Complete Rabbit Diet Guide: Hay, Veggies, Pellets & More

Rabbits are herbivores with a digestive system built for constant fiber intake. For most adult pet rabbits, the foundation of the diet is unlimited grass hay such as timothy, orchard, or brome. Hay helps keep the gut moving, supports healthy cecotrope production, and gives the cheek teeth the long grinding motion they need every day. Measured pellets and fresh leafy greens can round out the diet, but they should not replace hay.

A practical way to think about rabbit nutrition is hay first, greens second, pellets third, treats last. Adult rabbits usually do best on timothy-based pellets rather than alfalfa-based pellets. Alfalfa is richer in calories, protein, and calcium, which can be useful for young, growing rabbits but may be too rich for many healthy adults. Your vet may also recommend diet adjustments for rabbits with obesity, dental disease, bladder sludge, urinary stones, or chronic soft stool.

Variety matters, especially with vegetables. Offering several rabbit-safe leafy greens over the week can improve enrichment and reduce the chance that one high-calcium or high-sugar item dominates the menu. Romaine, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, cilantro, basil, bok choy, and carrot tops are common options. Spinach, parsley, kale, and dandelion greens can be fed more thoughtfully because they are higher in calcium for some rabbits.

Diet mistakes are one of the most common reasons rabbits develop preventable health problems. Too many pellets or treats can crowd out hay, leading to obesity, soft stool, painful gas, and reduced fecal output. If you are changing foods, do it gradually over several days to a few weeks, and involve your vet if your rabbit is very young, older, underweight, or has a history of GI or urinary disease.

For most adult rabbits, hay should be available at all times and should make up the bulk of the diet. A commonly used guideline for timothy-based pellets is about 1/8 to 1/4 cup per 5 pounds of body weight daily. Fresh leafy greens are often offered at about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mixed greens per day, though some rabbit-focused sources and clinicians use larger amounts for bigger rabbits. The safest plan is to use measured portions and ask your vet to tailor the amount to your rabbit’s body condition, age, and medical history.

Young rabbits under about 7 to 8 months often have different needs. They may be fed alfalfa hay and alfalfa-based pellets more freely while growing, then transitioned onto an adult grass-hay diet as growth slows. That transition should be gradual. Sudden diet changes can upset the balance of bacteria in the gut and may trigger decreased appetite or abnormal stool.

Treat foods need tighter limits. Fruit is best kept to 1 to 2 tablespoons once or twice weekly, and carrots are better treated like a sweet snack than a staple vegetable. Avoid muesli-style mixes, seeds, nuts, bread, crackers, yogurt drops, and cereal. These foods are too high in starch, sugar, or fat and do not support normal rabbit digestion.

Fresh water should be available 24/7 in a clean bowl, bottle, or both. If your rabbit suddenly drinks less, leaves hay behind, or starts favoring pellets over hay, that is not a harmless preference. It can be an early clue that the diet is unbalanced or that pain, dental disease, or illness is interfering with normal eating.

See your vet immediately if your rabbit stops eating, produces very few droppings, seems bloated, sits hunched, grinds teeth in pain, or becomes weak and quiet. Rabbits can decline quickly when gut movement slows. What starts as a diet issue can turn into dehydration, painful gas, and GI stasis in a short time.

More gradual diet-related warning signs include soft stool stuck to the rear end, excess cecotropes, weight gain, selective eating, reduced hay intake, and smaller or fewer fecal pellets. Some rabbits on overly rich diets develop chronic mushy stool rather than true diarrhea. Others become overweight because pellets and treats are crowding out hay.

Dental and urinary clues matter too. A rabbit that wants food but drops it, chews oddly, or avoids hay may have painful teeth that need a veterinary exam. Rabbits eating high-calcium diets for long periods may also be more prone to urinary sludge or stones, especially if they are sedentary or do not drink well. Straining to urinate, urine scald, or thick chalky urine should prompt a prompt visit with your vet.

When in doubt, watch the three basics: appetite, droppings, and attitude. A healthy rabbit should eat throughout the day, pass regular fecal pellets, and stay engaged with the environment. Any meaningful change in one of those areas deserves attention, especially if it lasts more than a few hours.

If your rabbit loves pellets or sweet produce, the goal is not to remove enjoyment from meals. It is to shift that enjoyment toward foods that better support long-term gut and dental health. The safest everyday alternative to calorie-dense snacks is more fresh grass hay, offered in different textures such as timothy, orchard, meadow, or brome. Many rabbits eat more hay when it is refreshed often, stuffed into toys, or offered in several locations.

For vegetables, focus on leafy, water-rich, lower-sugar options. Good rotation choices include romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, cilantro, basil, bok choy, escarole, endive, and carrot tops. If your rabbit has a history of bladder sludge or stones, ask your vet which greens fit best, since some rabbits benefit from a more careful approach to higher-calcium vegetables.

Instead of frequent fruit treats, try using tiny portions of herbs or a favorite leafy green as rewards. Chew enrichment also helps. Untreated grass mats, cardboard, and rabbit-safe hay toys can satisfy the need to forage and chew without adding extra sugar or starch. That can be especially helpful for rabbits that beg for snacks out of boredom.

If you are unsure whether your rabbit’s current menu is balanced, bring a 3-day diet log to your next visit with your vet. Include hay type, pellet brand, vegetable amounts, treats, water intake, and stool changes. That gives your vet a much clearer picture and can help you build a feeding plan that matches your rabbit, your routine, and your budget.