What fruits do rabbits eat?

Answer 1

Rabbits will eat most fruit, pretty much any sweet fruit they can get their teeth on. Fruits are the sweets of the rabbit world. Rabbits can eat many different kinds of fruits and vegetables (wash and remove pits/stones beforehand):

• Banana -- many people say their rabbits ADORE banana but it is very sugary so it should be extra limited: a small bite is enough
• Apple -- avoid the seeds because they're toxic; cut the apple into pieces
• Pear -- avoid seeds, they're toxic
• Grapes, raisins -- very sugary, so extra limited!
• Cranberry
• Berries: e.g. blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
• Citrus: e.g. orange -- remove the peel; also, many people say their rabbits aren't keen on citrus or other fruit with strong flavours
• Kiwi
• Pineapple
• Peach -- avoid leaves, twigs, stem because they're toxic
Plum
• Papaya
Melons: e.g. watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew
• Apricot
• Mango
• Tomato -- avoid leaves, twigs, stem because they're toxic
• Other treats can include fresh vegetables, like carrot and lettuce

BUT: Not every fruit is safe for rabbits to eat. There are many plants that rabbits can't eat. Check the toxic plant list (linked below) for more information.

In general, rabbits do like fruit, but all rabbits are unique. Like other animals and even humans, just because one rabbit likes a certain fruit, doesn't mean yours will. Your rabbit might even have an intolerance or allergy to a fruit that another rabbit is fine with.

If you are introducing something new offer a small amount in a separate food dish, if they don't eat it after an hour or two, remove it and offer it again the next day. If they eat any, wait a few days before offering any more.

Remember, rabbits are small, so don't give them too much fruit at once. Only allow your bunny to have fruit in very small amounts, as a special occasional treat or for training, because too much is not good for them. Fruits contain a lot of sugar! The sugar can upset their very sensitive GI systems, and it could also lead to obesity. There's controversy around treats like just about everything else; some people say better safe than sorry and avoid fruit entirely.

• One person wrote: I usually alternated fruits with vegetables so they get a variety and not too much sugar.
• The House Rabbit Society advises no more than 2 tablespoons of fresh fruit per day for a normal, healthy 6 pound rabbit.

You can buy small dried rabbit treats at possibly any pet store in the world. These are safe for your rabbit but not too much because they contain sugar! Rabbits also adore dried fruit such as pineapple, banana chips, papaya etc. Make sure there is no added sugar and feed a small piece only once or twice a week as a treat! Many people chose to stick to fresh fruits, and skip dried fruits and commercial treats, because it's healthier and just as enjoyable for the rabbit.

Answer 2

Treats should be healthy foods too, and only given in very small amounts, such as when training (e.g. teaching your bunny to use the litter box). Good treats are small amounts of fruit such as strawberries, bananas, raspberries, pineapple pieces, apples without seeds, and melons.

Answer 3

Rabbits can eat a variety of fruits in moderation, including apples, strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. It's important to introduce new fruits slowly to prevent digestive issues and to remove any seeds or pits before offering them to your rabbit. Always consult with a vet to ensure you are providing a well-balanced diet for your pet rabbit.

Answer 4

Healthy adult pet rabbits eats hay, water, fresh leafy greens, and high-quality pellets daily. Non-leafy vegetables and fruits should be limited as treats only (a bite or two is enough). Leafy green vegetables are good on a daily basis.

In the wild, rabbits eat leaves, grasses, and twigs. Non-leafy vegetables are not a normal part of the diet, although they may eat any they come across.

Too many veggies aren't healthy and will make any rabbit - wild or pet - sick. See the related link below for more info and helpful links about the rabbit diet.

It's a good idea to rotate what greens they eat, for variety (for physical and mental health reasons). Some veggies that rabbits can eat include:

• Romaine lettuce
• Green leaf and red leaf lettuce
• Dandelion
• Carrot greens
• Parsley *
• Cilantro
• Mint
• Kale *
• Dill
• Collard greens *
• Basil
• Spinach *
• Arugula (aka rocket) *
• Broccoli leaves, florets, stems (indicated in gas - offer in small amounts if at all, observe for signs of ill-health; florets and stems should be considered as treat, if at all) *
• Brambles
• Watercress *
• Spring greens (aka spring mix, mesclun, baby greens - offer dark-leaved varieties only)
• Bell pepper (indicated in gas, and high in carbs - consider as a treat, if at all; avoid if your rabbit gets gas)
• Raspberry (leaves and twigs are great, but the berries are high in sugar - consider as a treat, if at all)
• Apple leaves and twigs (seeds are toxic; fruit is high in sugar - consider as treat, if at all)
• Sprouts (high in protein - offer in small amounts, if at all)
• Squash (high in carbs - consider as treat, if at all)
• Carrots (high in carbs - consider as a treat, if at all)
• Beet tops, chard
• Mache
• Cucumber leaves
• Celery leaves
• Chervil
• Oregano
• Fennel tops
• Sage
• Thyme
• Chicories: aka escarole, endive, frisee, radicchio

* Be careful with over-feeding some veggies as they contain nutrients (like oxalates or goitrogens) that can lead to health problems.

