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From vegetables to water and hay, a rabbit’s diet isn’t particularly varied but it provides them with what they need. Fruit and other treats are given only in very limited quantities, as they can cause obesity in a rabbit. Your furry friend also needs a supply of water to prevent them from dehydrating, which is a common problem with rabbits. Now lets look at some more information to guide you in the right direction with your rabbit food.

Pellets

Many rabbits get fed pellets which can be bought from a variety of different outlets…you may even want to try looking online for a good deal.   Pellets were originally designed for rabbit breeders for the purpose of providing as much food energy and vitamins as inexpensively as possible.

Hay

Of course, we all know that rabbits need some hay. If you make sure there is enough hay in the hutch, this should prevent the digestive problems that rabbits often suffer from. Additionally, it provides a number of necessary vitamins and minerals at a low food energy cost. Rabbits enjoy chewing on hay, and always having hay available for the rabbit may reduce its tendency to chew on other items.

Treats

In addition to hay and pellets, there are also many different rabbit food treats available.   Don’t overdo the treats though, as they are bad in large quantities. Most treats sold in pet stores are filled with sugar and high food energy carbohydrates. One of the healthiest ways you can treat your rabbit is to feed it fruit.

Here is a helpful list of just some of the fruits that are best to feed your rabbit: Peach, Banana and Pineapple…and bear in mind that any seeds should eb taken out before giving it to your pet.

As previously mentioned, all fruits and treats should be just that; a treat and not an everyday feeding ritual. A good tip is to make sure that the rabbit’s diet doesn’t consist of any more than ½  a tablespoon of treats each day. Just make sure your rabbit doesn’t get more than half a tablespoon of treats a day.

It is also important to remember that rabbits less than 4 months old shouldn’t be fed fruit because it doesn’t digest easily. The worst case scenario is when fruit can cause enteritis which can be deadly in a very short space of time.

While a common myth that rabbits should be given lettuce, this is not a good idea because it contains little to no nutritional value for the rabbit and again can cause enteritis, which leads to a quick death.

Cecal pellets

Something else you should be aware of is that some rabbits do eat their faeces. These are called cecal pellets, and are a vital part of his diet. The cecal pellets are a rabbit’s only way of obtaining vitamin B12, which is an essential part of staying healthy. Because of the way a rabbit’s digestive system is designed,  they cannot get the vitamins they need directly from their food and therefore need to eat their faeces. If you have never had a bunny before, this can seem a bit weird, but be assured that it is normal.

Parents will often get a rabbit specifically as a pet for their child.  Your child looks at you with those big eyes and says "please" and the rabbit comes home.  But rabbits are unlike cats or dogs and don't react the same way to child behavior.

Rabbits have abilities that evolved in the species over thousands of years.  They're fast, have sharp claws and teeth, and a flight response that motivates them to flee at the first sign of danger.  But those very aids to the rabbit can be harmful to the child.

When a rabbit feels threatened it may bite. Rabbit teeth and jaws are powerful enough to cause a very nasty wound to a child, as my son quickly learned. Teach the child to be aware, not to startle the rabbit, and keep its hands and arms away from teeth.  Both parties will be happier, and so will you.

Rabbits have powerful hind legs.  When possible they'll use them to run away at top speed.  When they can't flee, they'll fight.  But the claws on their hind feet, even trimmed, can rip a nasty gash in a child's hand, arm or face.  To reduce the odds, teach the child not to stress or startle the rabbit.  Approach slowly, don't hold the rabbit when it squirms, and never yell or squeal in its presence.  Those ears are large for a purpose!

Kids will need to be instructed how and when to hold a rabbit (and how and when not to).Rabbits usually do not like being held firmly, and then only for short periods.  They often enjoy human company, sitting beside someone and being gently stroked.Usually, though, it is best to stay away from the ears which are a natural magnet for children.  The rabbit uses those for survival and interfering with them will sometimes produce stress.

Rabbits can see almost 360 degrees around.  An eye is located on each side of the head giving them a wide angle of view.  But because of the placement, they have a blind spot about 10 degrees wide just below the chin.The rabbit adjusts for the lack of depth perception we have from stereoscopic vision by moving its head.  They judge the distance of objects by parallax (the two different views gained from two different angles).

Teaching a child about the rabbit's visual and auditory systems helps them understand how the rabbit approaches the world.  That makes it much easier to explain why some things are safe and others are potentially harmful or stressful to the rabbit.

But beyond physical safety for both the rabbit and the youngster, there are many helpful lessons to learn.

Rabbits can be trained to perform a number of amusing behaviors.  Helping the child to do that, involving it in the training, benefits both the rabbit and the child.  The rabbit perceives the child as a companion and the child learns to develop skills that apply to many situations:  patience, gentleness, careful observation and so on.

Find more information on rabbits at LuvMyRabbit.com