- The Best Rabbit Food
- 1. Oxbow Essentials Rabbit Food
- 2. Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health Rabbit Food
- 3. Vitakraft Menu Vitamin Fortified Rabbit Food
- 4. Standlee Premium Western Forage Timothy Grass
- 5. Kaytee Fiesta Rabbit Food
- 6. Wild Harvest Rabbit Food Blend
- 7. Small Pet Select Rabbit Food Pellets
- 8. Kaytee Food from The Wild Rabbit
- 9. Wild Harvest Wild Harvest Advanced Nutrition Diet For Rabbits
- 10. Sherwood Pet Health Adult Rabbit Food
- 11. Vitakraft Pet Rabbit Slims with Carrot
- 12. Ware Manufacturing Large Rice Pops Small Animal Treats
- 13. Vitakraft Rabbit Sticks And 4-Ounce Bag
- 14. Kaytee Second Cut Timothy Hay Small Animal Treats
Owning a rabbit as a pet is an amazing thing. These small creatures have unique personalities, and having numerous photos and videos of your bunny on your phone is natural. When you're outfitting their hutch, you'll often pick things without much thought. Small animal accessories, toys, and rabbit food products are all available in pet store, supermarkets, and even home improvement stores. If you can find things for a garden, you can usually find things for adult rabbits in the same store.
That's what makes buying rabbit food more difficult than it should be. You end up buying the store's own brand or something inexpensive just because you aren't sure what is needed in a rabbit's diet, but surely these companies know, so you trust them with rabbit foods. We're going to showcase 14 of the best rabbit food products we could find, which should give you an idea of what else you can feed your bunny besides pellets and grass hay.
The Best Rabbit Food
1. Oxbow Essentials Rabbit Food
Key Features
Made from Timothy Grass Meal, which is designed to meet the standard nutritional needs of adult rabbits
All-natural ingredients
High in fiber, to keep your adult rabbits healthy
Top five ingredients: Timothy Grass Meal, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings, Soybean Meal, Cane Molasses
This Essentials Adult Rabbit Food from Oxbow is a great food to help your rabbit with their digestive health. The ingredients in the food are positive additions to a rabbit diet, allowing your bunny to get a good amount of vitamins and minerals with minimal fuss.
Serving up a portion of these pellets will provide your adult rabbit with their nutritional needs, even in the absence of Timothy or alfalfa hay. That said, pellets can never replace the value that fresh Timothy hay will award your bunny, so make sure they always have plenty available alongside their daily water.
Pros
Easy for rabbits to eat
Help your rabbit meet their daily grass hay needs
High in fiber, low in fat
Cons
Could become boring for rabbits to eat every day
Some rabbits don’t enjoy rabbit pellets
2. Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health Rabbit Food
Key Features
No artificial colors or flavors
Specifically formulated for the needs of adult rabbits
Flavorful pellets that are easy for rabbits to eat
First five ingredients: Sun-Cured Timothy Grass Hay, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Ground Oats, Ground Oat Hulls, Cane Molasses
Rabbit food pellets like these are an excellent way of getting essential nutrients into the diet of your adult rabbits. This rabbit food may not contain any leafy green vegetables as we humans like to eat, but they are alfalfa pellets, containing sun-cured alfalfa meal, ground oat, hay, and more. The combination of these ingredients creates a well-balanced diet for your adult rabbits, which you can supplement with occasional fresh vegetables and fruit.
Pros
Supports healthy digestion
Contains natural prebiotics and probiotics
Helps with dental health
Cons
Oats are a filler ingredient
Yucca can be harmful to rabbits
3. Vitakraft Menu Vitamin Fortified Rabbit Food
Key Features
DHA Omega fatty acids support brain and heart health while keeping your rabbit’s immune system strong
Comes in a resealable bag to keep the pellets as fresh as possible
Uses ingredients that a wild rabbit would usually forage for
First five ingredients: Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings, Ground Corn, Oats
Fortified with vitamins to give you a rabbit food product that supports the major functions and organs of your rabbit’s body, Vitakraft’s Adult Rabbit Food is full of premium nutrition. Though the dried vegetables in this back of mixed food aren’t exactly fresh vegetables anymore, they’ll still go a long way to helping your rabbits’ diet.
All rabbits need the best rabbit food possible, to give them the immune system support and dental support that they need to live healthy, long lives. Without quality rabbit food, your young rabbits may not thrive as well as they could.
Pros
Vitamin fortified rabbit food
A mixture of pellets and dried vegetables
Has a high amount of Vitamins
Cons
Doesn’t include any hay
Contains oats, a filler ingredient
4. Standlee Premium Western Forage Timothy Grass
Key Features
All-natural product with just one ingredient and no additives
Long-stem Timothy grass encourages a rabbit’s natural foraging instincts
Suitable for all small animals who eat Timothy hay or grass
First five ingredients: Only ingredient is Naturally Sun-Cured Premium Western Timothy Grass
A simple product solution for any bunny parent that needs Timothy hay in bulk to feed their rabbit. Hay like this should make up approximately 75% of your rabbit’s diet each day, which may sound like a lot, but their body’s digestive system is literally designed to break down what they need from the hay and grass products and use the high fiber content to keep their gut healthy.
