Important service update: As of July 2025, Desert Forest Animal Hospital no longer provides veterinary care for rabbits or other exotic pets.
This article is maintained as a general educational resource for rabbit owners. Rabbits have specialized medical, dental, nutritional, and anesthesia needs, so owners should establish care with a veterinarian who regularly treats rabbits.
If you are looking for rabbit-experienced veterinary care, the Rabbit.org rabbit veterinarian directory and the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians provide resources for locating veterinarians with an interest or experience in exotic-mammal medicine.
What Should I Feed My Rabbit?
One of the most important parts of caring for a rabbit is providing a diet that supports normal gastrointestinal function, appropriate body weight, natural feeding behavior, and dental health.
Rabbits are herbivores with a highly specialized digestive system. Their teeth also grow continuously throughout life, making prolonged chewing and appropriate food texture important parts of daily care.
For most healthy adult rabbits, the diet should be built primarily around unlimited grass hay, with fresh leafy vegetables, a measured amount of high-quality rabbit pellets, fresh water, and only small amounts of fruit or other treats.
The Merck Veterinary Manual describes a healthy adult rabbit diet as being approximately 85–90% grass hay, with smaller amounts of pellets and vegetables. Individual needs vary with age, health, body condition, pregnancy, lactation, and other factors.
Hay Should Be the Foundation of an Adult Rabbit’s Diet
For most healthy adult rabbits, good-quality grass hay should be available at all times.
Hay provides long-stem fiber that supports normal gastrointestinal motility and encourages the prolonged chewing behavior important for rabbit dental health.
Common grass hays include:
- Timothy hay
- Orchard grass
- Oat hay
- Meadow or other appropriate grass hays
A rabbit should have enough hay available to eat whenever desired. Hay should be fresh, dry, free of mold and contamination, and readily accessible.
Rabbit.org also emphasizes hay as the largest component of the adult rabbit diet because of its role in gastrointestinal health, chewing, and natural foraging behavior. Learn more in the Rabbit.org guide to the importance of hay.
Can Adult Rabbits Eat Alfalfa Hay?
Alfalfa is a legume hay rather than a typical grass hay. It is higher in calories, protein, and calcium than grass hays such as timothy or orchard grass.
Alfalfa may be appropriate for certain young, growing, pregnant, nursing, underweight, or medically selected rabbits, but it is generally not the primary hay recommended for healthy adult rabbits maintained at a normal body weight.
Merck notes that prolonged feeding of high-calcium alfalfa-based diets to adult pet rabbits may contribute to urinary calcium problems in susceptible animals.
The appropriate hay should therefore reflect the rabbit’s age, life stage, body condition, and medical history.
Fresh Leafy Greens Can Add Variety and Moisture
Fresh leafy vegetables can provide moisture, variety, enrichment, vitamins, and other nutrients.
Examples of commonly fed leafy greens include:
- Cilantro
- Dandelion greens
- Endive
- Romaine and other appropriate leafy lettuces
- Basil
- Parsley
Variety is generally preferable to relying heavily on one vegetable.
Introduce unfamiliar vegetables gradually rather than changing the diet abruptly. Monitor appetite, stool production, stool consistency, and behavior whenever new foods are introduced.
Rabbit.org provides additional information about leafy greens and vegetables for rabbits.
Individual rabbits may have medical conditions that change which vegetables or quantities are appropriate, so rabbit-specific veterinary guidance is important when there are urinary, gastrointestinal, dental, weight, or other health concerns.
How Much Pellet Food Should a Rabbit Eat?
Pellets can provide useful nutrients, but for most healthy adult house rabbits they should supplement rather than replace hay.
Choose a plain, nutritionally complete rabbit pellet rather than mixes containing seeds, nuts, dried fruit, or brightly colored cereal pieces that encourage selective eating.
The amount should be measured rather than offered without limit.
