Rabbits have an indescribable ability to charm their way into even the coldest of hearts. Sadly, their ability to do it means that there are still too many rabbit owners without the knowledge they need to care for their pets properly.

Just like any other animal (including humans), rabbits require a certain amount of nutrients in their daily diet. And, just like people, it is always better if these nutrients come from food sources, rather than supplements.

Fortunately, proper rabbit nutrition is easy, so long as you know what is required – and how much of it.

A Quick Guide to Rabbit Nutrition

Rabbits are, rather unsurprisingly, herbivores. With their mobility limited to the ground, rabbits require the ability to source their food at that level. Largely this means herbs and grasses, and the same applies to domesticated rabbits, as well as their wild counterparts. More than anything else, rabbit digestive systems call for fibre, and lots of it.

The best food rabbit owners can provide their pets is Timothy Hay. This dried grass provides rabbits with most of the nutrients they need, as well as plenty of fibre. Better still, rabbits love eating it. (If only it were that easy to please their owners!)

In addition to Timothy Hay, rabbits also enjoy fresh, leafy greens. Parsley and spinach are safe options, as are kale and romaine lettuce. And, as you are already aware – the deeper the green, the more concentrated the nutrients, which provides these greens with more than just flavour. Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes should be avoided at all costs as these are not easy for rabbits to digest. Other root vegetables, such as the carrots that are so often linked to rabbits) should only be given in moderation. These sweeter treats have a remarkable amount of sugar which is detrimental to oral hygiene and healthy weight maintenance.

One thing that should never be fed to rabbits is muesli. Despite the number of shops that still sell muesli as a primary rabbit food, it is undeniably terrible for rabbit health. Feeding muesli to rabbits causes painful digestive and dental health problems. There are other side effects as well, such as the potential for urinary tract infections and obesity.

How Rabbits Eat Timothy Hay

It seems simple, right? Feed your rabbit Timothy Hay, and they eat it. But, rabbits actually eat Timothy Hay differently than they do other foods.

Usually, when a rabbit sinks its teeth into a juicy carrot (or any other permissible rabbit foods), it chews up and down, much as humans do. This does a lovely job of breaking the food into smaller pieces so that it can be easily swallowed and digested.

However, when a rabbit gets its mouth around some Timothy Hay, a different style of chewing is employed. With a bit of hay, rabbits will actually grind their teeth back and forth against each other (and obviously the hay). This may seem a little startling, after all, most humans are warned against grinding their teeth, but it is essential for rabbits to do so. Rabbit teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime, and without continual grinding, they would develop rather sharp teeth. This is a safety concern that nobody, including rabbits, wants to battle.

So, it is simple. Provide rabbits with Timothy Hay, and they will eat. It is just that how they eat it is as important as what they eat.

Feeding Rabbits Timothy Hay

Rabbits do not just need Timothy Hay; they need a lot of it. For optimum health, rabbits need to eat a pile of hay that is at least the size of themselves; and they need that amount every single day. The larger the rabbit, the more hay they need. That is the minimum amount of hay required; rabbits can often eat more if they are given the opportunity. Feeding rabbits more Timothy Hay is not a bad idea, as it will never add extra weight, nor can a rabbit ever over eat it. (However, they can have too much of other foods, such as carrots).

Do not forget that the more rabbits you have in a hutch, the more hay that must go into it every day. The time of the day that rabbits are fed, however, is largely up to individual living conditions. Owners that wake to discover no hay in their rabbit’s hutches should ensure a night time serving is offered – potentially along with another feed.

Provided that rabbits have an adequate supply of quality Timothy Hay daily, and they are eating it, then additional treats can be considered. Nugget shaped treats made of compressed Timothy Hay (and perhaps a few other nutritious goodies) should be given as a supplement to hay, not as a replacement.

... Just One More Benefit of Timothy Hay

Timothy Hay is more than just nutrition for rabbits; it is also a lot of fun. Many pets will spend time pushing it around their hutch as they make little piles, or arrange it just so. They will make a cosy place to sleep, or fix a draft in one corner. And, rabbits will have a fabulous time doing this.

Rabbits can also be amused for hours by searching for treats, such as carrots, within a tightly wound ball of Timothy Hay. They will nibble away, and push it aside; all the while having what rabbits would consider a party. And, nervous rabbits (which many are by nature), are often soothed with a bit of Timothy Hay in their mouths.

Hay is not just for horses. Still, at least 3% of domestic rabbits in the UK do not have any grass or hay in their diet at all, and nearly 50% of rabbit owners claim that muesli still makes up a significant portion of their pet’s diet. With all the benefits of Timothy Hay, which are so obvious when you consider them, it is difficult to believe that so many rabbit owners are still providing their pets with inadequate amounts of daily hay.