Feeding

What you feed your pet differs depending on the time of day! 
Be sure to read about water needs depending on the temperature outside!

Breakfast - Timothy Hay

A small handful of this in the morning makes a great breakfast!

Fiber is very important for a rabbit's digestive tract. This roughage provides protein and healthy energy. Timothy hay is more like a grass and has the nutrition that rabbits need- unlike hay or straw given to horses.

Be sure to store in a dry place to prevent mold and dust! Both can harm the rabbits. If there is un eaten hay in the cage by the evening, pull out the extra and reduce the amount given next time. Leftover hay will get stepped on a peed/pooped on until it becomes a mess stuck in the cage.

Dinner - Pellets

A scoop of pellets into a crock or feeder for dinner is perfect for rabbits! 
Pellets should be fed in limited amounts— 1/8 cup per pound of body weight. Extra pellets could end up causing weigh gain or molting of the fur. Pellets are really just mashed up hays and nutrients packed into little round chips. 

Be sure to store in a dry plan to prevent mold! Empty any left over feed in the morning- being out in the open will make any leftovers get soggy and moldy- and potentially peed on.

Water

Rabbits should always have a full supply of water!
Our recommendation: 
Water bottles for indoor pets, Ceramic Bowls for outdoor rabbits.
Water Bottles
They hook onto the outside of the cage and a small metal tube with a ball at the end sit on the wire inside the cage. The rabbit licks the ball and it rotates, allowing water to drip out. A great design is the ones that open on the outside at the top, so you don't have to take the bottle off and open it every time you need to fill it. 
Convenience at it's best! 

IMPORTANT!  If you live in a cold area or have outdoor rabbits, YOU CANNOT use water bottles when it is cold out! Their tongues will freeze to the metal! Not to mention, the water inside the bottles will freeze quickly through the plastic.

IMPORTANT!  Drinking from a water bottle is NOT natural. If the rabbit you buy has been drinking from a bowl, you must have a bowl and water bottle in the cage. You cannot remove the bowl until after you have SEEN the rabbit drink from the bottle on many occasions and believe they can use it to get water regularly. Only then can you remove the bowl. This is also true for BABY rabbits. They should be introduced to a bowl first since it is more natural. Add a bottle with it and make sure they can reach the nozzle and they have the ability to drink from it before you remove the bowl. If you choose to use water bottles in the summer and switch to bowls in the winter, you MUST repeat the process of having both EVERYTIME you switch.
Ceramic Bowls
For those who have outdoor rabbits, many choose the bowl. You want to make sure you get a "crock". It is a heavy ceramic/stone bowl that the rabbits will not be able to flip. Plastic bowls will get chewed up and dumped on a daily basis. 

IMPORTANT!  Bowls will freeze during the winter for outside rabbits. As a strategy, In the evening, fill up the bowl half way with very warm water. In the morning, that water will be frozen, but you can quickly fill up the bowl the rest of the way with more very warm water. By the time you get home in the evening, the bowls will be frozen solid. Take out a HOT bucket of water (Home Depot style). Take the bowl out of the cage and place it in the bucket. The edges will melt first and the ice chunk in the center will float up. Grab it and toss it out so it doesn't continue to cool the water. The bowl can then be removed and filled halfway with water again, continuing the cycle. 

Treats

Make sure all treats are pesticide free and have been washed!
Ice Cubes - In the summer, it gets super hot with their layer of fur. We encourage you to add ice cubes to their water bowls or even throw a few in the cage for them to lick and push around.

Carrots - Rabbits love carrots! Yum! The crunchy texture is great for their teeth and the vitamins are great for their bodies!

DARK leafy greens - There are many types of greens but some are more healthy than others. We have a different digestive system then rabbits, so what doesn't hurt you, could still hurt them. The rule of thumb is that light green plants will cause intestinal distress or diarrhea. They should be given MINIMAL amounts of dark leafy greens as a treat, not a daily food. Here is a list of suggestions: Spinach, Carrot Tops, Clovers (not wild), Romaine lettuce, Wheat Grass, and Collard Greens.

Sunflower Seeds - UNSALTED! Only give them about a tablespoon at a time. This treat is popular with show rabbits because it makes their fur healthier and shiny.

Apple Slice - OCCASIONALLY you can give your pet some fruits! This should NOT be everyday or frequent and should not contains seeds.

Apple Tree Limbs - It's fun to chew on and works as a non-toxic toy! Fine a limb that is about 1/2 inch in diameter and cut it about 5-6 inches long. 

Grass - JUST KIDDING! DO NOT FEED!!! While wild rabbits may eat some grass, your rabbit SHOULD NOT. There is a lot of little organism and bacteria living on grass that can harm your pet. Instead, please choose the washed and clean vegetables from above.

Plain Oats - PLAIN oats are a treat for rabbits! They're super fatty and induce weight gain. They're great for occasional treats in the winter when it is colder out. Do not overfeed, as you could cause more weight gain than they will be able to loose when it warms up.