What Can You Feed Rabbits Besides Pellets
Many rabbit owners are under the false impression that the best foodstuff for their rabbits are rabbit specific pellets.
And while pellets can serve your rabbit, especially alfalfa pellets for newly weaned bunnies, they actually are NOT the most important part of your rabbit daily diet.
Rather, high quality hay is the most important foodstuff to provide your rabbit. Rabbits require unique amounts of highly fibrous, coarse plant material in order to keep their digestive system running smoothly, their teeth trimmed, and their immune system strong.
That said, we have supplemented our rabbits primary hay diets with pellets for years, following this best guide:
- Unlimited hay (75% to 80% hay)
- Quality pellets (10% to 15%)
- Leafy green vegetables, fruits, and treats (5% to 10%)
The foods that we humans often enjoy, and which can be offered to your bunnies also, are those within the last section: 5-10% of leafy green vegetables, fruits and treats.
Treats For Rabbits: What Can Rabbits Eat
As natural herbivores, rabbits’ digestive systems can break down and metabolize only raw, fresh plant material.
As such, raw and fresh plant-based treats are best for your bunnies. This is why we do not offer any processed or manufactured, store-bought rabbit snacks to our bunnies. Instead, we opt for rabbit-safe veggies, fruits, and herbs.
What Fruit and Veg Can Rabbits Eat
Fruits are a bit tricky, as many have too much sugars and not enough fibers to be safe for rabbits in large amounts, but some of the most common fruit treats we offer our rabbits include:
- Cucumber
- Squash
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
Read more on Daily Fruits For Rabbits in our post on the topic, where we discuss the myriad of beneficial vitamins and minerals for rabbits within certain fruits.
Furthermore, great veggies for rabbits are those that do not contain naturally toxic or overly acidic compounds. Examples of the veggies we give our rabbits include some of my family’s favorites (I always chomp on a celery stick alongside our bunnies!):
- Celery
- Wheatgrass
- Green beans
Thankfully, we also have an extensive post on the best veggies for rabbits: Vegetables That Rabbits Can Have Daily.
What Herbs Can Bunnies Have Daily
Would you have guessed that another “human food” that rabbits can eat freely are herbs?
That’s right, many of the herbs that we use in our kitchen are great dietary supplements and treats for rabbits. For example, you can feel free to offer your bunny bits of fresh:
- Dill
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Mint
- Rosemary
And this list isn’t extensive either, there are many more great herbs for bunnies, all of which we cover in our herbs for rabbits posts which can be found by using the site search bar!
What Can Rabbits Not Eat
Any food that us humans enjoy that is cooked in any way, pickled, canned, dried, heavy in grains or cereals, or processed in any way should NEVER be offered to your rabbits.
- Rabbit cannot properly break down cooked or heat altered foods because of the naturally chemical changes that occur in the foodstuff due to heat. Your bunny will suffer serious indigestion from cooked foods.
- Pickled and canned foods either contain too much vinegar or too much sugar for your rabbits, plus canned foods are also heat altered!
- Dried foods contain 0% water and can be harder for your rabbit to digest. While some dried fruit can be enjoyed (such as raisins), we don’t suggest making a habit of it.
- Rabbits cannot properly metabolize many grains. As such, grain or gluten products are not ideal for your rabbits and can pose a serious threat to their sensitive digestive systems. Keep crackers, breads, and other grain-heavy human foods away from your bunnies!
- Many human foods nowadays are processed, meaning they have added ingredients that enhance flavor and shelf-life. Do not feed processed foods to your rabbits! Their bodily systems will not be able to break this food down and they can die from the internal stress it causes.
Top 10 Foods Never To Feed Your Rabbit
Given the above, the top ten foods that you should NEVER allow your rabbit to ingest include:
- Meat
- Garlic
- Onions
- Chocolate
- Cheese and eggs
- Lilies
- Dog Food or cat food
- Avocados
- Corn
- Bread
All of these human safe food items are either indigestible for rabbits or contain naturally toxic compounds that will greatly harm your bunny, potentially causing death.
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Human Foods Rabbits Can Eat
What Foods Can Rabbits Eat Daily?
The foods that rabbits can be eating daily include unlimited quantities of hay, measured quantities of rabbit pellets, and no more than 1 teaspoon of veggie, fruit or herb treats per 2lbs of your mature rabbit’s weight per day.
Offering your rabbit this balanced diet will reduce the risk of serious disease, illness and health issues developing overtime!
This video goes over some easy to access rabbit-safe treat foods that can also be enjoyed at your family’s dinner table!
Final Thoughts On Human Food Rabbits Can Eat
While more processed human food is definitely off the table for rabbits, many of the fresh veggies, fruits, and herbs that we humans enjoy are perfectly palatable and safe to share with bunnies.
In fact, you may say they are rabbit foods that humans eat!
However, never take this for granted: while we enjoy garlicky sauces and avocado salads at our family dinner table, we know that both of the plant foods contain chemicals that are toxic to rabbits.
The key takeaway is this: Before offering any food item to your rabbit, perform due research on it to ensure that it poses no health threats to your bunny. In this way, you and your rabbits will all remain happy and healthy!