How much hay should a rabbit eat?

Hay should make up at least 80% of a rabbit's diet and be available at all times, in roughly the volume of the rabbit itself each day. It is the single most important part of a healthy rabbit diet.

What vegetables can rabbits eat every day?

Leafy greens such as kale, spring greens and herbs like basil or parsley are good daily additions in reasonable amounts. Root vegetables like carrot are better kept as an occasional treat rather than a daily habit, given their sugar content.

How much pellet food does a rabbit need?

Only a small, measured portion each day — pellets should top up a hay-based diet, not replace it. Overfeeding pellets at the expense of hay is a common cause of digestive and dental problems in pet rabbits.

Why has my rabbit stopped eating?

This needs urgent veterinary attention. A rabbit's digestive system can shut down within hours of it stopping eating, which is a genuine emergency rather than something to monitor at home overnight.

What do rabbits eat?

Hay should be the largest part of a rabbit's diet by a wide margin — the Rabbit Welfare Association recommends it makes up at least 80% of what a rabbit eats. Fresh leafy greens offered daily and a small measured amount of rabbit pellets fill in the rest, with fruit and starchy treats kept genuinely occasional.

Hay: the majority of every meal

Good-quality grass hay, such as timothy or meadow hay, should be available to a rabbit at all times, in a quantity roughly the size of the rabbit itself each day. Hay provides the fibre a rabbit's digestive system depends on and wears down teeth that grow continuously throughout its life, so a rabbit not eating enough hay is at real risk of both dental and gut problems.

Fresh hay should be topped up regularly and kept dry and dust-free, since a rabbit is less likely to eat hay that has gone stale or damp. A rabbit that is visibly working through less hay than usual is one of the clearest early signs that something needs looking at.

Fresh greens and a measured amount of pellets

A daily helping of leafy greens — such as kale, spring greens, herbs like basil or parsley, and other rabbit-safe vegetables — adds variety and nutrients on top of hay. A small, measured portion of good-quality rabbit pellets tops this up, but pellets should be a small part of the daily diet rather than the main event.

Muesli-style rabbit foods, with separate pieces a rabbit can pick through, are best avoided — rabbits tend to select the tastiest bits and leave the rest, leading to an unbalanced diet and, over time, dental problems from an imbalanced mix of hard and soft foods.

Treats, water and watching for changes

Fruit and root vegetables like carrot are popular with rabbits but are relatively high in sugar for their digestive system, so they should be kept as an occasional treat rather than a daily habit — a small piece a couple of times a week is plenty. Fresh water should be available at all times, from either a bottle or a bowl, and checked daily.

A rabbit that stops eating for more than a few hours needs urgent attention from a vet, since a rabbit's gut can shut down quickly once it stops working, which is a genuine emergency rather than something to wait out at home.

Common questions

How much hay should a rabbit eat?: Hay should make up at least 80% of a rabbit's diet and be available at all times, in roughly the volume of the rabbit itself each day. It is the single most important part of a healthy rabbit diet.
Are muesli-style rabbit foods bad?: They are best avoided. Rabbits tend to pick out the tastiest pieces and leave the rest, which leads to an unbalanced diet and, over time, dental problems from an uneven mix of hard and soft foods. A good hay-based diet with plain pellets is a safer choice.
What vegetables can rabbits eat every day?: Leafy greens such as kale, spring greens and herbs like basil or parsley are good daily additions in reasonable amounts. Root vegetables like carrot are better kept as an occasional treat rather than a daily habit, given their sugar content.
How much pellet food does a rabbit need?: Only a small, measured portion each day — pellets should top up a hay-based diet, not replace it. Overfeeding pellets at the expense of hay is a common cause of digestive and dental problems in pet rabbits.
Why has my rabbit stopped eating?: This needs urgent veterinary attention. A rabbit's digestive system can shut down within hours of it stopping eating, which is a genuine emergency rather than something to monitor at home overnight.

Sources

Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.