What Do Rabbits Eat
Like any pet, feeding the appropriate diet will ensure a healthy rabbit; however, many wonder what do rabbits eat? Finding the answer can depend on the rabbit you have.
Rabbits in the wild outdoors feast upon a myriad of foods. Grasses, plant shoots, leaves and even bark off trees and bushes may make up a wild rabbit’s diet. In most cartoons featuring rabbits, they are often seen in Farmer John’s garden, digging up carrots, parsnips and munching on beet tops. There is merit to that depiction, as a wild rabbit will consider a garden, fenced or not, to be part of its natural habitat and help itself. Being herbivores, rabbits will seek out vegetation to supply their dietary needs.
Chances are that your rabbit was not rescued from the wild, but rather, purchased in a pet store or directly from a breeder. So, the question remains: what do rabbits eat? Rabbits born and raised in captivity are still going to be herbivores, but instead of foraging for their own food, will rely solely on you to supply it for them.
Knowing the answer to what do rabbits eat can be as simply as asking the pet store owner or the breeder what they had been feeding the pet before you took him home. This will give you insight as to what your pet rabbit is accustomed to eating so you can continue along the same lines.
Diets that are high in fiber are recommended for pet rabbits. Fiber rich meals will keep their stomachs healthy and provide the chewing and chomping rabbits need to keep healthy teeth as well. Just like in Farmer John’s garden, fresh vegetables should be on your rabbit’s table every day, as well as good amounts of hay. There are commercial products that are well balanced to meet a rabbit’s nutritional needs. These are the types of foods that a veterinarian who is asked, “What do rabbit eat?” will most likely suggest for your rabbit.
The importance of a good rabbit diet is not only a decided from a health standpoint for the rabbit, but also for a lower odor level for its human. Rabbit urine is notoriously strong with a sharp ammonia odor, and becomes much more noxious with the wrong diet. Too much protein can cause red urine, meaning that the protein is not being digested. For this situation, a food with less protein should immediately be offered. Correcting your pet’s diet will drastically cut down on any odor problems. It is easy to understand why asking, what do rabbits eat, and then following a professional’s advice is so important.
Making sure that you know the answer to the question “what do rabbits eat” can save you from problems such as veterinarian calls and bad odors. More importantly, it can save your rabbit’s health while at the same time ensuring that you have a happy, contented pet.