Keeping rabbits as pets is always fun. You get to enjoy having them around for just being cute. Well, you still have to feed them. That is the responsibility that comes with keeping a pet. So, what is the best food for rabbits?
The good news about rabbit foods is that they are easily available. To help you, today we learn more about the best rabbit foods in this guide.
Contents
- Benefits of Proper Diet for Rabbit
- Safe & Unsafe Rabbit Foods
- Best Food for Rabbits on the Market
- Top 10 Best Rabbits Food Reviews
- 1. Kaytee Timothy Hay
- 2. Small Pet Select Rabbit Food Pellets
- 3. All Natural Timothy Hay Plus
- 4. Oxbow Essentials Young Rabbit Food
- 5. 2nd Cutting “Perfect Blend”
- 6. Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Pet Food
- 7. Kaytee Timothy Complete Diet
- 8. Sherwood Pet Health Rabbit Food – Adult Timothy Blend
- 9. Vitakraft Vitasmart
- 10. Manna Pro Small World Complete Feed
- Things to Consider Before Buying a Food for Rabbits
- What is the Best Rabbit Food?
- How Much Food Does my Rabbit Need?
- Conclusion
Benefits of Proper Diet for Rabbit
Food for rabbits is just as important as food for humans. The food comes with multiple nutrients that the body needs. This means you have to consider getting the rabbit the right kind of food. So, what is the right type? You have to look for food that offers complete nutrition in one package. This means that the rabbit will get all the important nutrients it needs for proper growth.
With the best diet, you can expect the rabbit to no digestion issues. Some foods might lead to indigestion, but that changes when it is the right food. Make sure to read the nutritional content of the packaging to understand what more the food will provide before buying.
Safe & Unsafe Rabbit Foods
If you are going to feed your rabbit with the best food, always make sure it is safe. Rabbits can eat grass, hay, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and dry food without much of a problem. A nice combination of the mentioned foods should give it proper nutritional value.
That being said, the unsafe foods include cereal, iceberg lettuce, bread, pasta, legumes, seeds, nuts, and corn cob treats.
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Best Food for Rabbits on the Market
The many foods available on the market sometimes all sound the same. It is only through comparison that you can learn more about them. The table below will give you a comprehensive comparison about the various foods to help you make up your mind.
| Pictures | Rabbits Food | Made of | Links |
 | Kaytee Timothy Hay | 1st and 2nd Cut Hay Blend | Buy from Amazon |
 | Small Pet Select Rabbit Food Pellets | Hay & Soy Ingredients | Buy from Amazon |
 | All Natural Timothy Hay Plus | 2nd Cutting Hay | Buy from Amazon |
 | Oxbow Essentials Young Rabbit Food | Freeze-Dried Herbs | Buy from Amazon |
 | 2nd Cutting "Perfect Blend" | 2nd Cutting Hay | Buy from Amazon |
 | Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Pet Food | Hay & Soy Ingredients | Buy from Amazon |
 | Kaytee Timothy Complete Diet | Hay & Prebiotics and Probiotics | Buy from Amazon |
 | Sherwood Pet Health Rabbit Food - Adult Timothy Blend | Premium Grass Hay | Buy from Amazon |
 | Vitakraft Vitasmart | Blend of Enriched Pellets, Whole Grains, and Veggies | Buy from Amazon |
 | Manna Pro Small World Complete Feed | Pellet Form | Buy from Amazon |
Top 10 Best Rabbits Food Reviews
Finding the best rabbit food that keeps your little furry happy while also providing them with the needed nutrients to live a healthy life is essential. In this section of the article, we’ll review the best rabbit foods that are available on the market today.
1. Kaytee Timothy Hay
Ending up with the best food for rabbits involves getting the food from top brands. Since this hay comes from Kaytee, you can always expect it to be the best. It is made to have low protein and calcium nutrition. This is important for the urinary health of the rabbits. You will now have a healthy pet.
Also, the hay comes with high fiber. The aim is to support the digestive health. This is going to be great on overall so that your rabbit does not end up having indigestion issues.
Well, there is no doubt that the use of Timothy hay will always provide the much desired nutritional value. It will also complement any other Kaytee fortified food.
Pros
- High fiber content
- Lower calcium and protein
- High quality
Cons
- A few complaints about dust
2. Small Pet Select Rabbit Food Pellets
This is another top option you might want to consider. Since it is a top rabbit food choice by various veterinarians, it should be more reason you buy it today.
The food is high in fiber. The fiber in any food is important to help with the digestion process. Also, it features the Timothy hay, which is important for providing all the essential vitamins and minerals. It will always be able to give your rabbit the best food for growth.
The packaging is on another level. The packaging is important to ensure you get guaranteed freshness all the time. It will give your rabbit the best which is important for health and vitality.
Pros
- It is rich in fiber
- It is based on Timothy hay
- The food features quality ingredients
Cons
- Several complains about the use of fillers
3. All Natural Timothy Hay Plus
Rabbits are going to love this food thanks to being high quality. The manufacturer also makes sure that it comes with a variety of textures and flavors. The flavors will make your rabbit keep eating the food without much of a problem.
