What Do Rabbits Eat? A Simple Daily Diet Guide
What do rabbits eat? A clear daily feeding guide: unlimited grass hay, leafy greens, measured pellets, occasional treats, and fresh water for a healthy bunny.
If you have just brought a rabbit home, the food question can feel surprisingly confusing. Pet store shelves are full of colorful mixes and yogurt drops, cartoons show rabbits living on carrots, and well-meaning advice often contradicts itself. The good news is that a healthy rabbit diet is actually simple, and once you understand the basic pattern you will rarely have to think about it again.
Here is the whole thing in one sentence: a rabbit should eat unlimited grass hay, a daily handful of leafy greens, a small measured portion of plain pellets, and have constant access to fresh water, with treats kept rare. That balance keeps a rabbit's sensitive gut moving and its ever-growing teeth worn down, which are the two health pillars every other feeding decision rests on.
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The everyday grass hay that should make up most of the diet
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Plain timothy-based pellets to feed in a small measured portion
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Heavy tip-proof ceramic bowl many rabbits prefer over a bottle
Hay Is About 80 Percent of the Diet
Grass hay is the single most important food in your rabbit's life. It should make up roughly 80 percent of what your rabbit eats, and it should never run out. Timothy, orchard grass, and meadow hay are all excellent everyday choices for adult rabbits. The reason hay matters so much comes down to two things working at once.
First, the long strands of fiber keep food moving steadily through the digestive tract. Rabbits cannot vomit, so their entire system depends on a constant gentle flow. When fiber runs low, the gut can slow or stop, a serious condition called GI stasis that is one of the most common reasons rabbits end up at the emergency vet. Second, hay requires a lot of side-to-side chewing, and that grinding wears down teeth that grow continuously for a rabbit's whole life. Without enough chewing, teeth overgrow into painful spurs and misalignment called malocclusion.
Offer hay in a generous pile or a rack, keep it dry and fresh-smelling, and top it up so there is always more than your rabbit can finish. A simple hay feeder keeps it clean and off the floor, which encourages more eating.
Make Hay Easy to Eat
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Leafy Greens Every Day
After hay, fresh leafy greens are the most valuable food you can give. A good daily target is roughly one packed cup of greens per 2 pounds of body weight, offered as a variety rather than a single type. Rotating several greens helps balance nutrients and keeps mealtimes interesting. Reliable everyday choices include romaine and other dark leaf lettuces, green and red leaf lettuce, cilantro, parsley, basil, mint, dill, bok choy, and the leafy tops of carrots and radishes.
Introduce any new green slowly, one at a time, and watch the litter box for soft stools. Wash everything well, and skip iceberg lettuce, which is mostly water and offers little nutrition. Greens high in calcium or oxalates, like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard, are fine in small rotated amounts but should not be the daily base.
Pellets Are a Small Supplement
Pellets often get treated as the main meal because they come in a bag and look like food. In a healthy adult rabbit's diet, though, they are a small supplement that fills minor nutritional gaps. The standard portion is about a quarter cup of plain pellets per 5 to 6 pounds of body weight per day. Overfeeding pellets is one of the most common diet mistakes, leading to overweight rabbits who fill up on pellets and ignore the hay they really need.
Choose a plain, uniform, timothy-based pellet for adults. Avoid muesli-style mixes with colorful pieces, seeds, dried fruit, and corn, because rabbits pick out the sugary bits and leave the healthy ones. A good plain pellet looks boring, and that is exactly what you want.
Treats, Fruit, and the Carrot Myth
Treats are where the famous carrot myth causes trouble. Carrots are a root vegetable high in natural sugar, so they are a treat, not a staple. The same goes for fruit. A couple of thin carrot coins, a small slice of apple or banana, or a few berries, given a few times a week, is the right scale. Stick to plain, single-ingredient treats or small pieces of fruit and vegetables, and skip anything from the store aisle that is bright, crunchy, or yogurt-coated, since those are loaded with sugar and starch a rabbit's gut handles poorly.
| Food group | How much | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Grass hay | Unlimited (about 80% of diet) | Always available |
| Leafy greens | ~1 cup per 2 lb body weight | Daily, varied |
| Plain pellets | ~1/4 cup per 5 to 6 lb | Daily, measured |
| Fruit and root veg | 1 to 2 small pieces | A few times a week |
| Fresh water | Unlimited | Refresh daily |
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Fresh Water Always
Water is easy to overlook, but rabbits drink more than many owners expect. Always keep clean, fresh water available and change it daily. Some rabbits drink more readily from a heavy ceramic bowl, which mimics a natural drinking posture, while others do well with a bottle that keeps the water cleaner. Offering both for a while lets your rabbit show a preference. A noticeable drop in drinking, or a sudden increase, is worth a chat with your vet.
