Foufie and Luckie : Diet

We take our rabbits very seriously. Both Foufie and Luckie benefit from fresh veggies , timothy hay mix, and pellets every day. Rabbits diets are different at different ages, so below I have listed what we give Luckie (our baby bunny) and what we give Foufie (our teenager). I am not including a diet for a mature rabbit, since we do not have one. You can easily find this information though at the House Rabbit Society web page (where, if I havent mentioned it before you can find almost any information about rabbits).

Regardless of their age, always rememberRule #1: Lots of fresh water, all the time. Rabbits do not sweat so they must intake lots of water. Some days you may notice your rabbits water bowl/bottle will empty out once or even twice a day, other days your rabbit may only drink half. Just make sure that you clean the water bowl or bottle out every day and refresh or replenish it as often as necessary. Before I get to the diet, please note that there is a list of POISONOUS foods for Rabbits here.

If you bought your bunny at a pet shop, chances are your bunny is pretty young. If you bought it at the breeder or a rabbit rescue home, it is almost certain that you will have a good indication of your rabbits age. This is a safe way to start feeding any rabbit. Always remember to find out what your rabbit was eating before you got him/her since it is very bad for a rabbit if you make drastic changes to their diet. Your rabbit could develop gastrointestinal problems if sever changes in diet occur.

Other Stuff:***Before letting you read any further I must take a moment to express something very important. Bunnies are cute little pets and are often sold as care free little animals. When i bought my first one I asked if it needed to be brought to the vet and the man who sold it to me said "only if there is something wrong, they are not like dogs and cats they don't need shots and everything". This is true however, rabbits really should be fixed and a visit to the vet allows you to make sure that your rabbit is healthy. Please consider this option, it is very important to your pets health. And of course your exotic pet veteranarian can also give you specific advice about feeding, rabbit care, etc. (visit my Exotic VET page, where I will cover what our visits to the vet have been about, and links to find a qualified vet near you.)****

Here are some basic rules for feeding your rabbit:
1. Treat your rabbit the way you would expect to be treated yourself , if you wouldnt eat it, its a good indication that he/she shouldn't.. (See rule #4 for a good example of this)
2. Greens and succulent foods should always be fresh. Remove leftovers from your rabbits cage after about 30 minutes. If you don't make a habit of it the the uneaten food could shrivel up, rot or grow mouldy and cause serious health problems.
3. Do not feed your rabbit things just becasue they are "green". Make sure you recognise what you are feeding them and are sure it is not poisonus to a RABBIT. EXAMPLE: raw beans are poisonus
4. Do not feed your rabbit greens and other things that grow on the side of the road. Dandilions are great for rabbits but when the exhaust from the passing cars gets all over them they are a little less than healthy. Also letting your rabbit eat clovers in a field where nighbours lets their dogs play is less than appetizing. You wouldn't eat something if you thought a dog had urinated on it would you?
5.Wash fruits and vegetables well.
6.Never give the rabbit anything straight from the fridge. It is COLD, and this can upset the rabbits stomach. Also, dont give your pet wet veggies, shake them dry.
7. Never give your pet frozen or canned vegetables. ONLY FRESH will do.
8. Make sure that you pet gets plenty of exercise. At least 20 minutes a day.
9. ALWAYS leave fresh hay available, as much as the rabbit can eat all the time. Do not hold back on the TIMOTHY HAY MIX. Its excellent for their digestive system and they can never over eat HAY.
10. Feed your rabbit at regular intervals. Develop a routine. Your rabbits stomach will get used to it.
 

Luckie: our baby bunny (Under 3 months old)

At this age this is what we have found to be a good balanced diet. Our vet seems to agree.