How much hay should a rabbit eat a day?

Roughly its own body size in hay every day, and it should be available constantly rather than given in portions. If your rabbit is not eating that much, it is usually because something more palatable is filling it up.

Can rabbits eat carrots?

In small amounts as an occasional treat. Carrot is a root vegetable and high in sugar, so despite the cartoon reputation it is not an everyday food. Carrot tops are a better regular green than the carrot itself.

Why is muesli rabbit food a problem?

Rabbits pick out the sugary, starchy pieces and leave the fibrous ones, so the diet they actually eat is nothing like the diet on the label. That causes overgrown teeth, obesity and gut slowdown, which is why single-component pellets are preferred.

My rabbit has stopped eating, is that an emergency?

Yes. A rabbit that has not eaten or passed droppings for twelve hours needs a vet the same day. Their gut relies on constant fibre and stasis becomes serious very quickly.

What do rabbits eat?

A rabbit should eat mostly hay. Good quality hay or grass makes up the great majority of a healthy rabbit diet, with a handful of leafy greens each day and only a small measured portion of pellets. Getting this order the wrong way round is the single most common feeding mistake, and it causes both dental and gut problems.

Hay is the diet, not the bedding

A rabbit should have unlimited access to good hay and should be eating a volume of it roughly the size of its own body every day. Chewing hay wears the teeth down evenly, and rabbit teeth grow continuously, so a rabbit that eats too little hay develops painful dental spurs.

Hay also keeps the gut moving. Rabbits cannot vomit and their digestive system relies on a constant flow of fibre, so a rabbit that stops eating hay can become seriously unwell quickly.

Greens every day

A handful of suitable leafy greens daily is the usual guidance, spread across a few different types rather than the same thing every time. Spring greens, kale, herbs such as basil and coriander, and broccoli leaves are all widely used.

Introduce anything new gradually and in small amounts, because a sudden change of diet is itself a common cause of digestive upset in rabbits.

Pellets, and why muesli is discouraged

Pellets are a supplement rather than a meal. A measured eggcup-sized portion a day is a common recommendation for an average adult rabbit, and it exists mainly to cover vitamins and minerals rather than to fill the rabbit up.

Muesli-style mixes are widely discouraged by vets and welfare charities because rabbits selectively eat the sweet, starchy pieces and leave the fibre, which leads directly to the dental and gut problems that hay prevents.

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Common questions

How much hay should a rabbit eat a day?: Roughly its own body size in hay every day, and it should be available constantly rather than given in portions. If your rabbit is not eating that much, it is usually because something more palatable is filling it up.
Can rabbits eat carrots?: In small amounts as an occasional treat. Carrot is a root vegetable and high in sugar, so despite the cartoon reputation it is not an everyday food. Carrot tops are a better regular green than the carrot itself.
Why is muesli rabbit food a problem?: Rabbits pick out the sugary, starchy pieces and leave the fibrous ones, so the diet they actually eat is nothing like the diet on the label. That causes overgrown teeth, obesity and gut slowdown, which is why single-component pellets are preferred.
My rabbit has stopped eating, is that an emergency?: Yes. A rabbit that has not eaten or passed droppings for twelve hours needs a vet the same day. Their gut relies on constant fibre and stasis becomes serious very quickly.

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.