Diet

Your rabbit’s diet should include lots of fresh hay (timothy or oat for adults; alfalfa hay for babies), plain commercial rabbit pellets (no nuts, seeds, etc.) and fresh, washed vegetables and leafy greens. Romaine lettuce, carrot tops, dandelions, parsley, radish leaves, broccoli leaves, and cilantro are all good.

Treats include small slices of apple, pear or other fruit, or pieces of carrot. Do not feed human treats like crackers and cookies. Fresh water should be available at all times in a bowl or a water bottle. Please note: Rabbit digestion is very sensitive, so you must introduce new foods gradually. Young rabbits age 3 months and under should only be fed hay, rabbit pellets, and water, and NO FRUIT. See our diet sheet for more information.

General

An adult rabbit’s diet should be made up of water, hay, high quality pellets and fresh vegetables. Anything else is a treat and should be given in limited quantities. IMPORTANT: All dietary changes must be made gradually.
  1. Pellets should be fresh and relatively high in fiber (18% minimum fiber). Do not purchase more than six weeks worth of food at a time, as it will become spoiled.
  2. Hay should be available 24 hours a day. Hay is essential to a rabbit’s health. Hay provides roughage, which reduces the danger of hairballs and other blockages. Apple twigs also provide good roughage.
  3. Salt licks are not necessary.
  4. No nuts or seeds.
  5. Variety yet consistency is key for vegetables. When shopping, look for both dark leafy vegetables and root vegetables.

Babies and Teenagers

  1. birth to 3 weeks: mother’s milk
  2. 3-4 weeks: mother’s milk, nibbles of alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets
  3. 4-7 weeks: mother’s milk, access to alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets
  4. 7 weeks to 7 months: unlimited alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets (plus 12 weeks see below)
  5. 12 weeks: introduce vegetables (one at a time, quantities under ½ oz.), grass hays

Young Adults: 7 months to 1 year

  1. eliminate alfalfa, increase grass hays
  2. decrease pellets to ½ cup per 6 lbs. body weight
  3. increase daily vegetables gradually
  4. fruit rations no more than 1-2 oz. per 6 lb. body weight (these are treats!)

Mature Adults: 1 to 5 years

  1. unlimited grass hays (no alfalfa)
  2. ¼ – ½ cup pellets per 6 lb. body weight, preferably timothy-based pellets, such as Oxbow Bunny Basics T
  3. minimum 2 cups chopped vegetables per 6 lb. body weight
  4. fruit only as treats!

Senior Rabbits

  1. continue adult diet if sufficient weight is maintained
  2. frail or older rabbits may need unrestricted pellets to keep weight up.
Note: When you feed a lower quantity of pellets, you must replace the nutritional value without the calories, which is done by increasing the vegetables. Also, hay must be encouraged all day. We do this by offering fresh hay a couple times per day.

Suggested Vegetables

Select at least 3 kinds of vegetables daily. A variety is necessary in order to obtain the essential nutrients. Pick one each day that contains vitamin A (indicated by an *). Add one vegetable to the diet at a time. Eliminate if it causes soft stools or diarrhea.
  • Basil
  • Beet Greens(tops) *
  • Bok Choy
  • Asian Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Carrot tops
  • Celery
  • Cilantro
  • Clover
  • Collard Greens*
  • Dandelion greens and flowers
  • Endive*
  • Escarole
  • Green Peppers
  • Kale(!)*
  • Mint
  • Mustard greens*
  • Parsley*
  • Pea pods (the flat edible kind)
  • Peppermint leaves
  • Radish tops
  • Raspberry tops
  • Romaine lettuce (no iceberg or light-colored leaf)
  • Spinach(!)*
  • Watercress
  • Wheat grass

(*) contains vitamin A
(!) use sparingly. High in either oxalates or goitrogens and may be toxic in accumulated quantities over a period of time.

Suggested Fruits

Sugary fruits such as bananas and grapes should be used only sparingly, as occasional treats. Bunnies have a sweet tooth and if left to their own devices will devour sugary foods to the exclusion of healthy ones.
  • Apple (remove stem and seeds)
  • Blueberries
  • Carrots (yes, these are vegetables, but they are high in sugar)
  • Melon
  • Orange (including peel)
  • Papaya
  • Pear
  • Pineapple
  • Plums
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries

Toxic/Poisonous Plant List

Please note that the exclusion of a specific plant from this list does not mean that the plant is safe. If you suspect your rabbit has ingested an unsafe plant, please call your vet and/or your local poison control center or the National Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435.

