Food is one of the first things you want to think about buying for your pet, if not something you need to buy before they arrive. When it comes to our furry bunny friends, rabbit food can be tricky to work out. From pellets to hay and vegetables, there are a few things you should be looking out for.
We know our rabbits love to nibble on hard veggies like carrots and celery, but they need a little bit more than that for a full and balanced diet. Just like us humans, a varied and nutritious diet helps support growth and development, so your furry friend can be happy and healthy.
So, whether you've added to the family with a new rabbit or just want to improve your pet's lifestyle, we've got a quick guide with advice on what you should be feeding your bun. You can also scroll down for our best choices of rabbit food, as tried and tested by pet owners.
What food should I feed my rabbit?
As mentioned before, bunnies benefit from diets with a range of nutrition and a variety of foods to eat. If you're just feeding them pellets day-in-day-out, then you may want to refresh their bowls with a little bit more. Always remember to slowly integrate new food into any pet's diet, otherwise, it may cause stomach problems and illnesses.
According to the RSPCA, there are a variety of foods you should be looking to feed your bunny. They recommend:
Hay and grass daily: Make sure it's good quality, as this is perfect for rabbits to graze on throughout the day.
Leafy greens daily: Another good option for your bunnies to chew on. Think of grabbing five or six different types such as kale, cabbage, broccoli and mint.
Rabbit food pellets: These are filled with balanced ingredients that are a perfect staple for your bunny to eat every single day. A medium-sized rabbit benefits from two egg cups of these pellets a day, alongside the other healthy foods on this list.
Other snacks: Rabbits also enjoy eating hard snacks like apples, carrots and other veggies - but make sure this is only a treat for your rabbit, and not once a day.
As with all pets, make sure to supply fresh water from either bowls or drip-feeders. It's your choice for your rabbit but keep an eye on the algae around bowls and feeders, especially when it's summer.
If you're ready to dive into some balanced food for your pet, here are our favourite choices of the top rabbit food you can buy right now.
The best rabbit food to buy 2022
Best overall rabbit food
Burgess is Amazon's Choice for top-rated rabbit food and with almost 10,000 rave reviews, it's hard to ignore the people's vote. Rabbit owners love this food because of its value, quality and how much their pet really loves to eat it!
Best for: Popularity
Type: Nuggets
Size: 4kg
Review: "Honestly, as soon as the lid of his food is opened he charges over (like the rabbit from Monty Python: Holy Grail) ready to devour his next meal. We keep a healthy top-up of hay in his cage at all times and give him half a bowl of this each evening and apparently, the vets say he is always well looked after, healthy and living a long and happy life."
Best high-fibre rabbit food
Next up is this Supreme Petfoods choice which is jam-packed with fibre to make a nutritional option for your bunny. With over 25 per cent fibre and zero added sugar, this promotes healthy digestion while keeping your pet well-fed.
Best for: Nutritional value
Type: Pellets
Size: 1.5kg
Review: "I don't know if own the greediest rabbit is known to man or these nuggets really do taste that good but my bun goes absolutely crazy for them. She gets given a small handful every 2 days (They're are not an essential food - only hay and vegetables are) and every time will go absolutely barmy eating them so they must be good."
Best complementary rabbit food
Rabbit pellets and nuggets are made to be complementary to fresh vegetables and hay for your bun. This Harringtons rabbit food is top for a complementary option, with all-in-one ingredients for balanced fuel. This is recommended to feed this alongside a regular choice of high-quality hay.
Best for: Natural choices
Type: Nuggets
Size: 10kg
Review: "I have fed my bun Harringtons Optimum food since I got her, and she is now a grand old age of eight, so I think it is doing the trick! She has always been a very picky eater and would leave out certain colours of other rabbit mixes, but there is no pickiness with this. I give plenty of hay and some veg along with the pellets, so she can choose what to have, but she always nibbles away at the pellets."
Best rabbit food made in the UK
Containing apple pomace and peas, this is a totally tasty option for your bunny. The Wagg Twitch brand has 19 per cent fibre and a balance in every single pellet, so your rabbit gets all the nutrition it needs. It's also made right here in the UK so it's a sustainable option, too.
Best for: British brand
Type: Pellets
Size: 10kg
Review: "These biscuits arrived really quickly and will keep Jock in good supply for a while. She is a fussy eater when it comes to pellets so we usually have a few different brands available to her, but she loves her Wagg and hasn't got bored of it yet!"
Best 10 litre rabbit food
If you want a big bucket of mix for your bunny, this Supreme Petfoods choice encourages foraging, has balanced ingredients and is naturally sourced for sustainability. In each bite your rabbit will get a different taste so will never get bored of this one - and it comes in a big 10-litre bucket too.
Best for: Variety
Type: Mix
Size: 4kg
Review: "Can't comment on the taste myself but my rabbits love it and are eagerly awaiting it each morning. Really nice big box so will last a while but I have it on subscription order anyway so I don't have to worry about re-ordering."
Best hay rabbit food
www.petsathome.com
Hay should be a major part of your rabbit's diet, so you'll want to make sure you're investing in a good brand. Pets at Home is a classic, trusted pet brand and their rabbit hay has both meadow hay and timothy hay for a natural, varied diet.
Best for: Selection of hay
Type: Hay
Size: 3kg
Review: "I have only had one bag so far but it was decent quality hay and my pets liked it. Not dusty or smelly. Goes a long way."
Best bulk rabbit hay
You can grab a whopping 50lbs of rabbit hay to stock up from Amazon so your furry friend will stay well fed. Pet owners love this for its high quality and value for money with loads to use. It comes packaged with smaller boxes inside, making it extra easy to portion out.
Best for: Bulk buy
Type: Hay
Size: 22.68kg
Review: "I couldn’t get hold of rabbit’s favourite hay, it has been out of stock for a while so I decided to give this a go. I opened it up straight away and the smell was so fragrant that he was circling my feet with excitement. I put a few handfuls down and he was straight in, it is so soft and green, he absolutely loves it. I didn’t realise the difference between 1st, 2nd and 3rd cuts, this stuff is in a completely different league to his regular."