Vegetables

Fresh vegetables are important and should make up approximately 10% of your adult rabbit's diet. Hay should consist of 80% of your rabbit's diet. Vegetables provide additional nutrients and different textures and tastes, an enriching experience for your rabbit. Wet veggies are also a good source of water if your bunny does not drink very much from his water bowl or bottle.

Amount to Feed
A good rule of thumb is approximately one cup of packed greens for every 5 pounds of rabbit. You may decide to feed more but keep an eye out for any change in litter habits and behavior. Some vegetables will cause diarrhea or gas. If you are introducing new greens to a rabbit, introduce only one type one day. This way you can easily tell if the food will not agree with your bun.

Serve your vegetables wet to increase your rabbit's intake of liquid. It will help keep his GI contents moving.

Do not serve your bunny spoiled vegetables. If you wouldn't eat it yourself, don't feed it to your rabbit. Rabbits can be even more sensitive to spoiled food than humans.

Leafy Greens
Leafy greens should make up approximately 75% of the fresh vegetables fed daily. The following list contains leafy greens known to be safe to for rabbits to eat.

* = high oxalic acid content and should be fed sparingly

Non-Leafy Greens
The remaining 25% of your rabbits vegetable intake may come from non-leafy greens:


 * Bell peppers (any color)
 * Broccoli (leaves and stem)
 * Broccolini
 * Brussel sprouts
 * Cabbage (any kind)
 * Carrots
 * Celery
 * Chinese pea pods (the flat kind without large peas)
 * Edible flowers (roses, nasturtiums, pansies, hibiscus)
 * Summer squash
 * Zucchini squash

Care should be taken when feeding some of these as some vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cabbage, etc.) may cause gas or other issues in some rabbits. Other vegetables (e.g. carrots, squash, and bell peppers) contain higher amounts of sugar and so should be fed in moderation. There are vegetables and flowers that a bunny should not eat and are covered in the section below.

Vegetables to Avoid
Like any other animal, rabbits should not eat certain plants. Our main Toxic Plants article will address the plants that should be kept out of a rabbit's reach.