What Do Rabbits Eat? The Complete Diet, Hay and Treats Guide

Hay and grass make about 85 percent of a rabbit’s diet, available all day — roughly a bundle at least as big as the rabbit itself, daily. Leafy greens make about 10 percent: an adult-sized handful of safe, washed greens each day. Pellets or nuggets make about 5 percent: a small measured amount only.

What do rabbits eat? Mostly hay and grass — about 85% of the diet — plus a daily handful of leafy greens (about 10%) and a small measured amount of pellets (about 5%), with carrots and fruit kept as occasional treats, not staples.

Picture a new rabbit owner at the supermarket, trolley full of carrots. It feels right — cartoons taught us rabbits live on carrots, and pet shops sell bright bags of mixed food that look like rabbit breakfast cereal. Both pictures are wrong, and both cause real harm: dental disease, gut trouble and obesity are among the most common problems vets see in pet rabbits, and diet sits behind a large share of them.

A rabbit’s gut and teeth are built for one job — processing large amounts of tough, fibrous grazing, all day long. Feed for that design and most questions answer themselves.

If you are comparing pets before you choose one, start with our overview of small pets and how differently they all eat and live — then come back here for the rabbit detail.

At a Glance

• Hay and grass: about 85% of the diet, available all day — roughly a bundle at least as big as the rabbit itself, daily.
• Leafy greens: about 10% — an adult-sized handful of safe, washed greens each day.
• Pellets or nuggets: about 5% — a small measured amount only, roughly an egg-cup full per kilogram of body weight.
• Carrots and fruit are sugary treats: small pieces occasionally, never a main food.
• Skip muesli-style mixes, iceberg lettuce, potatoes, onions, rhubarb and lawnmower clippings.

Contents

• What do rabbits eat each day? The 85-10-5 split
• Hay and grass: the food everything else supports
• Leafy greens, herbs and weeds
• Pellets and nuggets: a supplement, not a meal
• Treats, carrots and the Bugs Bunny myth
• Safe and unsafe foods at a glance
• Caecotrophs: the droppings your rabbit is meant to eat
• Water, routine and changing foods safely
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sources and Further Reading

What do rabbits eat each day? The 85-10-5 split

The RSPCA and the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF) give the same simple split, and it is worth learning by heart:

Part of the diet	Share	Daily amount for an adult rabbit
Hay and grass	About 85%	Unlimited — at least a rabbit-sized bundle a day
Leafy greens and herbs	About 10%	An adult-sized handful, washed
Pellets or nuggets	About 5%	A small measured amount (see below — sources vary slightly)
Treats (fruit, carrot)	Occasional only	A small piece, a few times a week at most
Fresh water	Always	Available all day, checked and refreshed daily

Those percentages are a guide to proportions, not a weighing exercise. In practice: hay is the meal, greens are the side dish, pellets are the vitamin pill, and everything else is pudding.

Age matters. Young, growing, pregnant, nursing or underweight rabbits may need more pellets and richer hay — ask your vet about the right plan for your rabbit’s life stage rather than guessing.

Hay and grass: the food everything else supports

Hay does three jobs at once, which is why no other food can replace it.

First, fibre. A rabbit’s gut needs long fibre moving through it almost constantly. When that movement slows, the gut can slow with it — a serious, sometimes life-threatening problem called gut stasis. Unlimited hay keeps things moving.

Second, teeth. Rabbit teeth grow throughout life. Chewing hay and grass side-to-side, against the abrasive silica in grass blades, wears those teeth down evenly. The RWAF warns that rabbits who do not eat enough hay can develop painful spurs that cut into the tongue and gums.

Third, time. Wild rabbits spend much of the day grazing. A big pile of hay gives a pet rabbit that same occupation — eating, sorting, digging and resting in it — instead of boredom.

Choosing and offering hay well

Good feeding hay is dry, sweet-smelling and free from dust and mould. Offer it in racks, stuffed into cardboard tubes, and in or near the litter tray — many rabbits graze while they toilet, and it encourages more hay eating. Refresh it daily.

Fresh-growing grass is excellent where you can offer it safely, and kiln-dried grass makes a useful extra. One firm rule from the RSPCA: never feed lawnmower clippings. They ferment quickly and can make rabbits ill. Hand-picked grass, away from roadsides and sprays, is the safe version.

