Rabbits have remained one of the most popular UK household pets for several years and are ideal pets for a family with young children owing to their gentle and inquisitive nature.
Feeding for your rabbit is relatively simple and is tailored towards the individual habits these being activity levels and general state of health.
It is common for a rabbit to gain weight rapidly if it is not kept on a routine and balanced diet and the temptation to feed extra treats is always there but in the long run this will prove to be detrimental to its health and can lead to more serious problems.
Before you consider owning a rabbit you should take time to understand their nutritional requirements.
It is in their nature to graze for long periods at a time so don't be surprised by this.
They will consume what they need even if to you it seems they are eating too much.
If they spend time out in the garden in a "run" you must make sure at all costs that it is safe and secure as if they have access to all areas of the garden it is imperative that the plants are rabbit-friendly as some common shrubs and plants can be very poisonous to them if eaten.
In the same vein, never use any leftover grass clippings as these can be contaminated so only feed grass specially prepared for your rabbit.
With regards to feeding - what do rabbits eat? They are in fact vegetarians and this diet, providing it includes all the necessary fibre, nutrition and vitamins makes for a very healthy and contented rabbit.
It is well worth taking the time to source the best complete rabbit food mix from a reputable supplier and this mix should include all the nutrition they need when supplemented with fresh vegetables and fruit.
Fresh hay and grass form the basis of their diet and is high in natural fibre and calcium therefore it should be given every day; rabbits need two types of fibre in their diet these being digestible and indigestible.
They cannot extract enough nutrients from the first digestion process therefore they expel the food naturally and feed on it again resulting in the fibres travelling through their system twice.
Although muesli type foods are attractive in their appearance, they contain none of the essential nutrients and tend to have an extremely high level of sugar as well as too much starch so these should be avoided if at all possible.
Rabbits are of course attracted to sweet foods so care and attention should be paid to this aspect of feeding.
It is important to supply the roughage of hay and grass to ensure that their teeth do not become overgrown as they grow very rapidly and these will ensure that the teeth are being ground down to a comfortable level.
You can safely feed rabbits with broccoli, spinach, cabbage and celery as well as apple, banana and grapes to supplement their dry food diet and there are many other suitable seasonal fruits and vegetables which can be added to their diet as long as you check beforehand.
It is imperative that you supply fresh drinking water every day as they can become extremely dehydrated very quickly.