You'd think that feeding rabbits would be easy. Just chuck any old plant matter into the cage and have done with it, right? Wrong. This feeding methodology happens to be an excellent way to possibly kill your bunny, or make it very sick indeed. Knowing what to feed your rabbit, and especially what NOT to feed your rabbit is a very important part of rabbit care becase some of the foods that might seem like natural foods to feed your rabbit are in fact incredibly bad for it.
Culprit one: Lettuce. As a general rule, you should NEVER feed your rabbit lettuce. Lettuce contains lactucarium, which can give your rabbit diarhea so bad that it becomes fatal. Some people say that it is okay to feed Romaine lettuce because it contains the least lactucarium of the common lettuce varieties, but you wouldn't eat a product that only contained small amounts of arsenic would you? It's best to stay away from lettuce when it comes to your bunnies, and keep it for the salads.
Other common foods to avoid include cabbbage, parsnips, swedes, potato tops, and tomao leaves. There are plenty of good and tasty foods that you can feed your rabbit, so save these for the compost or maybe your own table if you're a fan.
If you let your rabbit free in the garden or home, make sure that you don't have any of the following growing in places that are accesible to the rabbit, as they can also be dangerous to your bunny:
Clover, Foxglove, Honeysuckle, Iris, Hemlock, Poppies, Deadly Nightshade, Buttercups, Bluebells, Arum Lilies, Ivy, Daffodils and other bulbs, Primulas, Jasmines, Fairy Primrose, Dahlia, Delphiniums, Larkspur, Snowdrops, Tulips, and Anemonies are all common plants that can cause problems for your bunny. In general it is best to restrict your bunny to grass only areas with no clover in them. Clover can cause gas, and rabbits have no means to expell the gas, which can mean bloat and death.
Safe foods to feed your bunny include hay (preferably Timothy Hay, as it contains the most nutrients, and not Alfalfa Hay as it tends to contain too much calcium to be healthy for bunny), there should always be plenty of hay available for your bunny every day. Reputable pellets from a pet store can be fed in small amounts, but they should not form the bulk of the rabbit's diet. Fresh foods such as carrot, apple, banana, and broccoli can also be fed in small amounts as treats.
A little care in choosing your rabbit's food can make a huge difference in your rabbit's health and happiness.
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