Alfalfa hay is the exception — rich and high in calcium, so the RWAF treats it as an occasional food for healthy adults rather than a staple.

Leafy greens, herbs and weeds

Greens bring variety, moisture and micronutrients, and they are the part of the diet rabbits visibly enjoy hunting through. The RSPCA puts the amount at a large, adult-sized handful of safe, washed leafy greens daily, rotating several types rather than feeding the same one or two every day.

Reliable everyday choices on RSPCA and RWAF lists include romaine lettuce, spring greens, watercress, rocket, coriander, mint, basil, rosemary and dandelion leaves from a pesticide-free patch. Spinach, cabbage and celery are fine too, but better offered occasionally and in smaller amounts.

Introduce anything new gradually, one food at a time and in small amounts. A soft dropping after a new green usually means you went too fast, not that the food is forbidden. Wash everything, and skip anything you cannot identify if you are picking from the garden.

And the lettuce detail that catches people out: iceberg lettuce is on the RSPCA’s avoid list. It offers very little nutrition and its high water content can upset digestion. Dark, leafy lettuces such as romaine are the better choice.

Pellets and nuggets: a supplement, not a meal

Pellets exist to top up vitamins and minerals — that is all. The commonest feeding mistake is a bowl topped up whenever it empties, because a rabbit filling up on pellets stops eating hay.

Here the sources vary a little, and it is better to show you than to hide it. The RSPCA advises about 25g of nuggets per kilogram of body weight per day, roughly an egg-cup full per kilogram. The RWAF advises 15g per kilogram. Both agree on the point that matters: a small, measured amount — about 5% of the diet — not a free-flowing bowl. Let your vet settle the exact grams for your rabbit.

Choose plain, high-fibre pellets or nuggets where every piece looks the same. That sameness is the feature, as the next section explains.

Why muesli-style mixes are discouraged

Muesli-style foods — the colourful mixes of flakes, seeds, grains and pellets — are discouraged by the RSPCA for a clear reason: selective feeding. Rabbits pick out the tasty, starchy, lower-fibre pieces and leave the nutritious parts behind, giving an unbalanced diet linked to dental problems, digestive issues and weight gain.

If your rabbit is on muesli now, do not swap overnight. The RSPCA suggests changing gradually over about 14 to 28 days, mixing in more nuggets and less muesli each few days.

Treats, carrots and the Bugs Bunny myth

Now the carrot. Carrots are high in sugar — for a rabbit, closer to cake than to a main course. The RSPCA is blunt: carrots are not the best food for rabbits, they contribute to weight gain and digestive problems, and the leafy tops are the better everyday offering. The cartoon image of a rabbit living on carrots is a myth that stuck.

Treats still have a place. A small piece of carrot, apple (no pips — the RSPCA lists fruit pips and stones as poisonous), banana or a few berries, a few times a week, makes hand-feeding and trust-building easier. A handful of fresh herbs usually delights a rabbit just as much, without the sugar.

This is also where rabbit feeding stops resembling the other small pets in this series. A rabbit needs a fibre mountain and almost no sugar; read why a hamster’s biting is rarely about food at all and our guide to what ferrets eat as meat-only feeders and you will see three animals whose bowls should never be swapped.

Safe and unsafe foods at a glance

Generally safe (in the right amounts)	Avoid
Timothy, meadow and other feeding hays; fresh grass	Muesli-style mixes
Romaine lettuce, spring greens, watercress, rocket	Iceberg lettuce
Coriander, mint, basil, rosemary, parsley, dandelion leaves	Potatoes and sweet potatoes, raw or cooked
Broccoli, cabbage, kale and spinach (rotate, smaller amounts)	Onions, leeks, garlic and rhubarb
Carrot tops; small pieces of carrot as a treat	Avocado, chocolate and fruit pips or stones
Small pieces of apple, banana or berries as treats	Bread, pasta, cereals and human snack foods
Fresh water, always available	Lawnmower clippings; dairy, eggs and meat

If your rabbit has eaten something on the avoid list and seems unwell, contact your vet promptly and say what was eaten and roughly how much.

Caecotrophs: the droppings your rabbit is meant to eat

Rabbits produce two kinds of droppings. The familiar hard, round pellets are waste. The second kind — soft, shiny clusters called caecotrophs — are not waste at all. Your rabbit eats them directly, usually unseen, recovering protein, vitamins and helpful gut bacteria that a first pass through the gut did not absorb. The RSPCA describes caecotrophs as an essential part of the diet.

