Rabbit diet — feeding ratio, safe greens and foods to avoid
Source: RSPCA pet care advice (rspca.org.uk), a copyrighted animal-welfare organisation. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, the points below are paraphrased derived fact summaries: numerical values and proper nouns are preserved from the source, but sentences are rewritten and not quoted verbatim.
Claims
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A rabbit's diet should be about 85% hay and fresh grass, 10% leafy green vegetables and herbs, and 5% pellets.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Pet rabbits should always have good-quality hay and/or grass available to eat as much as they want — at least one bundle every day, as big as the rabbit itself.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Rabbits need a large handful of safe, washed leafy green vegetables, herbs and weeds daily, ideally five to six different types; introduce new greens gradually in small amounts to avoid stomach upsets.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Safe leafy greens include spinach, celery, cabbage, kale, broccoli, rosemary, parsley, mint and dandelion leaves.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Fruit and root vegetables (e.g. carrots) should only be given in small amounts as an occasional treat.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Muesli-style foods are not recommended for rabbits: they can cause serious dental disease and digestive problems and can lead to obesity.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Sudden changes in diet can upset a rabbit's digestive system, so any change to a healthier diet should be made gradually over several weeks.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Fresh, clean drinking water must be available to rabbits at all times.