Whether you share your home with a house rabbit or an outdoor hutch bunny, your pet needs a balanced diet to stay healthy. Because rabbits are herbivores, they require lots of high-fiber veggies and other plants to meet their nutritional needs.
While it’s challenging to find appropriate veggies for furry companions, there are some healthy options that work well for pets. In fact, many of the same vegetables you put in your own diet also benefit your pet rabbit.
In general, rabbits enjoy a wide variety of greens and other non-root vegetables, ranging from carrots to zucchini. As long as the foods aren’t too fibrous (e.g., no rhubarb or kale), most fresh veggies are safe for rabbits. They also make great additions to any home-cooked rabbit food recipes.
What To Consider When Thinking About Vegetables For Your Rabbit?
Even though most fresh vegetables are safe for rabbits, not all of them are ideal. Depending on the food, you may need to adjust your choice for health reasons. Here are some important factors to consider when choosing vegetables for your rabbits:
- Fiber – Rabbits eat a lot of fiber, but not all vegetables are equally fibrous. Generally, greens like spinach and kale are fine, whereas carrots and beets provide less fiber. You can also use fiber supplements for rabbits.
- Calorie and protein content – Rabbits have high metabolisms and need lots of energy from protein. While many vegetables are low in protein, carrots, broccoli, and zucchini are exceptions.
- Seasonality – Rabbits thrive when they eat fresh foods, and you should try to buy vegetables that are in season.
- Fresh vs. frozen vs. canned vegetables – Fresh vegetables are ideal, but frozen vegetables and canned vegetables are acceptable alternatives due to the processing they go through.
- Organic vs. conventional vegetables – While there’s no hard evidence that organic vegetables are better for rabbits, this is a great rule of thumb for overall health.
Lettuce
Lettuce is an excellent choice for rabbits, as it has few calories and lots of fiber. It also has lots of Vitamin A (essential for eye health) and Vitamin C (for immune health).
Lettuce is also low in protein and high in water, so it’s not nutritious for rabbits in large amounts. You can feed lettuce to rabbits as a treat or as a part of a salad, but don’t rely on it for a full diet.
To prevent lettuce from spoiling, store it in a sealed container in the fridge. Wash lettuce thoroughly before serving, as dirt often collects between the leaves. You can feed lettuce to rabbits of all ages, but young rabbits should only have small amounts.
Spinach
Spinach is a great vegetable for rabbits, as it is high in Vitamin A and C. It is also rich in iron, magnesium, and calcium. While it has more calories than lettuce, it has less protein and is a good source of fiber.
In general, rabbits can eat spinach leaves, but they shouldn’t have the roots. Since spinach has a strong taste, rabbit owners often feed it to their pets as a side dish or garnish. To retain the most nutrients in spinach, wash it thoroughly and remove the stems before serving. As with lettuce, young rabbits should only have small amounts. Once fully grown, rabbits can eat spinach as a large part of their diet.
Kale
Kale is another leafy green that rabbits enjoy, but it should be fed in moderation. While some varieties of kale are low in calories, others are high in calories and protein. You may need to experiment to find a type of kale that’s suitable for your rabbit, but you should never give your pet curly kale.
Curly kale has too many oxalic acids, which are toxic to rabbits. While kale can be fed raw, it is often easier to cook it to reduce the oxalic acid. You can also feed kale to rabbits as a garnish or in salads.
Carrots
Carrots are a common treat for rabbits, but they shouldn’t be fed as a large part of the diet. While carrots are low in calories and high in fiber, they are very low in protein and other nutrients.
Because rabbits also don’t need a lot of sugar, carrots are quite high in sugar. Carrot tops are an excellent source of Vitamin A, but they should only be fed to baby rabbits. Rabbits can eat the carrot itself, but it should be cut up into small pieces.
Broccoli
Broccoli is another vegetable rich in Vitamin A and C and has a low calorie count. However, it is high in protein, which isn’t ideal for rabbits. You should feed broccoli to your rabbit sparingly, as a side dish or garnish. Since broccoli is fibrous, you should feed it to young rabbits sparingly. Fully grown rabbits can eat broccoli as a larger part of their diet.
Beetroot
Beets are high in fiber and low in protein, so they make an excellent treat for rabbits. They are high in Vitamin C and minerals, but they contain a lot of sugar, so they should be fed in moderation. You can feed beets to rabbits as a side dish or in salads.
Zucchini
Zucchini is another common vegetable for rabbits, but it should be fed in moderation. Zucchini is high in fiber and low in protein, but it also has lots of sugar and isn’t very nutritious. Zucchini is best served as a side dish or garnish. You can also feed zucchini to rabbits that are facing health issues.
There are many great vegetables for rabbits, but there are also some foods that should be avoided. To make sure your rabbit gets the best diet possible, avoid high-calorie foods, foods with excessive sugar, and fibrous vegetables.
You can feed your rabbit any fresh vegetable, but be mindful of the overall nutritional value. When in doubt, you can use this handy vegetable guide to select the best veggies for your pet. With the right veggies, your rabbit will thrive both indoors and out.
Hi! I’m Lala, and I’m the owner of RabbitLala.com. When I’m not writing about rabbits, I enjoy traveling, trying out new recipes and enjoying my hobbies.
I’ve always loved animals, so it was no surprise when I started a website devoted to one specific animal: rabbits! Rabbits are amazing creatures, and there’s so much to learn about them.
I love traveling and trying out new recipes, and my hobbies include crocheting and painting.