Finding lots of uneaten, sticky caecotrophs stuck to fur or bedding is information, not disgust. It can mean the diet is too rich (too many pellets or treats, too little hay), that teeth or joints make reaching round uncomfortable, or that your rabbit is carrying extra weight. Diet and behaviour are linked in rabbits more than most owners expect — our guide to reading rabbit body language shows how appetite changes double as communication.

Water, routine and changing foods safely

Fresh, clean water must be available all day. The RSPCA notes that many rabbits drink more readily from a heavy ceramic bowl than from a bottle; if you use a bottle, check the tip daily for blockages.

Keep timing steady: unlimited hay topped up morning and evening, greens and pellets during active periods — early morning and late afternoon suit most rabbits. Then follow three change rules:

• Change any food gradually over days to weeks, never suddenly — sudden changes can upset the gut.
• Add one new green at a time, so you can spot the culprit if droppings soften.
• Watch appetite and droppings daily; a rabbit who stops eating or passing droppings needs a vet the same day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do rabbits eat in the wild?

Wild rabbits graze mainly on grass and leafy plants for much of the day. That is the model the pet diet copies: mostly grass and hay, some leafy variety, almost nothing sugary or starchy.

Can rabbits eat carrots every day?

No. Carrots are sugary treats, not a daily staple. A small piece a few times a week is plenty; feed the green carrot tops instead as part of the daily greens.

How much hay should a rabbit eat in a day?

At least a bundle roughly the size of the rabbit’s own body, every day — and in practice, unlimited. If the pile is gone or soiled, replace it.

Are pellets essential, or can a rabbit live on hay and greens alone?

Pellets are a small top-up of vitamins and minerals, included in welfare guidance at about 5% of the diet. Do not drop or increase them on guesswork — ask your vet what suits your rabbit.

Why is my rabbit eating its droppings?

Because it is supposed to. The soft caecotrophs are re-eaten to absorb nutrients missed the first time round. Only worry if you regularly find many uneaten, which can signal a too-rich diet or a health issue.

What should I do if my rabbit stops eating?

Treat it as urgent. Rabbits deteriorate quickly when the gut slows. Offer favourite hay and greens, check water, and contact a vet the same day — immediately if there are also no droppings, a hunched posture or tooth grinding.

Which leafy greens are safe for rabbits every day?

Romaine lettuce, herbs such as parsley, basil and mint, spring greens, and dandelion leaves are good daily options. Avoid iceberg lettuce, which is mostly water and can cause diarrhoea, and introduce new greens one at a time in small amounts. Wash everything, and vary the mix across the week rather than feeding one green alone.

How much water does a rabbit need?

Fresh water all day, every day, from a heavy bowl or a bottle — many rabbits drink better from a bowl. A rabbit drinks roughly 50 to 150 ml per kilogram of body weight daily, more in heat or on a dry diet. Change the water daily, clean the container, and watch intake: a rabbit who suddenly drinks far more, or stops drinking, needs a vet check.

Can a baby rabbit eat the same food as an adult?

Not quite. Baby rabbits need unlimited alfalfa hay and pellets until about 7 months, then a gradual switch to grass hay and measured pellets. Introduce greens slowly from around 12 weeks, one at a time. An adult diet fed too early, or an adult rabbit kept on baby food, both cause problems — follow the age stages, and ask your vet if you are unsure.

Sources and Further Reading

• RSPCA — What do rabbits eat? Diet, the 85-10-5 split, foods to avoid and muesli — https://www.rspca.org.uk/en/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits/diet
• Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF) — What to feed pet rabbits: complete diet guide — https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/welfare-need/how-to-feed-rabbits/
• RSPCA — Rabbit food leaflet: hay bundle, handful of greens, measured nuggets — https://www.rspca.org.uk/webContent/staticImages/RAWRabbitFood.pdf
• PDSA — Getting your rabbit into shape: hay, vegetables and nuggets guidance — https://www.pdsa.org.uk/media/2540/pdsa-getting-your-rabbit-into-shape.pdf
• MSD Animal Health / UK MyPet — Top tips for rabbit nutrition: fibre and caecotrophy — https://uk.mypet.com/feed/

This guide is educational information only and is not a substitute for advice from your own vet — if your rabbit stops eating, stops passing droppings, or you are worried about their diet or weight, contact a vet promptly.