Supper Time! What Should You Feed Your Pet Rabbit?
by: Andrea AustinOne of the most important aspects of properly caring for a pet rabbit is providing him with a healthy, satisfying, and well-balanced diet.
Fortunately, doing so is relatively easy, since there is general consensus about what is good for rabbits and a wide range of great food pellet options. Rabbits can also eat many of the fruits and veggies that you probably have on your dinner table every night (see below for recommendations and portions).
Pellets
Rabbit pellets, available at your local pet store, on the internet, or through mail-order, can be a backbone of your pet's diet. They provide many nutrients in a dense fashion, and they make your job as a feeder so easy. However, you don't need pellets to keep your rabbit healthy. Hay, veggies and the occasional treat of fruits can be an equally or even more effective diet. After all, rabbits in the wild subsist on hay, grass, and veggies ... why should domestic rabbits be any different? On the other hand, pellets are easy and widely available. The choice is really up to you.
If you do decide to feed your rabbit pellets, alfalfa pellets are recommended, as are the excellent rabbit pellets offered by Oxbow (Bunny Basics), Purina or Manna Pro. Feed your rabbit a small amount twice daily (morning and night).
Purchase in small bags if possible (not jumbo size) to ensure that they are as fresh as possible by the time your bunny actually gets to eat them. Pet rabbits are widely known as picky eaters who respond badly to sudden changes in diet, and they may balk if you try to feed them pellets that are spoiled or that have gone rancid or stale.
Veggies
Pellets are a great starting point, but they are only a portion of an overall balanced diet. Rabbits also love to consume vegetables, and many vets recommend giving pet bunnies a small amount of a variety of veggies each day.
Here are some veggies rabbits love:
Alfalfa sprouts, Basil, Brussels sprouts, Carrot, Celery, Clover, Green peppers, Mint, Parsley, Peppermint leaves, Radish tops and Wheat grass.
While you may have seen bunnies crunching down on carrot sticks in the cartoons, it's important not to give only carrots or to overfeed too many carrots to your pet. Carrots contain vitamin A, and too much of it can cause problems. On the other hands, vitamin A is essential to good nutrition, so aim for one item that contains it per day.
Besides carrots, some veggies that contain vitamin A are:
Beet tops, Broccoli, Endive, Romaine leaves, and Dandelion greens.
Feeding your rabbit a consistent, balanced and healthy diet is one of the best ways to ensure that your pet rabbit has a long and happy life as your prized companion.
by Andrea Austin,this is a small extract from the full article at:
http://www.rabbits-n-bunnies.com
