Posted on June 28, 2012 by Abi Cushman
What is the mainstay of a rabbit’s diet? Carrots? Nope! Rabbit pellets? Wrong! The right answer is hay. The RSPCA is spreading the word with a new campaign called Hay Fever!, which educates the public on the right foods to give to their pet rabbits.
According to the RSPCA:
In fact hay and grass are the key components [of a bunny’s diet], and a new study commissioned by the RSPCA shows a lack of hay and grass in rabbits’ diets is one of the most important welfare issues affecting them today. Indeed, in a recent poll only 8% of rabbit owners knew hay and grass are the most important parts of a rabbit’s diet.
It is vital that rabbits are given a hay-based diet to provide fiber for good digestive health and roughage for good dental health. A hay-based diet helps prevent potentially deadly conditions such as GI stasis, in which the digestive system comes to a halt, or poopy butt, which can lead to fly strike.
For more information about the Hay Fever! campaign, see the RSPCA website.
You can also read about the importance of a hay-based diet in our articles:
- Hay: The Basis for a Healthy Rabbit Diet
- A Correct Diet is Vital for Rabbits
- GI Stasis: A Deadly Condition in Rabbits
- Poopy Butt in Rabbits: Causes and Treatment
About the Author
Abi Cushman is a veteran house rabbit owner and a contributing editor of My House Rabbit. She currently shares her home with one mischievous dwarf bunny named Otis.
When she's not writing about bunnies for My House Rabbit, Abi writes and illustrates funny books for kids, including Soaked! (Viking) and Animals Go Vroom! (Viking). And yes, there are bunnies in them. Learn more at abicushman.com.
I’m glad there is some awareness surrounding this issue now. I’ve seen so many people not even know to give their rabbit hay! I couldn’t believe it as it is THE main component of their diet!
I’m so glad this is out there! We actually bought this product called DoggieLawn (it’s this patch of real grass for dogs and their bathroom times) for our dog Ginger but we thought…hey, this would be awesome for our rabbits! They love lounging on it. It’s a mainstay here at our household.