A

  • Agave (leaves)
  • Almond
  • Aloe
  • Amaryllis (bulbs)
  • Andromeda
  • Anemone
  • Angel’s Trumpet
  • Apple (seeds)
  • Apricot (all parts except fruit)
  • Asian Lilly
  • Asparagus Fern
  • Australian Nut
  • Autumn Crocus
  • Avacado (leaves)
  • Azalea (leaves)

B

  • Balsam pear (seeds, outer rind of fruit)
  • Baneberry (berries, roots)
  • Barbados Lilly
  • Begonia
  • Betel-nut Palm
  • Bird of Paradise (seeds)
  • Bitter Cherry (seeds)
  • Bittersweet (American & European)
  • Black Nightshade
  • Black Walnut (hulls)
  • Bloodroot
  • Bluebonnet
  • Boston Ivy
  • Buddhist Pine
  • Busy Lizzie
  • Buttercup (leaves)
  • Black Locust (seeds,bark, sprouts, foliage)
  • Blue-green algae (some forms toxic)
  • Bloodroot
  • Boxwood (leaves,twigs)
  • Bracken fern
  • Branching Ivy
  • Buckeye (seeds)
  • Buckthorn (berries, fruit, bark)
  • Bull Nettle
  • Buttercup (sap, bulbs)

C

  • Cactus Thorn
  • Caladium
  • Calendula
  • Calico Bush
  • Calla Lilly (rhizome, leaves)
  • Caladiur (leaves)
  • Carnation
  • Carolina Jessamine
  • Castor Bean (seed, leaves – castor oil)
  • Celastrus
  • Ceriman
  • Chalice vine (all parts)
  • Cherry tree (bark, twig, leaves, pits)
  • China Doll
  • Chinaberry tree
  • Chinese Bellflower
  • Chinese Lantern
  • Chinese Evergreen
  • Choke Cherry (seeds)
  • Christmas Candle (sap)
  • Christmas Rose
  • Chrysanthemum
  • Cineraria
  • Clematis
  • Climbing Nightshade
  • Clivia (a.k.a Kaffir Lily)
  • Coffee Bean
  • Cone Flower
  • Coral plant (seeds)
  • Cordatum
  • Corn Plant
  • Cowbane
  • Cowslip
  • Crown of Thorns
  • Cuban Laurel
  • Cuckoopint (all parts)
  • Cutleaf Philodendron
  • Cycads
  • Cyclamen

D

  • Daffodil (bulbs)
  • Daphne (berries, bark)
  • Datura (berries)
  • Day Lily Deadly Amanita (all parts)
  • Deadly Nightshade
  • Death Camas (all parts)
  • Delphinium (all parts)
  • Devil’s Ivy
  • Dieffenbachia (leaves)
  • Dogbane
  • Dracaena
  • Dumb Cane
  • Dutchman’s Breeches

E

  • Easter Lilly
  • Eggplant (all but fruit)
  • Elderberry (unripe berries, roots, stems)
  • Elephant Ear (leaves, stem)
  • Emerald Feather English Laurel
  • English Ivy (berries, leaves)
  • Eucalyptus

F

  • False Hellebore
  • False Henbane (all parts)
  • False Parsley
  • Fiddle Leaf Fig
  • Fireweed
  • Flamingo Plant
  • Florida Beauty
  • Flowering Maple
  • Flowering Tobacco
  • Foxglove (leaves, seeds)

G

  • Garden Sorrel
  • Geranium
  • German Ivy
  • Ghostweed (all parts)
  • Giant Touch-me-not
  • Glacier Ivy
  • Gladiola
  • Glory Lilly
  • Gold Dust
  • Golden Chain (all parts)
  • Golden Pothos
  • Green Gold

H

  • Hahn’s Ivy
  • Hairy Vetch
  • Hart Ivy
  • Hawaiian Ti
  • Heartleaf Philodendron
  • Heavenly Bamboo
  • Hemlock, Poison (all parts)
  • Hemlock, Water (all parts)
  • Henbane (seeds)
  • Hogwart
  • Holly (berries)
  • Horse Chestnut (nuts, twigs)
  • Horsehead Philodendron
  • Horsetail Reed
  • Hurricane Plant
  • Hyacinth (bulbs)
  • Hydrangea

