What We Use & Recommend
Most of these items you can buy through Amazon.com, pet stores (in person or their website), Chewy.com and local farm supply stores. There are likely other place to buy these products, which can be found with a google search. Links are provided below.
Rabbits have a sensitive digestive system and their diet should consist mostly of hay, high quality rabbit pellet food and fresh or dried veggies/fruits. It's essential that your rabbits get the proper nutrients and water daily. Poorly feeding your rabbit can lead to being under or overweight, dental issues, illness and even death. The digestive system of rabbits is much more sensitive than that of a dog or cat. Rabbits are herbivores which means their diet is plant based and they don't eat meat or animal biproducts.
Rabbits have a sensitive digestive system and their diet should consist mostly of hay, high quality rabbit pellet food and fresh or dried veggies/fruits. It's essential that your rabbits get the proper nutrients and water daily. Poorly feeding your rabbit can lead to being under or overweight, dental issues, illness and even death. The digestive system of rabbits is much more sensitive than that of a dog or cat. Rabbits are herbivores which means their diet is plant based and they don't eat meat or animal biproducts.
WaterIt's essential that your rabbit has access to unlimited fresh water all the time. There are several ways to go about this and it'll depend on your preferences and what your rabbit's preferences are.
Most domesticated rabbits will drink water from just about anything; bowels, water drippers that hook/attach to the side of their home, and water fountains built for animals. We use water fountains for our rabbits and they love this method the most. The fountains have filters and it gives a more natural "stream" effect for them to drink from. For us personally, I like that they hold a lot of water (2.5 liters!) The fountains continuously filter the water (so it's not standing and stagnant at any time), it gives a source of stimulation and it's high enough off the ground that the water stays relatively clean all the time. The rabbits can't poop or pee in the water by accident and babies loves to explore the water. There are quite a few quality animal water fountains out there. We recommend a fountain that has filters (that you can replace or clean), that can be opened easily and cleaned/refilled regularly, and most importantly cannot be tipped over! We use and recommend:
     Fresh Fruit, Vegetables & Herbs Fruits are full of sugars so they're treats! Rabbits love fruits... they go crazy for a banana. You can't give in. Give fruits (and even some veggies, like carrots) sparingly to any age rabbit! They will give you the cute eyes, don't do it. Like any parent, you have to say no sometimes. Too much sugar/fruits in their diet can lead to soft poop and even diarrhea. Messy poopy butt is what you'll get. If you find your rabbit's poop is too soft (not cecotropes) give only hay, pellets and water and reintroduce after you see firm but not dry round, even poops.
Rabbits 0-6 months of age should not be given fruit of any kind and very minimally (if any!) veggies or herbs. You can introduce these items slowly, one item at a time in tiny, tiny amounts. If your rabbit is under 6 months of age I would not recommend starting with vegetables and start with dry flowers/herbs. After 6 month of age you can transition to giving your rabbit a variety of veggies/herbs at about 1 cup total for every 4lbs of weight daily. Since our bunnies are all dwarf breeds between 2-5lbs. Typically we limit to 1/4-1/2 cup total for adults over 8 months of age. Fresh veggies & herbs are an important part of your rabbits diet. Although it is a smaller part, it should be noted that some things are better or worse (illness & death can occur) for your rabbit. Many rabbits also have preferences. Check out our printable PDF Guide to giving your rabbit fresh fruit, veggies & herbs. |
HayYour rabbit's diet should be mostly hay. As it's the main source of food for them. Hay should always be available for your rabbit and a quality hay is essential. Your rabbit's digestive track is sensitive. We give our rabbits variety and often mix their hay with several choices appropriate for their age.
Rabbits up to 6 months of age need a high fiber diet. They should be fed alfalfa hay or a mixture of alfalfa and timothy hay is recommended. Rabbits 6 months+ can transition to varieties of hay, timothy hay should be the base hay they eat. You can mix in other types of hay and cuttings of hays like oat, orchard grass and meadow grass. Sometimes rabbits prefer a certain hay. Some rabbits can be 'picky' but it's typically that they have preferences. We recommend any hay from Oxbow. It's easy to acquire for most people. Check out the Oxbow website.    Pellet FeedOxbox has a variety of different pellets. These are our top picks but all their products are top quality and we would recommend anything from their line of products.
Young Kits (0-1 year old) & Pregnant/Nursing Does      Rabbits (1 year+)
     Supreme Petfoods Science Selective Rabbit Food
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Treats, Toys & Enrichment
We only recommend natural chew toys and 'treats'. Most "treats" advertised for rabbits are not good for them and can cause digestion issues, soft/smooshy poops and quite frankly a mess! Think: seeds, yogurt drops, sweetened fruit or too much sweet stuff and corn based products.
Rabbits love to forage so we love to offer our rabbits boxes, hidey toys and similar to keep them entertained and happy. Some of our buns love to jump and climb so we are always reusing our amazon boxes cutting holes in them and turning them upside down! They're easy to recycle once the bunnies have destroyed them or need new enrichment activities.
We make dig boxes for our rabbits using carboard boxes, put an entry hole in one end and then fold them closed. We fill them with cotton balls, natural crinkle paper (the kind for gifts but without color or plastic), tissue paper crumpled up, any kind of natural shipping papers and similar items. Our bunnies that love to dig get the satisfaction without the mess of sand or dirt in the house.
We put hay in paper bags and hang them in the play area. Sometimes we'll cut a hole or two to encourage them to tear and dig. The bunnies love to tear the paper apart and dig in the hay. It also keeps the hay off the ground (mostly) and less messy (sorta).
We offer our bunnies over 6 months of age (limited): greens, veggies, dried flowers and herbs (appropriate for rabbits). We do like to make our own mixes of either dry or wet foods. It's imperative that your rabbit's foods are not chemically treated or sprayed with pesticides! You can absolutely grow grass or herbs for your rabbits in small containers. We do this too.
Rabbits love to forage so we love to offer our rabbits boxes, hidey toys and similar to keep them entertained and happy. Some of our buns love to jump and climb so we are always reusing our amazon boxes cutting holes in them and turning them upside down! They're easy to recycle once the bunnies have destroyed them or need new enrichment activities.
We make dig boxes for our rabbits using carboard boxes, put an entry hole in one end and then fold them closed. We fill them with cotton balls, natural crinkle paper (the kind for gifts but without color or plastic), tissue paper crumpled up, any kind of natural shipping papers and similar items. Our bunnies that love to dig get the satisfaction without the mess of sand or dirt in the house.
We put hay in paper bags and hang them in the play area. Sometimes we'll cut a hole or two to encourage them to tear and dig. The bunnies love to tear the paper apart and dig in the hay. It also keeps the hay off the ground (mostly) and less messy (sorta).
We offer our bunnies over 6 months of age (limited): greens, veggies, dried flowers and herbs (appropriate for rabbits). We do like to make our own mixes of either dry or wet foods. It's imperative that your rabbit's foods are not chemically treated or sprayed with pesticides! You can absolutely grow grass or herbs for your rabbits in small containers. We do this too.
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