What do rabbits eat? Hay first, everything else after

Hay or grass: about 85%

Unlimited, at all times: it is the foundation of their diet, for their teeth as much as their gut.

Greens: about 10%

Suitable leaves, vegetables and herbs, fresh and varied.

Pellets: about 5%

A small amount weighed out each day; the RWAF gives a guide of about 15 g per kg of body weight.

Treats

Very rare: a small piece of fruit now and then, never for an overweight rabbit.

• According to the PDSA, ideally offer unlimited hay, and at the very least a bundle as big as your rabbit every day.
• Choose feeding hay (not bedding hay) that is fine, soft, green and dust-free.
• Fresh grass is excellent, but introduce it gradually, especially in spring: lots of young grass all at once can cause diarrhoea.
• Never give lawnmower clippings: they spoil very quickly.

Hay wears down their teeth, which grow throughout life, and keeps their gut working. According to the MSD Veterinary Manual, a lack of fibre is a common cause of gut stasis.

The PDSA advises an adult-sized handful of greens, vegetables and herbs twice a day, mixing five or six different kinds. Introduce each new food in small amounts.

• Rabbits love carrot, but it is sugary and low in fibre: it is an occasional treat, not a staple.
• Fruit is a treat too, in very small amounts; apple pips are toxic.
• Never give a plant you can’t identify, or one that may have been sprayed.
• To know what to give, the Swiss rabbit charity La Colline aux Lapins keeps a detailed list of plants (in French): leaves, wild greens, herbs, vegetables and fruit, including those that are unsuitable or toxic (link in the sources below).
• Some plants are toxic to rabbits, such as azalea, lily of the valley, philodendron, rhubarb leaves and the green parts of potatoes, according to the MSD Veterinary Manual, as is chocolate.

Pellets provide vitamins and minerals, but a rabbit who eats too many neglects their hay, puts on weight and wears their teeth down less. Weigh the portion rather than guessing. PDSA vets advise against muesli-style mixes: rabbits pick out the sugary bits, which leads to obesity and dental and digestive problems.

Fresh water must be available at all times and changed every day. According to the PDSA, many rabbits drink more readily from a bowl than from a bottle. A bottle may still be advised for a rabbit whose dewlap, the fold of skin under the chin, stays wet and gets sore: ask your vet.

Rabbits produce two kinds of droppings: round, dry ones, and soft, shiny ones called caecotrophs, which they eat straight away, often early in the morning. They provide protein and vitamins and are essential to digestion. If you often find them in the hutch, mention it to your vet: it can be a sign of a diet that is too rich, or of a health problem.

A rabbit’s gut copes badly with sudden changes. The PDSA recommends changing food over 2 to 4 weeks, mixing increasing amounts of the new food into the old, and slowing down at the slightest digestive upset. Ask the breeder or rescue centre what your rabbit was eating before they came home.

With a rabbit, the small jobs come round several times a day. In MyArk, whoever serves the greens or tops up the hay logs it in one tap: everyone in the household sees what was given, when and by whom.

• Every meal logged with the time and the person’s name
• The shared care log for everyone in the household
• The weight chart, to adjust the pellets
• The pet sitter sheet with the daily diet, for when you’re away