The food is not just good for rabbits, but also other pets. This includes the guinea pigs, chinchillas, and many other small animals. If you have several pets, you can now feed them the same food without a problem.
To make the food even better, the manufacturer has hand selected the various ingredients. This means you get a high nutritional food. It also comes with the right leaf-to-stem ratio.
Pros
- It is low in protein and calcium
- It will aid in the digestive health
- Hand selected ingredients
Cons:
- It has a lot of dust
4. Oxbow Essentials Young Rabbit Food
When looking for the best rabbit food, you also want the best for value. For this food, you will find you get enough food for the money. At 10lbs, you should have enough food to feed the rabbit without having to run to the pet store all the time.
The food comes high in fiber content. Having fiber content is always going to help with the overall digestion of the food. No more indigestion for your rabbit.
Also, the food comes with the basic minerals and vitamins. These two will generally improve the health of the rabbit as compared to some food types that might lack them.
For a young rabbit, it needs this food with all the important nutrients for it to grow well.
Pros
- High quality food
- Well-balanced nutrition
- High fiber
Cons:
- Can get stale quickly
5. 2nd Cutting “Perfect Blend”
This is something you need for your rabbit. This is because it has been made by a top brand which means top quality product. The use of the premium Timothy Hay for the food makes it good for a variety of pets. This includes rabbits, guinea pigs, and even chinchillas.
The manufacturer is also passionate about the small animals. This means that the food would have been carefully selected to ensure only the best for your rabbits.
The packaging is also important as it keeps the contents fresh all the time. By the time you receive it, you will always have a fresh blend to feed your rabbits. The corrugated box also opens and closes with ease for the best storage.
Pros:
- High quality hay
- It is delivered fresh
- Great for various small animals
Cons:
- Tends to get mites easily
6. Oxbow Essentials Adult Rabbit Pet Food
If you are going to feed your rabbit the best food, then consider this one. Keep in mind that it is meant for the adult rabbits. If you have some young rabbits, then you might want to consider the other types of foods.
The food is Timothy hay based. It means that it is all about giving the rabbit the best nutrients. The food has the optimum protein level that any rabbit would need for the proper growth. Also, it is further recommended by the veterinarians. This is important to help with making sure you have the right food for your rabbit.
The fiber also included in the food helps a lot with the digestion. The use of wheat makes it ideal to provide the best energy source for your rabbit.
Pros
- Has optimum protein level
- Recommended by veterinarians
- Timothy-hay based
Cons:
- It is expensive
7. Kaytee Timothy Complete Diet
This is another Kaytee food on the list. This just goes to show how good the brand is at making the best rabbit foods. For this food, it is made to support the overall dental health of the rabbit. The chewing activity is important for these small animals so that the teeth and gums can be stronger.
The food still comes with prebiotics and probiotics. The aim of such food components is to help with the digestive health. You are going to find it being easy to maintain the health of the rabbit with such type of food.
It is based on Timothy hay, so expect the rabbit to experience all the benefits of the hay with it. It is also naturally preserved for the best freshness.
Pros
- Made with Timothy hay
- Offers ideal freshness
- No sugary fruits
Cons
- Can cause bloating sometimes
8. Sherwood Pet Health Rabbit Food – Adult Timothy Blend
Sherwood has been in the business of pet food for a while now. This means that you can expect the brand to deliver on some of the best rabbit food all the time. As for this food type, it is made with a premium formula. This means it combines all the important nutrition that your rabbit needs.
To make it the best, it does come with natural vitamins. No more dealing with fillers that might have a negative impact on the rabbit. You also get that it has chelated minerals. This is going to be great to ensure proper nutrition at all times.
The food offers complete nutrition. You will not have to supplement it with other food types to offer a balanced nutrition. It is also vet used and recommended.
Pros
- Offers complete nutrition
- It is vet recommended
- Premium formula
Cons
- It is expensive
9. Vitakraft Vitasmart
This is another top option you can get today for your rabbits. The food is good in terms of the nutritional value it offers to the rabbits. It contains the omega 3’s which are important for various functions. Also, it does come with the antioxidants, complexed minerals, and probiotics. It definitely offers complete nutrition.
The food also offers the best in terms of proteins. It is just the optimum level of proteins. This ensures that the rabbit gets the right nutrition that will work great for it. The use of Timothy grass is great as it gives it the additional nutrients that the rabbit needs without supplementing with any other food type.
The use of resealable bags helps a lot with retaining the freshness.
Pros
- Packaging maintains freshness
- High level of nutrients
- Rich in protein
Cons:
- The food causes picky eating
10. Manna Pro Small World Complete Feed
When it comes to making sure you get to give the rabbit complete nutrition, then opting for this food is paramount. This is because the manufacturer has made sure it comes with all the important nutrition the rabbit needs. This includes having high dietary fiber.
Well, the best part is that it is suitable for all rabbits. You will not have to worry if the rabbit is young or an adult. We all know that some foods would only be best for young or adult rabbits.
