You finally gave in and got the kids their first pet: a rabbit. Cute, furry, docile and that nose! Wriggly and oh, so pink! Rabbits make great first pets for kids because they are inexpensive and easy to care for. They don’t make much noise, require less veterinary care unlike dogs and cats, and they live about 7 to 10 years in captivity.
According to the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA), there are about 49 rabbit breeds. Even more breed variations are registered in other countries. The ARBA is a good source of information on rabbits, showing and breeding and is an excellent resource for learning about these charming little creatures. It’s also a very kid-friendly site if you want your kids to participate in what responsible rabbit care looks like. Here, we’ll learn about what to feed your furry friend to ensure they’re living a healthy and happy life.
Feed Me!
Among many other qualities, a great thing about rabbits is that they are relatively inexpensive to feed, but their diet needs to be varied so they get all the nutrition they need. Every day, they need good quality pellets, fresh hay (oat hay or timothy grass), fresh veggies, and lots of clean water. Do your research and ask only for the best! Your little bunny is an important new member of the family and a healthy bunny is a happy bunny! Let’s look at some of the ways to keep your rabbit happy and healthy!
Pellets
Pellets are made from timothy grass or alfalfa. Rabbits need pellets for protein and fiber. They should be fresh so don’t buy more than 6 weeks’ worth. Younger rabbits and ‘kits’ (baby rabbits) love alfalfa pellets, but older rabbits prefer timothy pellets. Hay pellets also reduce hairballs. If you feed fewer pellets, increase the greens and veggies. Be sure to do some thorough research to see what the best pellets for your kind of rabbit are!
What kinds of veggies should I feed my rabbit?
Most rabbits prefer dark green leafy veggies. Lots of lettuce, spinach, and collard greens. As far as veggies go, rabbits love any kind of raw chopped vegetables, try to give them at least 6 lbs daily per body weight. Thankfully, most bunnies don’t weigh that much! But, they should have unlimited amounts of hay and timothy grass for snacking on the daily!
For ’kits’ and ‘teenager’ rabbits a steady diet of pellets and fresh veggies will help them grow into healthy adults in no time at all.
Older bunnies still need a daily ration of unlimited pellets and all the veggies they can eat. At this point, they might actually need a vet visit to determine their calcium levels. But, if you’re gonna feed your rabbit a lower quantity of pellets (or none at all), then increase the nutritional loss with extra veggies!
Hydration Station
Thanks to the plethora of veggies your rabbit will be chowing down on daily, they’ll already have a fair amount of water in their system. However, it’s still important to ensure they’re getting a drink too! Your rabbit will need between 25-50ml of water per pound that they weigh, so ensure that every day you replace their water with the appropriate amount so it’s clean cool and fresh for them.
What did you think about these quick food facts for keeping a healthy rabbit? Are there any other tips and tricks you have come up with when caring for your furry friend? Let us know in the comments below and remember this ‘funny bunny’ fact which will let you know whether you’ve done a good job on their diet:
When a rabbit jumps in the air and twists and spins around, you know he’s a happy bunny! It’s called a ‘binky!’ – cute hey!
For more bunny facts check out our post here!
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