Rabbits are remarkable creatures and make for interesting pets, which is why so many pet owners opt for bunnies instead of cats or dogs. For those who don’t own rabbits, you might be surprised by how distinct their personalities are and, if given the right amount of attention and training, they can be quite affectionate with their owners. They can even be trained to use litter boxes! Beyond that, they’re just incredibly cute and it’s understandable why one might seek to have a Bugs Bunny as a pet. If you’re a current or prospective rabbit owner, this article will help you understand their dietary requirements and feed them the best rabbit food possible.
What kind of food do rabbits actually eat?
Rabbits are herbivores, which means they eat only plant-based foods that consist of vegetation and vegetables. They rely on grass or hay as the primary staple in their diets and this is reflected in the natural diet of their cousins, wild rabbits. Wild rabbits eat grass, wildflowers and weeds during the summer and will rely on twigs, bark and any evergreen foliage during the winter. Domesticated rabbits are accustomed to eating pellets and whilst most people assume pellets are carefully formulated to meet all their nutritional requirements, this isn’t entirely the case. Pellets are just economical and convenient for city-based owners who don’t have easy access to hay and would prefer not to pay extra for it or have their furry beloved nibble at the lovely, manicured lawn. However, pellets do contain some of the necessary nutrients that rabbits require and can be part of a balanced diet.
Nutritional requirements
Rabbits need a lot of fibre for both physiological and digestive purposes. Grass is a good source of fibre for them and encourages bowel movement. Grass and hay are also tricky to chew down, which is perfect for rabbits that need the abrasion for their teeth. Because their teeth grow at a rapid pace, they need to be worn down continually in order to prevent serious dental conditions that could lead to them being unable to chew their food properly. If this happens, it could upset the digestive process and, if left unchecked, could cause serious harm or even lead to death in extreme cases.
To keep up with the fast growth rate of their teeth, rabbits’ bodies are designed to absorb whatever calcium is available in their food, so dietary management is required to ensure that your rabbit doesn’t over consume calcium. Phosphorus helps regulate calcium levels, so a double ratio of phosphorus to calcium is ideal.
Carbohydrates are the main way rabbits obtain energy and this category is divided into fibre and starch. Starch is digestible and is derived mostly from vegetable consumption. Fibre is considered indigestible and comes from eating grass. That’s not to say it’s actually indigestible, rabbits just have a curious way of making it digestible.
Eating poop is important
For rabbits, anyway. It’s a process called Caecotrophy and it’s imperative not to interrupt this just because people consider it ‘gross’. It’s actually a very clever process that enables rabbits to ingest 20% more protein by breaking down food to extract amino acids. Some pet owners may be outraged by the suggestion that their rabbits eat poop. ‘What? I’ve never seen my rabbit do that!’ This is because rabbits don’t eat all their poop. It’s actually a specific kind of fecal matter called Cecotropes that is only passed during the night and almost immediately consumed by the rabbit. Cecotropes are identifiably softer and stickier than the usual pellety-shaped rabbit feces. They comprise half-digested food that still has a lot of leftover nutrients, protein and vitamins that can be absorbed by the rabbit upon redigesting it. The more you know, eh?
Scientific lingo aside: what should I feed my rabbit?
Of course, if you’re not interested in reading a thesis of data on rabbit nutrition, you could just take the conclusion. Nutritionists recommend an 85:10:5 ratio where 85% of their daily diet should be a combination of hay and freshly pulled grass, 10% should be vegetables and the remaining 5% is allocated to pellets. Bear in mind, not all vegetables can be fed to rabbits and only high-quality, recommended pellets should be given.