Our family was enjoying some nice home-grown, hobby-farm beef burgers one night. My daughter Olivia, who was the family lead on caring for our rabbits, asked ‘Can rabbits eat meat?’.
No, Rabbits do not eat meat. Rabbits are herbivores, not omnivores. You should not feed meat to your domestic rabbits. Rabbits digestive tracts, body chemistry and eating habits are designed for plant matter, not meat. There are however, some interesting exceptions to this general rule. We’ll elaborate on these exceptions below!
I found the part about mother rabbits eating their young very interesting.
Your Domestic Rabbit Does Not Eat Meat
The digestive tract of the domestic rabbit is designed to process grass, hay, and other plant materials that are high in fiber and generally low in protein. The enzymes and flora in the rabbit’s gut are designed to digest plant material.
The rabbit’s digestive tract is not designed to digest meats which are relatively high in protein, compared to grass and plants. Similarly, the enzymes and flora found in the rabbits gut are not designed to digest meat of any kind. Further, the rabbit’s digestive tract is not designed for processing animal fat. A rabbit that eats a significant amount of meat or animal fat will get ill and perhaps die, particularly if a digestive blockage forms.
Wild Hares May Eat Some Meat to Survive
The scientific research article referenced here, shows that hares may adopt a scavenger role and eat some meat to stay alive, particularly in the harsh winter environment of northern Canada. Scientists have used trail cams to record rabbits scavenging on carrion to augment their scarce winter food supplies.
This interesting scientific research on wild rabbits was picked up by National Geographic as well.
Do Mother Rabbits Eat Their Young?
Generally, mother rabbits do not eat their young. Rabbits are not cannibalistic. However, on rare occasion, she may eat one or more of her kits. Here is a description of the situations in which she might eat one or more of her kits:
- If it is her first time kindling and she becomes confused with the process, then she may eat a bunny or two, thinking that she is eating her afterbirth (placenta, etc). If this happens more than once, then this rabbit has very poor maternal instincts, may have more serious issues, and should not be re-bred as part of your rabbitry breeding program.
- If one or more bunnies are stillborn, then the mother rabbit may eat the still born bunnies. The thought here is that she is removing something that will be a health issue if left in the nest, and will attract pests and predators as it decays.
- If she is over-stressed for reasons such as poor diet, repeated harassment by one or more males, repeated threats by nearby predators, etc., then she may become confused and do the unexpected.
- If she has a large litter and feels that she cannot care for all the kits she may prioritize her milk and care for the ones she feels are stronger. Which means that she may kill and eat the babies that she feels are weaker.
What If My Rabbit Eats Meat?
Rabbits are curious animals and do not always innately or naturally know what is good or bad for them. If they happen upon some meat they may be curious and after sniffing and nudging, they may take a bite, or several bites. If you suspect that your rabbit has eaten some meat, then keep an eye on the rabbit. If the rabbit ate a small amount of meat, then it will likely pass through the rabbit and the rabbit will recover.
However, if the rabbit appears sick, sluggish, or with runny discharge for more than a day, then you may opt to take it to the vet for a more thorough and professional examination and evaluation.
Do Adult Male Rabbits Kill or Eat the Baby Bunnies?
Generally, adult male rabbits do not eat baby bunnies. They are not cannibalistic. On rare occasion we may observe or hear of an adult male rabbit eating one or more of the baby bunnies.
Again, this is an infrequent exception to the rule that rabbits do not eat meat. If an adult male rabbit is severely stressed, confused or fears that predators are nearby, he may eat one or more of the baby bunnies. In these rare instances, the male is eating the bunny as a reaction to fear, or confusion, not because it is hungry for meat.
More often, the adult male may inadvertently harm a baby bunny as he vigorously chases the mother rabbit around the hutch to mate with her. The adult male will begin to try and mount and impregnate the mother rabbit as soon as she is finished kindling.
Because of this, many rabbit owners separate the males from the pregnant and nursing mother rabbits.
Are Rabbits Hunters?
No, rabbits are not hunters. However, rabbits are territorial. They can be ferocious fighters, including repeated clawing and biting. They may literally fight to the death, usually not. However, this fighting is not a form of hunting for food. Rabbits do not hunt for meat, and they do not work together as a team to hunt.
Final Thoughts
This Do Rabbits Eat Meat 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.
- Rabbits do not eat meat.
- Scientific research has shown that wild hares may scavenge on carrion to supplement their scarce winter food supplies.
- Stressed, threatened or confused rabbits may eat one or more baby bunnies.
- A mother rabbit with too many kits and not enough milk may prioritize her care and milk for the kits that she feels are stronger. Meaning that she may kill and eat the weaker baby bunnies.
- The consumption of baby bunnies is not due to hunger or a need for nutrition, it is driven by instinct.