If you have pet or homestead rabbits and guinea pigs, you may be wondering if these furry friends can share the safe foodstuff.
Yes, rabbits can eat a bit of guinea pig food, and vice versa, without too many harmful side effects.
But be aware: the long term mixing of bunny and guinea pig food can result in serious malnutrition for both animals!
So before you think about mixing or sharing rabbit and guinea pig foods it is important to understand what the key difference is between rabbit and guinea pig food.
Can Rabbits and Guinea Pigs Eat The Same Food
Are Rabbits And Guinea Pigs Related?
Rabbits and guinea pigs are not the same type of animal: rabbits are lagomorphs while guinea pigs are small rodents.
Lagomorphs and rodents are closely related, so rabbits and guinea pigs do share some similarities:
Both animals are naturally timid, sport large front teeth, are strict herbivores, and thrive off a high fiber diet.
That’s right, these common pets both need high amounts of rough fiber in order to fuel their growth and development.
This is why we feed our rabbits unlimited amounts of high quality hay, about 75-80% of their total diet. Another 10-15% of our rabbits’ diet consists of rabbit pellets, supplemented with 5-10% of rabbit safe veggies and yummy and nutritious herbs for rabbits.
Learn more about just how much hay to feed your rabbit here.
Can Guinea Pigs and Rabbits Eat The Same Treats
Yes, just like rabbits, guinea pigs can greatly benefit from a select number of veggie, fruit and herb dietary supplements!
It is okay to offer natural fruit treats to both of these animals, and even store bought treats (although we recommend being aware of all ingredients as many store bought treats are actually not healthy options) can be shared between the two animals.
The Key Difference Between Rabbit and Guinea Pig Nutritional Needs
Overall, these two animals’ evolutionary and biological differences result in a number of deviations, including:
- Reproduction systems
- Life habits and growth
- Nutritional needs
- Preferred habitat
And most notably is a rabbit’s ability to synthesize vitamin C within their body, which means they do not need to ingest large quantities of dietary vitamin C.
This is an ability that guinea pigs lack, and they must ingest vitamin C through their diet.

True or False: Is There A Difference Between Rabbit And Guinea Pig Food?
Yes, there is a key difference between rabbit food and guinea pig food:
Guinea pig food CONTAINS vitamin C because they CANNOT synthesize their own vitamin C.
Rabbit food does NOT CONTAIN vitamin C because rabbits CAN synthesize their own vitamin C.
This may seem like an insignificant difference, but it is actually the most important reason why we recommend that the foodstuff of these animals should not be mixed or shared long term.
Excess vitamin C in rabbits results in painful and deadly kidney stones, urine calcification, and serious health issues such as rabbit wet tail and bladder sludge.
On the other hand, vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs results in lethargy, weakness, weight loss, diarrhea, and other poor performance symptoms.
Can Bunnies Eat Guinea Pig Pellets
Rabbits can nibble at a few guinea pig pellets without detrimental side effects, but if your bunny is eating these pellets daily they could develop a hyper amount of vitamin C in their system and can develop some serious health issues mentioned above.
Remember, rabbits can synthesize their own vitamin C and do NOT need large amounts of this nutrient in their diet.
For this exact reason, rabbit pellets do NOT contain vitamin C and are therefore unfit for guinea pigs in the long term.
Can the Vitamin C in Guinea Pig Pellets Harm Rabbits
Guinea pig pellets usually contain about 1,050 mg of vitamin C (Burgess) while rabbit pellets contain trace amounts or zero vitamin C content.
The topic of whether or not rabbits can handle dietary vitamin C is a bit confusing, with many different theories and evidence circulating. But we agree with the overwhelming number of sources that state offering your rabbit vitamin C fortified foods is not a good idea.
The vitamin C contained within Guiena pig pellets may pose health threats to rabbits if eaten in large quantities.
Can Guinea Pig Food Kill Rabbits
If your rabbit is eating guinea pig food pellets everyday, or in large quantities, they can suffer tremendously and may even die due to the complications and health deterioration that too much vitamin C causes in their system.
However, rabbits and guinea pigs can share high fiber hay and small quantities of nutritious veggies, herbs and fruits without issue.
Why Can Guinea Pigs Eat Rabbit Food
If you run out of guinea pig pellets you can offer your pet rabbits’ pellets, but this is only a good idea for a very short term (1-2 days).
Any longer, and your guinea pig can begin to suffer from vitamin C shortage; it is so important to offer each animal the foodstuff that caters to their specific dietary needs!

Can Rabbits And Guinea Pigs Live Together
Housing rabbits and guinea pigs together isn’t the best idea, and we recommend against it. As the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) states:
- Rabbits and Guinea pigs exhibit different forms and methods of communication
- Rabbits are more territorial than guinea pigs and can harm the smaller animal easily
- The two animals have slightly different nutritional needs and cannot share food over the long term
- Disease can spread easily between the two animals
It is equally unwise to house cats and rabbits together, although sometimes they can strike a friendly accord!
Can Rabbits Eat Hamster and Gerbil Food
No, never offer your rabbit hamster or gerbil food.
Hamsters and gerbils are both omnivores and require certain animal proteins in order to remain healthy. As such, their food usually contains eggs or dairy proteins.
Remember that rabbits are strict herbivores and actually cannot digest any form of animal protein. As such, they must be offered a strict plant diet!
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Bunnies Eat Guinea Pig Food
Can Rabbits And Guinea Pigs Mate?
No, rabbits (lagomorph) and guinea pigs (rodents) are two different animals from separate mammal groups, as such they have incompatible reproductive biologies and cannot mate.
Can Rabbits Eat Cat Food?
No, never feed your rabbit raw, wet, or dry cat food.
Rabbits are strict herbivores and cannot digest animal proteins, which is one of the most important nutritional sources of naturally carnivorous cats. Learn more about why rabbits cannot eat cat food in our post on this topic.
Can Rabbits Eat Dog Food?
No, never offer your bunnies dog food.
Dog food cannot be eaten by rabbits because dogs are omnivores and their foods contain indigestible ingredients that will cause bloating, stomach aches and even death in rabbits.
Final Thoughts On Can Rabbits Have Guinea Pig Food
If you are a homestead or household with multiple different types of animals, it is incredibly important to understand the different digestive systems and nutritional needs of each one of your animals.
While rabbits and guinea pigs do share some similar foodstuffs, their nutritional needs are ultimately incompatible and each must be kept on their own specific diet.
Fortunately, here at Hobby Farm Heaven we cover tons of rabbit safe and unsafe foods as well as touch on the best diet and nutritional needs of other common hobby farm animals, so check out our post archive to learn more!