How Age Changes the Diet
Most of this guide describes a healthy adult rabbit. Young rabbits under about 7 months are still growing and can have alfalfa hay and alfalfa-based pellets for extra protein and calcium, then transition gradually to grass hay and adult pellets as they mature. Senior rabbits and those with health conditions sometimes need adjustments, such as softer greens or vet-recommended diet changes for issues like bladder sludge or dental disease. Any major change should happen slowly, over one to two weeks, to protect the sensitive gut.
The Bottom Line
What do rabbits eat? Mostly hay, with leafy greens daily, a small measured serving of plain pellets, occasional treats, and plenty of fresh water. It is a simple, affordable routine, and getting it right prevents the gut and dental problems that send so many rabbits to the vet. If you are ever unsure about a specific food or your rabbit's individual needs, a rabbit-savvy exotic vet is always the best source of advice for your particular bunny.
Related Diet Guides
- Best Hay for Rabbits - Comparing timothy, orchard, and meadow hay.
- Safe Vegetables for Rabbits - The full list of daily greens.
- Can Rabbits Eat Carrots? - Busting the biggest rabbit food myth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a pet rabbit eat every day?
Every day a rabbit needs unlimited fresh grass hay, which should make up about 80 percent of the diet, plus a generous handful of washed leafy greens, a small measured portion of plain pellets, and constant fresh water. Treats like a slice of fruit are occasional extras, not daily staples. This simple pattern keeps the gut moving and the teeth worn down, which are the two things rabbits depend on most.
Why is hay so important for rabbits?
Hay does two jobs nothing else can. The long fiber keeps the digestive system moving, which prevents dangerous GI stasis, and the constant chewing grinds down teeth that grow continuously through a rabbit's life. Without enough hay, rabbits are prone to gut slowdowns and painful dental problems like molar spurs. That is why grass hay should always be available, day and night.
How many pellets should I feed my rabbit?
Most adult rabbits need only about a quarter cup of plain timothy-based pellets per 5 to 6 pounds of body weight per day. Pellets are a concentrated supplement, not the main meal. Too many lead to weight gain and crowd out the hay your rabbit should be eating. Choose a plain, uniform pellet without seeds, dried fruit, or colorful bits, and measure the portion rather than free-feeding.
Can rabbits eat carrots and fruit?
Yes, but only in tiny amounts as treats. Carrots and fruit are high in sugar, so the cartoon image of a rabbit munching carrots all day is misleading. A couple of thin coins of carrot or a thumbnail-sized piece of apple a few times a week is plenty. Leafy greens, not roots or fruit, are the vegetable rabbits should eat most often.
Do baby rabbits eat the same diet as adults?
Not quite. Young rabbits under about 7 months can have alfalfa hay and alfalfa-based pellets for the extra protein and calcium their growing bodies need. Around 6 to 7 months you gradually switch them to grass hay like timothy and adult pellets, because alfalfa becomes too rich for an adult and can contribute to bladder sludge. Always make diet changes slowly over a couple of weeks.
What foods are dangerous for rabbits?
Never feed chocolate, onions, garlic, avocado, rhubarb, raw beans, potatoes, iceberg lettuce in quantity, or anything sugary, salty, or processed like crackers and yogurt drops. Grass clippings from a mower can also cause serious gut upset. When in doubt, leave it out and check with a rabbit-savvy exotic vet, since a rabbit's digestive system is far more delicate than it looks.
How much water does a rabbit drink?
Rabbits drink more than people expect, often as much as a small dog of similar weight. Always provide clean, fresh water and refresh it daily. Many rabbits drink more readily from a heavy ceramic bowl than a bottle, though a bottle keeps water cleaner. Reduced drinking, or a sudden change in either direction, is worth mentioning to your vet.
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