The food also comes with a long shelf life. Having a shelf life of up to 9 months means you buy in bulk so that you will not have to keeping going to the store more often.
Pros
- Offers complete nutrition
- Great for all rabbits
- High dietary fiber
Cons
- Can get stale easily
Things to Consider Before Buying a Food for Rabbits
Reviews
The first thing you want to check out should be the reviews about the food. Some foods might have a nice description of how they offer the best nutrition, but in real sense they do not. Reading reviews give you an idea of what to expect with some foods.
There are many review sites you can check out. Just make sure they are not generic reviews that often tend to praise the rabbit foods unnecessarily.
The brand
Of course the brand goes a long way to ensure you only end up with the best food for rabbits. All the food brands we have mentioned in this guide are good in terms of delivering the best food. As a result, you will end up with the best food if you choose one from the list.
Even if the brand is not on this list, you can always learn about its reputation first. Look at what people say about the brand before opting for their products.
Nutritional value
There is no point getting food with little to no nutritional value. As a result, take the time to read more about the nutrition that the food offers. You should end up with rabbit food that will provide complete nutrition after doing a proper research.
You can get this information from the product description online and the food packaging. The food needs to provide a balanced diet to help with proper rabbit growth.
Age of rabbit
It is worth keeping in mind that not all food would be safe for rabbits of a certain age. On the package of the food, the manufacturer will recommend the age. Some will be good for the adults and some for young rabbits. In some cases, the food will be safe rabbits of all ages. So, depending on the age of the rabbit, it will be great to pick the right food for it.
Preservation methods
One thing is for sure, you want the rabbit food to be fresh from the time you open it. Depending on the manufacturer, they will have different ways of preserving the freshness. This is normally based on the packaging. As a result, it will be great to find yourself the right food packaging that will keep the food fresh even once it has been opened.
The use of resealable bags is now common. Such bags help to keep the moisture out and still maintain freshness.
Price
The price will vary from one food type to another. The same goes for the quantity. As a result, you can expect that some will be cheap while others pricey. What is important is what you get for the price. Just because the food is cheap it does not that it lacks the best nutrition and vice versa.
Well, you need to look at the food ingredients first and compare to the price. Make sure you are getting the best value for the money. You should end up with the best food in no time if you do a proper research.
Recommendations
Sometimes having recommendations from friends and vets will go a long way to help you make up your mind. Such recommendations are based on past use of the product. This helps you not make mistakes when looking for the best food for rabbits. It can also help you save a lot of money in the end too.
What is the Best Rabbit Food?
The rabbit’s diet is only great if it offers the best nutritional content. To make sure it is the best food, you have to combine hay/grass, fresh veggies, healthy treats, and dry foods.
The grass or hay will take the largest percentage of the diet at around 80%. It is then followed by fresh veggies at 10%. The rest can share the remaining 10%. You have to offer the healthy treats and dry food in moderation always.
The best part about hay is that it is able to retain a lot of the nutritional content even after the harvest. As a result, you will always find it being a great choice for the rabbits. The hay contains vitamins A, D, a bit of proteins, calcium, and many other nutrients.
Fresh foods such as the veggies and herbs are also important for the rabbits. These foods will have the moisture that largely lacks in the dry hay. The moisture is also good for the taste buds and also improve the overall kidney and bladder functions.
As for the fruits, the rabbits do not need the same amount of food as the humans. For humans, the fruits have antioxidants which can be great, but the same cannot be said for rabbits. The fruits will have many starches and natural sugars that will be a good treat but not a regular diet component.
The dry food on the other hand is mostly given to rabbits being bred for meat. The dry food will have concentrated nutrition that packs a lot of nutrients in just a small quantity. These are important nutrients that the rabbit needs daily. These dry foods can also offer fiber, which is important for the digestion system.
How Much Food Does my Rabbit Need?
As mentioned above, the rabbit needs a combination of different foods in various quantities. However, you still have to keep in mind the age too. From the time of birth to around 3 weeks, the rabbit will only feed on the mother’s milk. As from 3 to 7 weeks, the owner can introduce alfalfa and also food pellets to provide more nutrition.
After 7 weeks, you can now take the rabbits from their mother’s milk. Now you have to give them access to dry foods and hay blend in controlled doses.
When the rabbit is in the young adult rabbit stage, it can now accept newer and complex food types. You can now reduce the dependency on the dry foods and then further introduce them to fresh food sources.
As for the mature adult rabbit, you will have to add more fresh veggies. In addition, you have to give them unlimited access to hay. It is important to have a bundle of hay in the cage at all times.
When it comes to senior rabbits, their diet depends on weight and overall health. For a senior rabbit which is healthy, you can keep it on the same diet as the mature adult rabbit. For those that might be underweight, make sure to include more pellets in their diet.
Conclusion
When you look at the list above, you can see that there is so much to choose from. We hope that we the guide you now have an idea what would be the best for your rabbit. One thing to keep in your mind is to always make sure to check out the nutritional content of the food. This helps you understand what you will be feeding the pet. Compare different foods just to find the one that is great for your rabbit.
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