally threatening to our rabbits (an adult rabbit should be able to safely digest and pass a piece or two of cauliflower, but even a small piece of avocado is likely to lead to death!) we do not make it a habit of offering our bunnies cauliflower. We just don’t wanna take the chance!
How Much Cauliflower Can A Rabbit Eat
The tried and true guideline for offering any treats or snacks to your rabbits is to ensure that your rabbit receives no more than 1 teaspoon per 2 lbs of their weight per day.
This ensures your rabbits are always eating a highly fibrous diet of hay (and measured amounts of pellets if you so choose) and NOT filling up on veggie, fruit, or herb treats.
Now if you are offering your rabbit treats such as cilantro or wheatgrass this is a great guideline to follow. But with questionable ones, such as cauliflower, we would say that your rabbit shouldn’t have more than 2-3 individual florets of cauliflower in a week.
Can Rabbits Eat Cauliflower Leaves
Yes, rabbits can eat the green leaves of the cauliflower plant in moderation. However, they are usually quite strong and even spicy to the taste, so don’t be surprised if your rabbit refuses to eat them!
What Veggies Can Bunnies Not Eat
There are some veggies and foods that will seriously harm your rabbit due to toxins contained or your rabbit’s inability to digest their components.
Some such veggies are:
- Certain types of beans
- Garlic
- Green parts of the potato plant
- Rhubarb
- Onion
- Green parts of the tomato plant
What Can Rabbits Eat
It is most important that your rabbits are ingesting high quality hay as 75-80% of their diet.
Hay is a densely fibrous plant food that keeps your rabbit’s digestive system running smoothly and allows them to grow and develop properly.
Rabbits can eat a wide range of treats and snack foods though. We have always focused on natural, unprocessed, and raw veggie, fruit and herb treats for our rabbits.
You can learn more about all of these great food options for rabbits by browsing our post archive!
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Rabbits Have Cauliflower
Can Rabbits Eat Broccoli?
Yes, rabbits can technically eat broccoli, but just like cauliflower it can cause serious indigestion and gas and end up in an emergency vet call!
Learn more about broccoli for rabbits in our post on the topic.
Can Rabbits Eat Celery?
Yes! Celery is a great treat option for mature rabbits. We love to give this crunchy veggie to our bunnies and they enjoy it every time.
Check out this quick video that goes over 8 toxic foods for rabbits.
Final Thoughts On Can Rabbits Eat Cauliflower
Offering your rabbit some cauliflower isn’t a big mistake, it’s just a bit risky.
Bottom line: we opt not to get mixed up with potentially harmful veggies with our bunnies, we don’t think the nutrients that offer are worth the potential harm to our rabbits’ digestive systems!