* Be careful with crucifers, too (like kale, collard greens, broccoli, arugula, collards, mustard greens, radish tops, turnip tops, cress, rapini, Chinese greens, cabbages, Kohlrabi tops, cauliflower): they're all indicated in gas and high in calcium oxalates. Offer in moderation only and watch for signs of ill-health.
carrots
They eat carrots, cabbage, lettuce, and celery. They will eat almost any type of vegetable, but the ones listed are their favorites.

Answer 5

They can eat most vegetables... They can eat carrot, cabbage, parsley, apple, celery, radish tops, snowpeas, cauliflower, clover, marigolds, zucchini, etc...

But do NOT feed them TOMATOES, CUCUMBER, and LETTUCE, as it can give them an upset tummy and diarrhea...

Answer 6

Some fresh plants are toxic for rabbits. There are lists online of plants known to be toxic but they aren't 100% complete.

With feeding bunnies, the rule of thumb is:

• Don't feed anything to a rabbit unless you know it's safe for rabbits
• When you try a new food on your rabbit, be careful: start with very small servings and wait a week or so to make sure your rabbit's okay with it -- rabbits can have food Allergies and sensitivities, just like humans

Rabbits need fresh greens daily, but they don't necessarily need fruit. You can feed them fruit (including sugary veg, like carrots) in a small portion, because they are treats. What you should be feeding your rabbit is heaps of hay, greens (such as dark leafy lettuces, herbs, weeds, and the green tops of root veg), and feed (high-quality pelleted food). NEVER feed them human sugary treats like sweets, chocolate, popcorn, chips, donuts, crackers, breads. Rabbits need a balanced diet with high levels of fibre to keep their gut healthy, and to encourage grinding to keep their continually-growing teeth trim -- generally, to ensure that they stay happy and healthy.

"Salad": Dark leafy greensMany people recommend serving a "salad" of dark leafy greens to rabbits every day. These sorts of vegetables are low in sugars and carbs, and they're full of healthy nutrients and vitamins. 1 to 3 cups a day for a normal, healthy adult 6 pound rabbit is a good guideline for salad portions. Recommendations include:

• romaine lettuce
• red leaf and green leaf lettuce
• lettuce -- any dark lettuces (white lettuces contain a lot of lactucarium, which can lead to diarrhoea)
• dandelion leaves
• carrot greens
• parsley
• cilantro
• mint
• kale
• dill
• collard greens
• basil
• radicchio
• spinach
• celery greens
• broccoli greens

TreatsFruits and most vegetables should be considered treats because they're high in sugars or carbs, or because they tend to give rabbits digestive problems (like gas or diarrhea). Too many treats can lead to many different health problems in rabbits. 1 tablespoon a day for a normal, healthy 6 pound rabbit is a good guideline for sugary treat portions. "Gassy" veggies should be limited, too -- a couple bites a day might be fine for your rabbit, but some bunnies are more sensitive than others. Fruit should be washed and any seeds, pits, and stones should be removed first. Recommendations include:

• carrots
• celery ribs (cut into pieces or remove spines)
• broccoli florets and stems
• papaya
• pineapple
• apricot
• berries
• apples (cut up -- remove seeds because they're toxic)
• orange
• peach
• mango
• pear
• cherries
• plum
• tomatoes (but only the fruit; all other parts of the plant are toxic)
• melon*
• banana*
• grape*

* These are extra sugary -- offer half as much, if at all.