Merck’s general pet-rabbit guidance describes approximately 1/4 cup of an appropriate pellet per 5 pounds of body weight per day as a general adult starting point. However, that is not an appropriate prescription for every rabbit.
The ideal amount can change according to:
- Age
- Body weight
- Body condition
- Activity level
- Growth
- Pregnancy or nursing
- Underlying medical conditions
- The nutritional composition of the specific pellet
A rabbit-experienced veterinarian should help determine an appropriate feeding plan for rabbits with obesity, urinary disease, dental disease, gastrointestinal problems, or other medical conditions.
Fruit and Rabbit Treats Should Be Limited
Fruit is relatively high in sugar and should generally be treated as an occasional food rather than a major component of the diet.
Avoid making sugary or calorie-dense treats a regular part of the rabbit’s daily food intake.
Foods such as candy, cookies, bread, crackers, sugary cereal, and similar processed human foods are not appropriate rabbit treats.
Seed-, nut-, and dried-fruit-heavy rabbit mixes can also encourage selective feeding and provide substantially more concentrated calories than hay-based diets.
Fresh Water Should Always Be Available
Rabbits should have continual access to clean, fresh water.
Some rabbits drink readily from a heavy ceramic bowl, while others may already be accustomed to a bottle. Whatever method is used, the water source should be clean, functioning properly, and positioned so the rabbit can access it easily.
Water intake may change with diet, temperature, medical conditions, and the amount of moisture consumed in fresh vegetables.
Make Rabbit Diet Changes Gradually
Sudden changes in food can disrupt a rabbit’s normal gastrointestinal function.
When changing hay, pellets, or vegetables, gradual introduction allows the rabbit’s gastrointestinal system time to adapt and gives the owner an opportunity to monitor for changes.
Watch for:
- Reduced appetite
- Smaller or fewer fecal pellets
- Abnormally soft stool
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal discomfort
- Reduced activity
- Unusual posture or hiding
A significant change in appetite or stool production in a rabbit deserves particular attention.
Why Fiber Matters So Much for Rabbits
Rabbits are hindgut fermenters with a large cecum containing microorganisms that play an important role in digestion.
Long-stem dietary fiber supports normal movement through the gastrointestinal tract and encourages frequent eating and chewing.
Rabbits also produce nutrient-rich soft feces called cecotropes, which are normally consumed directly by the rabbit. This is a normal and important part of rabbit digestion.
Very low-fiber diets can increase the risk of gastrointestinal problems, while unrestricted access to appropriate grass hay encourages both normal gut function and natural feeding behavior.
For a more detailed veterinary explanation, see the Merck Veterinary Manual’s professional review of rabbit nutrition.
Rabbit Diet and Dental Health
Rabbit teeth grow continuously, but dental health involves more than simply giving a rabbit something hard to chew.
Eating fibrous forage such as grass hay requires extensive chewing. The resulting repetitive jaw movement and tooth-to-tooth contact contribute to normal dental wear.
Diet cannot prevent every rabbit dental problem. Genetics, skull conformation, previous disease, trauma, and other factors may also contribute.
Signs that may indicate dental pain or disease include:
- Reduced appetite
- Dropping food while eating
- Preferring softer foods
- Drooling or a wet chin
- Weight loss
- Reduced stool production
- Facial swelling
- Changes in chewing behavior
A rabbit showing these signs should be evaluated by a rabbit-experienced veterinarian.
When a Rabbit Stops Eating, Do Not Wait
A rabbit that suddenly stops eating or produces very few or no droppings should not simply be watched at home for several days.
Seek prompt veterinary attention if a rabbit:
- Stops eating
- Produces substantially fewer or no fecal pellets
- Develops a swollen or painful abdomen
- Appears unusually quiet or withdrawn
- Grinds the teeth in apparent discomfort
- Becomes weak
- Shows another significant change in normal behavior
Loss of appetite in rabbits can accompany gastrointestinal disease, dental pain, obstruction, systemic illness, or other potentially serious conditions.
