This past summer several bunnies dug their way into my vegetable garden and I saw that they had nibbled on a few ripe, red tomatoes but had not touched the unripe, green tomatoes or the tomato plant!
Thats right, adult rabbits can eat ripe red tomatoes in moderation, as well as yellow tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and all other kinds of raw, ripe tomatoes in moderation. However, the green parts of the tomato plant and green tomatoes can be toxic to rabbits. So, before offering tomatoes to your rabbit read below to learn about all the risks, benefits, and best guidelines when it comes to feeding rabbits tomatoes.
Quick Reference Do’s and Don’ts for Rabbits and Tomatoes.
Do’s for Rabbits and Tomatoes |
Do wash the ripe tomato to remove chemicals and pesticides |
Do check for parasites |
Do cut into small pieces about the size of half of a cherry tomato |
Do feed only one or two pieces to adult rabbit at a time |
Do observe the rabbit at various times throughout the day |
Do keep in mind that rabbits have sensitive digestive systems |
Do keep in mind that fruit should only be about 5% of a rabbit’s diet |
Do contact your veterinarian if the rabbit shows signs of stomach problems or stress |
Do limit the number of tomato seeds |
Don’ts for Rabbits and Tomatoes |
Don’t use over-ripe or rotting tomatoes |
Don’t use canned or processed tomato products |
Don’t feed cooked tomatoes |
Don’t feed the green parts of the tomato plant to your rabbit, they are toxic |
Don’t feed green tomatoes to your rabbit |
Don’t feed tomatoes to baby rabbits |
We discuss the Do’s and Don’ts in further depth below while this brief video provides excellent information about rabbits eating tomatoes.
Are Tomatoes Healthy for Rabbits?
Yes, tomatoes contain good amounts of vitamins and nutrients that rabbits need, such as vitamin A, Vitamin C, folate, and potassium. However, tomatoes do not have much fiber! And as you may know, rabbits are very dependent on fiber (this is why they eat/require so much grass and hay).
As such, tomatoes provided in small rabbit bite-sized pieces are a healthy but occasional treat for your rabbit. Additionally, tomato seeds in large amounts are not healthy for rabbits. Don’t make a habet of offering the seeds with this fruit, although eating a few tomato seeds should not be a big problem for your rabbit.
How To Feed Tomatoes To Rabbit?
To feed our bunnies tomatoe, first wash the fruit to remove pesticides, dirt and grime. Next, cut the ripe, raw, and clean tomato into chunks about half the size of a cherry tomato. Then, place these pieces into your adult rabbits feeder bowl and allow her to enjoy them!
Note that eating the clean skin of the tomato is not a problem for rabbits. However, be sure to remove the stem and leaves as these are harmful to rabbits!
In addition, NEVER feed canned or processed tomatoes or tomato sauce to bunnies. These foods contain preservative chemicals and sugars that will hurt your rabbits sensative digestive system. It is a general rule to never feed cooked tomatoes to your rabbit. This is because cooked tomatoes are even more acidic than raw tomatoes and ingesting very acidic foods will create serious digestive issues for your bunny.
We recommend introducing new foods to rabbits in moderation, meaning a small piece a little bit at a time. For example, if the rabbit has never eaten tomatoes or not eaten tomatoes in a while, offer just a small bit and observe your rabbit throughout the day to see if she is experiencing any problems such as diarrhea, bloat, stomach pains, digestive tract blockage. If any of these occur, do not offer tomatoe again and wait at least a week before trying again.
Always contact your veterinarian if you think your rabbit may be experiencing an adverse reaction to food or some other element of its environment!

How Many Tomatoes Can A Rabbit Eat?
Feed only one or two small chunks of tomato to your rabbit at a time. Rabbits are small animals with small stomachs. If your rabbit seems to do well with tomatoes, then you may feed one or two small chunks of tomato (or about 3 cherry tomatos) one or twice a week.
How Often Can Rabbits Eat Tomatoes?
Fruits like tomatoes are a treat for your rabbit and should only make up a small portion of your rabbit’s diet, that is, no more than 5-10%.
Tomatoes are not a primary part of the rabbit’s diet and should never be offered as so! If your rabbit eats too many tomatoes it will eat less of its primary diet that provides necessary nutrients. Additionally, eating too many tomatoes means eating less grass and hay that provide the fiber to keeps the rabbit’s digestive tract healthy.
Remember, rabbits get most of the nutrients they need from their primary diet of grass, hay, leafy greens. This may be augmented with some rabbit pellets.
Are Tomatoes Toxic to Rabbits?
Rabbits should NOT eat the green parts of the tomato plant including:
- tomato leaves
- tomato vines
- tomato stalks
- tomato flowers or blossoms
- green or unripe tomatoes
These green parts of the tomato plant and unripe tomato fruits contain an alkaloid substance called solanine. Tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family of plants which naturally contain solanine. This compound can be deadly to some animals (like rabbits) as it produces a toxin called tomatidine in the digestive tract.

Can Baby Bunnies Eat Tomatoes?
Baby rabbits younger than 12 weeks have incredibly sensative digestive systems and should not eat tomatoes or any part of the tomatoe plant. Instead, wait until your baby rabbit matures (reaches 12 weeks of age) and then slowly introduce this fruit treat to them, observing their reaction closely!
Final Thoughts On Can Rabbits Eat Tomatoes
This Can Rabbits Eat Tomatoes 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.
Remember, adult rabbits may eat a few small pieces of clean, raw and ripe tomato once or twice a week as a treat. This red fruit is healthy for rabbits but should not displace too much of the rabbit’s primary diet of high fiber grass, hay, and leafy greens.
The green parts of the tomato plant contain toxins that will harm your rabbit and canned or processed tomatoes are not healthy for your rabbit. Stick to fresh, raw red tomatoes!
Finally, always observe your rabbits and be sure to talk with your veterinarian about what and how much you are feeding them!
Want to know more about fruit for rabbits? You can click on this post:
Fruits Rabbits Can Eat