Can Rabbits Eat Celery

Can Rabbits Eat Celery?

One of my little grandsons was eating some celery when he and I walked out to the rabbit shed to check on our rabbits.  He asked me – can bunnies eat celery? 

I told him yes, mature rabbits can eat celery! However, there are certain facts to be aware of before offering celery to rabbits, as this food should never be a main part of their diets.

Here is a quick review of all you should know about rabbits and celery! This information will be helpful to you and keep your rabbits healthy and happy.

In particular, the information about Flavonoids and inflammation
was most interesting to me!

Both adult and weaned rabbits can eat celery.  Rabbits, both wild and domestic, eat many kinds of grasses, roots, herbs and leafy greens, including wild celery and grocery store celery. 

Rabbits should have a balanced diet so that they get all the nutrients they need to stay healthy.  Celery provides some key nutrients and in moderation, is part of a balanced diet for rabbits. However, baby rabbits, known as kittens or kits, are nursing on mother’s milk and should not eat celery.

Can Rabbits Eat Celery?

What Kinds of Rabbits Can Eat Celery?

All breeds of weaned, or adult, Rabbits can eat celery. 

This includes wild rabbits and domestic rabbits of all breeds such as:
* Rex
* Mini Rex
* Angora
* Lop
* Mini Lop
* Dutch
* Polish
* Lionhead
* Lop Eared
* Holland Lop
* French Lop
* Californian
* and just regular bunnies. 

What breeds of rabbits do you raise?  Do you see your breeds in this list?

Can Rabbits Eat All Parts of the Celery Plant?

Yes, mature rabbits can eat celery tops, celery leaves, celery stalks, celery hearts, and celery roots.  Rabbits may safely eat all parts of the celery plant. 

Why is Celery Good for Rabbits?

Celery provides helpful, good nutrition for the rabbit. 

Celery has important vitamins, minerals and nutrients such as:
* Vitamin A
* Vitamin C
* Vitamin K
* Folate (or folic acid)
* Potassium
* Fiber
* Flavonoids

Additionally, the flavonoids in celery are anti-inflammatory. 
Flavonoids reduce inflamation, which helps keep the rabbit’s immune system healthy.

Alfalfa and alfalfa pellets for rabbits also provide beneficial flavonoids.

Further, celery is high in water content. Getting enough water is very important for the rabbit’s health.  Plenty of water helps keep the rabbit’s immune system healthy, flushing out cell level wastes as well as toxins and other bodily wastes.

How Much Celery Can a Rabbit Eat?

Celery should be fed to rabbits in moderation. Too much celery is not good for them. So how much is enough? Well, a fully grown rabbits can safely eat half a stick of celery each day. 

It is important to offer celery to your rabbits in moderation because too much celery can make even a fully grown rabbit sick. While the fibers in the celery are generally good for the rabbit’s digestion, too many celery fibers can cause serious digestive problems for the rabbit by becoming tangled and creating blockages in the rabbit’s intestines.  

Rabbits are small animals and too much of one type of food will upset their sensitive digestive system.

When starting to feed celery to your adult rabbits, give them just a little over the first few days.  As their digestive system adjusts to the celery you can work your way up to about half a stick of cut or chopped celery each day.

BabyRabbit_Kit


Can Baby Rabbits Eat Celery?

No, Baby rabbits, known as Kittens or Kits, should NOT eat celery. 

Kits should only eat their mother’s milk.  A baby rabbit’s digestive system is still developing and is not ready to process celery, hay, herbs and other vegetables. 

Baby rabbits should not eat celery until they are weaning off their mother’s milk.  Kits will become very sick and perhaps die if they eat celery before weaning.

How to Feed a Rabbit Celery?

If feeding celery to your rabbit, then cut or chop the celery into half inch long pieces.  Doing this ensures that the fibers are not too long.  These smaller pieces of celery will be easier for the rabbit to digest. 

Cutting or chopping the celery into short pieces also helps ensure that the fibers do not cause a painful or even fatal blockage in the rabbit’s digestive system.  For easy enjoyment, place the cut celery in the rabbit feeder, in a bowl, or on their clean bedding.

Final Thoughts

This Can Rabbits Eat Celery post is part of our larger post about What Can Rabbits Eat? Please click and give it a read! It is full of great information and I guarantee you will learn something valuable.

As we’ve discussed throughout the article, weaned Rabbits can eat celery, baby rabbits or Kits may not eat celery. 

As part of a well-balanced diet, the celery provides vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other benefits to the rabbit. But remember not to feed too much celery to your rabbits. Half a stick a day, about 4 or 5 inches long, is plenty as part of a balanced diet. And always cut the celery into short pieces before feeding it to your rabbits!

That is all on Rabbits eating celery. Have a great day and be good to your rabbits!

Want to know more about vegetables for rabbits and what vegetables can rabbits have daily?  
Click on this link:  Vegetables for Rabbits     

Scroll to Top