Because rabbits can deteriorate quickly, owners should contact a veterinarian experienced with rabbit medicine promptly rather than relying only on online feeding advice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Feeding Rabbits
What should an adult rabbit eat every day?
For most healthy adult rabbits, unlimited grass hay should make up the majority of the diet. Fresh leafy greens, a measured amount of appropriate rabbit pellets, fresh water, and only small amounts of treats may make up the remainder. Individual needs vary with age, health, body condition, and life stage.
Should rabbits have unlimited hay?
For most healthy adult rabbits, yes. Grass hay should generally be freely available throughout the day and night.
Is Timothy hay the only good hay for rabbits?
No. Timothy is commonly used, but other suitable grass hays such as orchard grass, oat hay, or meadow hay may also be appropriate. A variety can encourage normal foraging and feeding behavior.
Can adult rabbits eat alfalfa?
Alfalfa may be appropriate for selected rabbits, particularly some young, growing, pregnant, nursing, or underweight animals. It is generally not recommended as the primary hay for a healthy adult maintenance rabbit because it is richer in calories, protein, and calcium than typical grass hays.
Can rabbits eat fruit?
Fruit may be offered in small quantities as an occasional treat. It should not replace hay, leafy greens, or the other components of a balanced rabbit diet.
Are rabbit pellets necessary?
A good-quality pellet can be useful as part of a balanced diet, but pellets should generally be measured and should not displace unlimited grass hay in a healthy adult rabbit’s diet.
What does it mean if my rabbit stops eating hay?
A sudden reduction in hay intake can be significant. Dental pain, gastrointestinal disease, systemic illness, stress, or another problem may affect eating behavior. If your rabbit stops eating normally, particularly if fecal output also decreases, contact a rabbit-experienced veterinarian promptly.
Finding Rabbit-Experienced Veterinary Care Near Cave Creek
Desert Forest Animal Hospital no longer treats rabbits or other exotic pets. Rabbit owners in Cave Creek, Carefree, Desert Mountain, North Scottsdale, and surrounding Arizona communities should establish care with a veterinarian who regularly treats rabbits before an urgent problem occurs.
Two resources that may help locate rabbit-experienced veterinary care are:
- Rabbit.org — Find a Rabbit-Savvy Veterinarian
- Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians — Find a Vet
Always call a hospital before traveling to confirm that a veterinarian who treats rabbits is currently available. Rabbit.org specifically notes that not every veterinarian at a practice advertising exotic-pet care necessarily has the same level of rabbit experience.
If you reached this page while looking for Desert Forest Animal Hospital’s current veterinary services, DFAH now focuses on veterinary care for dogs and cats. You can review our current veterinary services.
Trusted Rabbit Nutrition & Care Resources
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Diet for Rabbits
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Nutrition of Rabbits
- Rabbit.org — Healthy Rabbit Diet Guide
- Rabbit.org — The Importance of Hay
- Rabbit.org — Find a Rabbit-Savvy Veterinarian
- Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians
Medical Review & Editorial Standards
Reviewed for general veterinary accuracy by Bryan Hayter, DVM
Owner & Medical Director
Desert Forest Animal Hospital
Cave Creek, Arizona
Last medically reviewed: September 2026
This article is maintained as a general educational resource about rabbit nutrition. Desert Forest Animal Hospital does not currently provide veterinary care for rabbits or other exotic pets.
Rabbit-specific nutritional and medical recommendations should be individualized by a veterinarian with experience caring for rabbits. Guidance in this article was reviewed against veterinary and rabbit-care resources including the Merck Veterinary Manual, Rabbit.org Foundation, and the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians.
This article provides general educational information and is not a substitute for examination, diagnosis, or individualized treatment by a rabbit-experienced veterinarian. A rabbit that stops eating, produces markedly fewer or no droppings, becomes weak, develops significant abdominal distension or pain, or otherwise appears acutely ill should receive prompt veterinary attention.