Rabbits have delicate digestive systems, making it extremely important that your bun consumes the right food for his little body. Rabbits are made to eat and poop on an extremely regular basis; your bun should have constant access to food for this reason.

If you notice your rabbit isn’t eating or hasn’t eaten for several hours, monitor her closely. If rabbits go more than 24 hours without eating, their systems can shut down. So if you notice your rabbit not eating for several hours, get her to your bunny vet immediately.

Here are the top 3 things your rabbit should be eating on a daily basis:

Timothy hay.
Hay is the foundation of every pet rabbit’s diet, and fresh hay should be available to your bun in abundance at all times. If you have a bunny, mix alfalfa hay with Timothy hay until he is about 5-6 months old; it helps his body stay healthy as he grows. I recommend putting hay in the corners of your bun’s litter box (or in a hay trough if you have one) since rabbits like to eat and poop at the same time (they’re multi-taskers!). Also make sure that the hay you buy is fresh and green. Brown hay is old and no longer good for eating. I highly recommend purchasing your hay from Small Pet Select (save 15% on your first purchase!), or you can also get their hay on Amazon.
Organic Greens.
Fresh, organic greens are a close second to hay as a staple in your rabbit’s diet. Not all veggies are good for your rabbit, so we will cover which are safe and unsafe for your bun. Offer your rabbit a bowl of 3-4 different veggies each day. You may find that he prefers certain veggies over others - that’s pretty typical as rabbits have their preferences just like humans do! Please note that bunnies under 4 months old should not be offered veggies - they should only have high quality hay and pellets.
Unsafe veggies include: Iceberg lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, onion, tomato, cauliflower. Some of these veggies cause gas in rabbits, and since rabbits cannot pass gas, it can be very painful and even fatal for them.
Safe veggies include: Kale, romaine lettuce, parsley, cilantro, celery (broken into 1/2" pieces), carrot tops (the green part), collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, clover, dandelion leaves, dill, mint, water cress
Both of my rabbits regularly get kale, parsley, cilantro, parsley and celery. I rotate a couple of these in every now and then to mix things up.
Pellets.
Some say pellets aren’t necessary for pet rabbits if they get plenty of greens and hay every day. This is because pellets were originally developed to fatten up rabbits that were being farmed for meat. That said, there are high quality pellet out there that help ensure your rabbit is getting a fully balanced diet (
Your bun should get 1/4 cup of pellets per five pounds of her body weight. Plain, brown pellets with at least 18% of fiber and 12% protein (16% for baby buns) are the best and healthiest option for your rabbit. Make sure the pellets you buy are high quality (they are not all created the same); rabbit pellets should have Timothy hay as the first ingredient and be high in protein and fiber. Pellets should never have 'junk food' in it; this means seeds and anything colorful. Small Pet Select provides high quality Timothy hay-based pellets that both of my rabbits love.

Treats should be minimal as sugar is not good for rabbits (but many buns have a sweet tooth!). I typically give a very small unsweetened banana chip to Oliver each night after he goes back into his pen. Delilah doesn’t care for sweets, but Oliver goes nuts for them - especially watermelon! A couple Cheerios or a small piece of fruit (a raspberry, piece of watermelon or banana) makes a great treat for your bun.

And of course, make sure your rabbit has access to fresh water daily.

If you’re more visual, you can also refer to this handy chart.

Have questions? Leave them in the comments below!