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!
What do rabbits eat? Rabbits should have a daily diet of mostly hay, a smaller amount of fresh vegetables, and a limited number of pellets. Hay is the most important part of a rabbit's daily intake. Unlimited, high-quality grass hay, such as Timothy, orchard or brome, should make up the bulk of a rabbit's diet.
Some of their favorites are radishes and their green tops, bell peppers, leafy greens (basil, cilantro, romaine, frisee, watercress, dandelion greens), pumpkin, and more. For more information, check out The House Rabbit Society's rabbit food ideas on their site.
Some fruits that rabbits enjoy include: Strawberries. Raspberries. Bananas.
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).
Once they've committed to eating their daily hay, your rabbit will be ecstatic to eat green, leafy vegetables like lettuce and escarole. The tops of several vegetables, such as radishes or carrots also make great treats.
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.
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.
Most rabbits love to be cuddled and stroked when approached in the right way. Few like being held or carried as being so high up from the ground makes them feel insecure, however, many will happily sit on your lap or snuggle up next to you for a cuddle.
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].
Like humans, rabbits drink more water on hot days, when they may consume up to four times more water than feed. On a normal day a doe and her litter will drink about a gallon of water. Water is one of the most com- mon substances in nature and one of the most vital nutrients in most animals' diet.
Healthy treats
Carrots and apples are fine as occasional treats in small amounts, but don't feed any other treats, as these may harm your rabbit. Find out more about making feeding time fun for your rabbits.
Rabbits lick for affection, not for salt. Licking means “I love you, I trust you.” Lunging may occur when you reach into your rabbit's cage to clean, give food, or to take your rabbit out – a sign of disapproval.
Rabbits rarely fall in love at first sight, but indifference is a good first sign of a potential pairing. Some rabbits will groom, other rabbits will present their heads to be groomed. Some rabbits lean into the other rabbit which is a very good sign.
Bunny Sweet Spots
The nose, face, cheeks, and ears seem like safe areas to try. Under the chin might or might not be a problem area, depending on the rabbit. The back is likely safe. The belly, feet, and rear end seem like no-go areas.
But there is one rabbit that is considered to be “scientifically cute” — the smallest rabbit in the world, the pygmy rabbit.
During their lives, rabbits will gravitate toward their favorite flowering plants throughout the growing season, relishing pansies, and tulips in the spring, snacking on impatiens, oakleaf hydrangea, and hybrid lilies in the summer, and celebrating a fall harvest of asters come September and October.
Objects to play with or throw - such as untreated straw, wicker, sea-grass mats and baskets, balls and plastic flower pots. Solid plastic baby toys such as 'key rings', rattles, stacking cups and some robust cat and parrot toys can make good rabbit toys.
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.
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.
They love to gnaw on, toss, push and rearrange their “toys” — and they are curious and excited about new playthings. Below is a list of safe “toys” (do-it-yourself options and toys you can buy) that will keep your rabbits from getting bored and bring bunny fun into their lives.
Offering red carpets, cushions, or blankets to your rabbit allows them to seek out this vibrational energy whenever they need it. In my work with rabbits and other animals, it's very evident that they love to lie on the red when they lack regular contact with the outdoors. In contrast to red, blue is cooling.
Nudging, head butting or rubbing against you is rabbit body language for loving attention. 'Give them a stroke or cuddle, or what you know they enjoy', says Rosie. 'Rubbing their faces against you is a way of sharing their scent profile, and showing that you really are friends.
The signs of an unhappy rabbit
Pulling at their fur and over-grooming - or not grooming at all. A change in feeding or toilet habits. Drinking a lot more. Repeated circling or pacing up and down.