Rabbits are herbivores, meaning that they eat plants. Wild bunnies would not eat meat, and neither should your domesticated roommate.
Apple seeds – contain cyanide, can be deadly in the right quantity. Apricots, peaches & plums – cyanide in seeds/pits, high-sugar fruits. Onion bulbs, chives and garlic – can cause fatal gastric upset. Parsnips – contain psoralens, which are poisonous to bunnies.
Rabbits cannot digest meat, so it will make them sick. A rabbit's digestive tract is designed to process vast amounts of fiber and limited protein. Rabbits get fiber from hay, and protein from pellets. Even wild rabbits are vegan.
Do NOT feed the following: cereals, grains, nuts, seeds, corn, beans, peas, breads, biscuits, sweets, sugar, breakfast cereals, chocolate or any garden plants that are toxic to rabbits (see links below).
Rabbits need high fiber diets, with very little fat, making cheese unsuitable for them to eat. Secondly, cheese has lactose in it, which rabbits cannot digest properly, and this is likely to cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and possibly gas buildup.
Green, leafy vegetables are good for bunnies. You can include arugula, basil, bok choy, broccoli leaves, carrot tops, celery, clover, collard greens, dandelion leaves, dill, endive, kale in small quantities, romaine and dark leaf lettuce, mint, mustard greens, parsley, and watercress.
High Quality Hay
A rabbit's favorite food should be hay, though you may have to take steps to ensure that your rabbit is eating enough before adding in other foods that your rabbit loves. Hay should make up at least 80% of your rabbit's diet, then it's off to the races with fresh veggies and other treats!
Rabbits cannot eat bread. They have evolved to eat mostly grass or hay, along with small amounts of vegetables and fruit. They do not have a digestive system that can cope with bread. If you feed bread to your rabbit, it may eat it, but it is likely to get very sick as a result.
Just because eggs contain a lot of protein, it doesn't mean it's ok to give to rabbits. Actually, you should never feed eggs, no matter if raw or cooked, to a rabbit. Yes, rabbits do need a little bit of protein alongside with the fiber, but they only need a little and from a different source than eggs.
RHDV2 is a highly contagious virus that can spread quickly among rabbit populations. But poses no human health risk. RHD causes sudden death in rabbits and spreads through direct contact between live rabbits or exposure to contaminated materials (carcasses, pelts, food, water, and forage, etc.)
Cereals that are acceptable for rabbit use do not contain any added sugar and are higher in fiber. These include Rolled Oats, Bran Flakes, Cornflakes, Rice Krispies, Shredded Wheat, and Weetabix. However, just because these cereals are safe for rabbit consumption, they're not necessarily good for them.
But rabbits are lactose intolerant, milk is a drink that bunnies cannot digest and can cause harm to their digestive system. Hence bunnies cannot be fed milk or any other dairy products.
Rabbits eating a diet that is too high in carbohydrates (typically pellets) are prone to developing intestinal problems because they are not consuming adequate fiber (grass hay).
Can rabbits eat tomatoes as an occasional treat? Yes, but there are a couple things you should know first. Tomatoes do have some health benefits (they're a great source of vitamins A and C) — but they're also high in sugar. As a result, as with all fruits and vegetables, a small amount is key.
Water Reigns. Yes, water is your bunny's best drink. This makes sense because, just like many mammals, rabbits are made up of about 73 percent water.
Some fruits that rabbits enjoy include: Strawberries. Raspberries. Bananas.
In general, rabbits like to play with toys they can chew, dig, or toss around. Cardboard, twig balls, apple sticks, and natural hay-based toys are often favorites of pet rabbits. Rabbits also commonly enjoy hanging mobile toys and tossing around hard plastic baby toys.
Small pieces of apple, banana, bell pepper, and carrot are often good treats to try. It's sure to make them super happy. To really tell your rabbit you love them, you do need to keep the treats to a minimum though.
Please ensure your rabbits have access to shade and fresh water when outdoors. Positive interactions with humans, such as training, playing games and grooming, are excellent forms of environmental enrichment. Spend quality time with your rabbits several times a day [3].
Though this likely will not come as a surprise, it is worth mentioning that rabbits, as herbivores, should never be offered meat, eggs, or dairy.
Rabbits should not be given more than 2 tablespoons of banana per 5 pounds of their body weight, 2-3 times a week. As a general rule, you should never feed a rabbit a piece of banana that's larger than the size of your thumb.
Yogurt or dairy products should never be fed to rabbits, for the following reasons: - Lactobacillus/Acidobacillus are not a natural host of the adult rabbit intestinal and, if surviving the passage through the acid stomach, it will not survive the anaerobic conditions of the cecum.