Watermelon is a great summertime food that we love here at Hobby Farm Heaven, especially watermelon seed spitting contests! But you may be wondering if watermelon can be offered to your homestead, farm, or pet rabbits. Is this fruit rabbit-safe? Will the seeds and rind hurt my rabbit?Fortunately, this post covers all you need to know about feeding watermelon to rabbits.
Yes, rabbits can eat watermelon and watermelon rind in moderation. Watermelon is a sugary fruit and, while they are not toxic, should be provided to rabbits as an occasional sweet treat and never as a core part of their diet. Conversely, watermelon seeds are not recommended for your rabbit!
Now that you know that rabbits can eat watermelon, let’s address some of the specifics such as: how much watermelon to feed your rabbit, the best ways to offer watermelon to your rabbits, and why you should not feed watermelon seeds to your bunnies.
As a bonus, check out the cute rabbit tattoo in the watermelon feeding video below!
Nutritional Value: Watermelon for Rabbits
According to Healthline, watermelon is about 92% water and contains helpful amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. Additionally, as the Mayo Clinic states, watermelon is fairly high in lycopene, a key antioxidant that reduces the risk of several serious diseases!
Why is Watermelon Good for Rabbits?
Watermelon’s high water content can help increase a rabbit’s hydration in hot, dry climates. Plenty of water helps keep the rabbit’s immune system healthy, flushing out cell level wastes as well as toxins and other bodily wastes.
In addition, the essential vitamins and nutrients in the flesh of watermelon can greatly benefit adult rabbits overall health by fortifying healthy growth and reducing bodily stress. Finally, watermelon rind contains fibers, which are a core part of a healthy rabbits diet!
Why Too Much Watermelon May Be Harmful to Rabbits
Rabbits have naturally sensitive digestive systems. New foods that are not part of their regular healthy diet must be slowly introduced into the rabbit’s diet, and too much water or sugars can easily aggravate the rabbit’s digestive system, causing diarrhea and other health issues.
In addition, the sugar content in watermelon can promote premature tooth decay and unhealthy eating habbits in rabbits if it is eaten too often.
While the rind does provide some beneficial fibers, it is nowhere near the amount rabbits require. As such, too much watermelon can end up taking the place of the healthy and high-fiber hay, grasses, and green leafy vegetables that rabbits need, which will result in poor digestion and weight loss.
Even manufactured rabbit pellets provide more fiber than an equal amount of watermelon rind!
Can Baby Rabbits Eat Watermelon?
No, Baby rabbits, known as Kittens or Kits, should NOT eat watermelon or rind. A baby rabbit’s digestive system is still developing and is not ready to process sugary watermelon or other fruits. Baby rabbits should not eat watermelon or watermelon rind until they are almost fully weaned off their mother’s milk.
Kits may become very sick and perhaps die if they eat watermelon or rind before weaning!
How to Feed Watermelon to Your Rabbit
When starting to feed watermelon or watermelon rind to your adult rabbits give them just a little over the first few days. As their digestive system adjusts, you can work your way up to several one inch cubes of watermelon or watermelon rind each week.
If providing some rind with the flesh of the watermelon, first wash the rind thoroughly to remove dirt, grime, and residual pesticides. Then, cut the watermelon into thin slices or small cubes. You can place the cut watermelon in the rabbit feeder or in a bowl.
Remember, when introducing any new food to your rabbits please do so slowly. Less is more, as they say. If your rabbits seem to like and tolerate a very small amount of watermelon then you can continue to offer this treat once or twice a week when it is in season!
Why Can Watermelon be Harmful or Risky to My Rabbit’s Health
Weight loss, Poor Nutrition, Weakened Immune System
Watermelon is very sweet and is mostly water. It provides some, but not a lot, of protien. So filling up on watermelon means that your rabbits may not be hungry for their balanced diet. They may eat less, or not enough, of their nutritional food. In this case, they may lose weight and have a harder time kindling.
Further, if bunnies do not eat a balanced diet their immune system will be weaker and then they will be more prone to sickness and disease. Eating too much watermelon on a continued basis is very detrimental to the overall health and happiness of your bunnies.
Diarrhea
Eating too much watermelon can also aggravate a rabbit’s delicate digestive system. Rabbits’ stomach and intestines are not used to the high water or sugar content found in watermelons. An overload of water or sugar can cause diarrhea and even deadly GI stasis.
Poor diet
Watermelons are sweet and offer a unique texture for your rabbit to enjoy but they are meant to be a treat food. Watermelons should NEVER be a substitute for the core elements of your rabbit’s diet: hay, grasses and various leafy greens and vegetables. Fruits in access create a poor diet for adult bunnies.
Seeds
We do not recommend offering watermelon seeds to your rabbits. Watermelon seeds are harder to digest and may cause irritation, or even a blockage, in the rabbit’s digestive tract.
Here is a short video of a rabbit enjoying some watermelon.
As a bonus, see the interesting rabbit tattoo on the owner’s ankle.
Are you contemplating a special rabbit tattoo?
Final Thoughts On Can Rabbits Eat Watermelon
This Can Rabbits Eat Watermelon 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 discussed throughout this article, rabbits may eat a small amount of watermelon and watermelon rind each week. But overfeeding your bunny sweet and watery watermelon may lead to digestive issues, poor diet, and a compromised immune system.
So our best advice? Offer healthy treats, like watermelon, in moderation to your mature bunnies.
There we have it, we hope you have learned all you need to know about feeding watermelon to your rabbits, feel free to ask any questions in the comment section below!
Want to know more about fruit for rabbits? You can click on this post:
Fruits Rabbits Can Eat