I

  • Impatiens
  • Indian Hemp
  • Indian Rubber
  • Indian Turnip (all parts)
  • Indigo
  • Inkberry Iris (bulbs)
  • Ivy, Boston & English (berries, leaves)

J

  • Jack-in-the-Pulpit (all parts)
  • Japanese Euonymus
  • Japanese Show Lily
  • Japanese Yew
  • Jasmine Java Bean (uncooked bean)
  • Jerusalem Cherry (berries)
  • Jessamine
  • Jimson Weed (leaves, seeds) Johnson Grass
  • Jonquil
  • Juniper (needles, stems, berries)

L

  • Laburnum (all parts)
  • Lace Fern
  • Lacy Tree Philodendron
  • Lady Slipper Lantana (immature berries)
  • Larkspur (all parts)
  • Laurel (all parts)
  • Laurel Cherry
  • Lily of the Valley (all parts) Lima Bean (uncooked bean)
  • Lobelia (all parts)
  • Locoweed (all parts)
  • Lords and Ladies (all parts)
  • Lupine

M

  • Macadamia Nut
  • Madagascar Dragon Tree
  • Manchineel Tree
  • Marbel Queen
  • Marijuana (leaves)
  • Marsh Marigold
  • Mauna Loa Peace Lily
  • Mayapple (all parts except fruit) Meadow Saffron
  • Medicine Plant
  • Mesquite
  • Mexican Breadfruit
  • Mescal Bean (seeds)
  • Milk Bush
  • Milkweed
  • Mistletoe (berries) Mock Orange (fruit)
  • Monkshood (leaves, roots)
  • Moonflower
  • Morning Glory (all parts)
  • Mother-in-law
  • Mountain Laurel
  • Mushrooms (some)
  • Mustard (root)

N

  • Nandina
  • Narcissus (bulbs) Needlepoint Ivy
  • Nephtytis
  • Nicotiana Nightshades (berries, leaves)
  • Nutmeg

O

  • Oak (acorns, foliage) Oleander (leaves, branches, nectar) Oxalis

P

  • Panda
  • Parlor Ivy
  • Parsnip
  • Patience Plant
  • Peace Lily
  • Peach (leaves, twigs, seeds)
  • Pear (seeds)
  • Pencil Cactus
  • Peony Periwinkle
  • Peyote
  • Philodendron (leaves, stem)
  • Plum (seeds)
  • Plumosa Fern
  • Poison Hemlock
  • Poison Ivy
  • Poison Oak
  • Poison sumac Pokeweed
  • Poppy
  • Potato (eyes & new shoots, green parts)
  • Precatory Bean
  • Primrose
  • Primula
  • Privet (all parts)
  • Purple Thornapple

Q

  • Queensland Nut

R

  • Ranunculus
  • Red Emerald
  • Red Lily Red Princess
  • Rhododendron (all parts)
  • Rhubarb (leaves) Ribbon Plant
  • Ripple Ivy
  • Rosary Pea (seeds)
  • Rubrum Lily

S

  • Sago Palm
  • Schefflera
  • Self-branching Ivy
  • Sennabean
  • Shamrock Plant
  • Silver Pothos
  • Skunk Cabbage (all parts) Snake Palm
  • Snowdrop (all parts)
  • Snow-on-the-Mountain (all parts)
  • Solomon’s Seal
  • Spindleberry
  • Split Leaf Philodendron Star of Bethlehem
  • Stinkweed
  • String of Pearls
  • Sweet Pea (seeds and fruit)
  • Sweetheart Ivy
  • Swiss Cheese Plant

T

  • Tansy
  • Taro Vine
  • Thornapple Tiger Lily
  • Toadstools
  • Tobacco (leaves) Tomato (leaves, vines)
  • Tree Philodendron
  • Tulip (bulb)

U

  • Umbrella Plant

V

  • Vetch (Hairy)
  • Vinca Violet (seeds) Virginia Creeper (berries, sap)

W

  • Walnuts (hulls, green shells)
  • Water Hemlock
  • Weeping Fig Western Lily
  • Wild Carrots
  • Wild Cucumber
  • Wild Parsnip Wild Peas
  • Wisteria (all parts)
  • Wood Lily
  • Wood-rose

Y

  • Yam Bean (roots, immature pods)

  • Yellow Jasmine Yew (needles, seeds, berries)

  • Yucca