More Answers

-rabbit pellets

Answer 7

The best vegetables for rabbits are dark, leafy greens. For example:

• Beet tops (chard)
• Mache
• Carrot tops
• Cucumber leaves
• Spinach
• Dandelion
• Celery leaves
• Boston lettuce (bibb, butterhead)
• Leaf lettuce (green red)
• Chicory lettuces (escarole, endive, frisee, radicchio)
• Romaine lettuce
• Basil
• Sage
• Dill
• Mint
• Parsley
• Thyme
• Chervil
• Rosemary
• Fennel tops
• Marjoram
• Cilantro
• Oregano
• Tarragon

Many dark, leafy greens are crucifers. These kinds of veggies often cause gas in rabbits. Gas is very painful and can lead to deadly illness (GI stasis). Some rabbits are more susceptible to gas than others. The key is to know your bunny! If your bunny is fine with these plants, then they're fine in moderation, but too much will still make your bunny sick. Some rabbits should avoid these entirely because they get gas too easily. Crucifers include:

- Arugula (rocket)

- Broccoli leaves

- Cauliflower leaves

- Yu choy, bok choy

- Collard greens

- Cabbages

- Kale

- Kohlrabi tops

- Mizuna (Chinese greeens)

- Mustard greens

- Radish tops

- Rapini leaves (broccoli rabe)

- Turnip tops

- Cress (watercress)

There are many other types of vegetables that rabbits can eat, but they should be considered a treat only. See the related questions below for more details, and links.

Answer 8

There are many different kinds of vegetables that rabbits can eat, but most of them should only be offered as treats because they're high in sugars or starches, or they lead to gas (which can be very serious in rabbits), or for other reasons.

Certain dark leafy greens can be included in the rotation of daily "salad" greens. Don't rely on any green too often: rotate them regularly. Recommended greens include:

Arugula

Carrot tops

Cucumber leaves

Endive

Ecarole

Frisee Lettuce

Kale (all types)

Mache

Red or green lettuce

Romaine lettuce

Spring greens

Turnip greens

Dandelion greens

Mint (any variety)

Basil (any variety)

Watercress

Wheatgrass

Chicory

Raspberry leaves

Cilantro

Radicchio

Bok Choy

Fennel (the leafy tops)

Borage leaves

Dill leaves

Yu choy

Parsley

Spinach

Mustard greens

Beet greens

Swiss chard

Radish tops

Some of the veggies listed above are high in oxalates and should be limited; others are cruciferous veggies and should be limited because they can lead to gas (a very serious issue for rabbits). Do further research to find out how to treat these plants. See the related links below for more information.

Other fruits and vegetables should be limited as treats. Some suggestions include:

Carrot

Fennel (the base, as a treat - the leafy tops are good for regular eating)

Cucumber

Celery (cut up into pieces - the strings in celery can lead to problems if left whole)

Broccoli (leaves and stems)

Edible flowers (roses, nasturtiums, pansies, hibiscus)

Bell peppers (any color)

Chinese pea pods (the flat kind without large peas)

Brussel sprouts

Cabbage (any type)

Broccolini

Mushrooms (any cultivated type)

Summer squash

Zucchini squash

Apple (any variety)

Cherries (any variety)

Pear

Peach

Plum

Kiwi

Papaya

Mango

Berries (any type)

Berries (uncooked)

Pineapple (remove skin)

Banana (remove peel - extremely sugary, extremely limited)

Melons (any - can include peel and seeds)

Star Fruit

Apricot

Currants

Nectarine

More Answers

One person writes: Do not feed rabbits lettuce! If they eat lettuce, they could die! So don't feed them any lettuce! If you do feed them lettuce they could either have very bad diarrhoea, or they could die! So be careful with lettuce, remember, rabbits and lettuce don't mix!

In response: Dark-coloured lettuce is perfectly fine in moderation. The reason lettuce is dangerous is because of the lactucarium, which is a chemical in the lettuce. Too much, and your rabbit will get sick. If you don't bring a sick rabbit to the vet, it could die. But, if you don't feed too much lettuce, and you stick to dark-coloured lettuce only (no white or light lettuces, like iceberg, because these have more lactucarium in them), then your rabbit will be fine!

Answer 9

It is not wise to feed rabbits fruit, as it can lead to diahorrea which in herbivores such as rabbits and guinea-pigs can be fatal. You can feed them vegetables though- their favourites are cabbage, lettuce, chard and also the green tops of root vegetable such as radish, carrot and celery. Some rabbits also like the pods of peas and broad beans. Contrary to popular belief, rabbits do NOT like carrots as vegetables, only the green tops of them. But they should only be fed vegetables in addition to their usual diet of grass in moderation, and this should be balanced with dry rabbit food in the right proportion- your vet or your local pet food stockist can advise upon the best dry rabbit food to buy and how to balance this with greens in the right quantity.

Answer 10

Carrots, Parsley, Cabbage, Spinach, Broccoli, and Celery. All must be fresh.
Carrots and lettus.