List for a Rabbit's Diet

House rabbits require a combination of fresh foods and commercial pellets to achieve optimum health. The right mix of different foods in the proper quantities can promote good health and longevity in domestic rabbits. Commercial diets, while expensive, do not provide the complete picture when it comes to nutrition for a pet rabbit.

  1. Vegetables

    • Feed a minimum of one cup of fresh vegetables for every four pounds of bunny weight. Choose leafy greens like kale, chard, leafy lettuces, mustard greens and parsley primarily. Choose bright and colorful vegetables such as carrots, beets, brussel sprouts, radicchio, radishes, red-leaf lettuce, mint, romaine lettuce, spinach, bok choy, broccoli, sprouts and both red and green peppers. Experiment with different vegetables to discover which your rabbit prefers to eat.

    Fruits

    • Limit the rabbit's diet to between one and two small pieces of fruit every day. Some fruits can cause soft stools; discontinue feeding should this be the case. High fiber fruits are best, and sugary varieties such as grapes and bananas should only be fed sparingly or in very small portions. Feed melon, apples, blueberries, peeled oranges, peaches, papaya, pineapple, pears, strawberries, raspberries and plums.

    Hay

    • Provide your rabbit with a constant supply of fresh hay and grasses. Provide young bunnies with constant access to mixed grass or timothy hay as soon as they are eating on their own. Alfalfa is another option, but it is higher in calorie content and should be fed sparingly.

    Pellets

    • Feed a commercial pellet diet in addition to the fresh offerings. Choose a pellet variety that is plain without any dyed pieces or unnecessary additions. Varieties that are infused with timothy hay are the most nutritionally sound, but they should not replace providing fresh hay on a daily basis as well.

    Water

    • Provide an unlimited supply of water to your rabbit on a constant basis. Either a water bottle or bowl will suffice, but keep it clean and full at all times. Fresh, filtered water is better than water from the tap as it lacks chlorine and other chemicals that the rabbit may be sensitive to.