The long stems of this product will also encourage your bunny to chew more, and it will allow them the opportunity to dig around in a pile of hay, which can activate the same foraging instincts that wild rabbits have.
Pros
Encourages chewing, which supports dental health
Naturally sun-cured Timothy grass
Suitable for guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, and rabbits
Cons
Reviews have mentioned that the product is dry
Would need to be supplemented by another rabbit feed
5. Kaytee Fiesta Rabbit Food
Key Features
Includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as grains, alfalfa hay, and Timothy grass hay
A mix of ingredients like this will encourage your bunny to forage as wild rabbits do
Promotes healthy digestion
First five ingredients: Sun-Cured Timothy Grass Hay, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Hay, Oats, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Oat Hulls
Your rabbit will certainly have their own kind of fiesta with this rabbit food from Kaytee. Kaytee’s Fiesta Rabbit Food has an abundance of ingredients, ranging from the typical Timothy hay that all rabbits love to eat, to pieces of dried pineapple and sweet potato.
This all-rounder product is certainly one of the best rabbit foods out there, though it does contain a couple of oat-based ingredients that aren’t necessary. We like to think it makes up for that in what it can offer your rabbit’s dental health and digestive health. Remember to supplement this food mix with fresh water and extra hay!
Pros
Offers 15% more fruits, vegetables, and grains than other products
Omega fatty acids support your rabbit’s heart and brain
Also supports eye health
Cons
Includes oats, which aren’t needed in a rabbit’s diet
Lower protein percentage – just 14% crude protein
6. Wild Harvest Rabbit Food Blend
Key Features
Includes a mix of ingredients, alongside alfalfa and Timothy Hay
Aids digestive health
Provides your bunny with a selection of food to rummage through
First five ingredients: Soybean Hulls, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Barley, Cracked Corn, Oat Groats
With the right ingredients to support your rabbit’s body, this adult rabbit food from Wild Harvest is a great choice if you’re looking for a mixed food product to feed your bunny alongside their regular Timothy hay. Though it isn’t a Timothy hay-based food like some of the other products we’ve highlighted, it does still contain some alfalfa and Timothy hay.
We would recommend using this product in tandem with daily hay to promote a healthy digestive tract in senior and young rabbits.
Pros
Encourages foraging
Formulated to maintain a rabbit’s health
Contains vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin D3
Cons
Soybean Hulls are the first ingredient
Includes pork fat
7. Small Pet Select Rabbit Food Pellets
Key Features
Only sold online through Amazon
Milled in small batches to ensure the product isn’t sitting around to wait until it’s ordered and delivered
Guaranteed to be delivered fresh or your money back
First five ingredients: Timothy Hay, Soybean Hulls, Soybean Meal, Sodium Bentonite, Wheat Middlings
Delivered fresh, this Timothy hay-based food product is a great way to get hay into your bunny without having loads of hay on hand. Sometimes, we may accidentally run out of hay or not have enough to meet our rabbit’s daily requirements until a delivery of hay can be made. In these situations, a pellet-based food like these Timothy hay pellets can be an excellent source of the fiber that your pet rabbits need to get their daily nutritional value.
We wouldn’t recommend only using this product, as rabbits need fresh Timothy hay to thrive, but they can still get their essential vitamins from Small Pet Select’s Timothy-based Rabbit Food pellets. As a bonus, this product is climate pledge friendly, which means that it is designed to use less packaging and has no excess air or water, reducing the carbon footprint of the product being shipped to your home by Amazon.
Pros
The highest quality and freshest product
Milled in small amounts to keep products focused on quality
Created by a company that exclusively ships through Amazon
Cons
Not available in any pet stores or from retailers outside of Amazon
Has a huge ingredients list for what the product is
8. Kaytee Food from The Wild Rabbit
Key Features
Food crafted to be as close to a wild rabbit’s diet as possible
A blend of Timothy hay, carrots, marigold, and more
Includes essential vitamins and minerals for complete nutrition
First five ingredients: Sun-cured Timothy Grass Hay, Soybean Hulls, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Wheat Middlings, Dehydrated Carrot
Another great product for your rabbit’s digestive system is this Food from the Wild mix from Kaytee. The idea behind this product is that it’s supposed to simulate the same foraged food that rabbits would usually eat in the wild, including leafy greens like spinach.
Despite popular belief, rabbits shouldn’t actually eat iceberg lettuce because it has little nutritional value and can mess with their diet and eating habits due to the water content… It also contains a harmful chemical that will seriously damage your rabbit’s health if they ingest it. Spinach, however, is a great leafy green alternative, and your rabbits will appreciate all of the natural ingredients in this food mix. House rabbits don’t usually see food items like rose petals, so you’ll be able to add more color to your regular bunny food, enticing your house rabbit into foraging behaviors.
Pros
Made to support digestive health in rabbits
No sugar, fillers, or artificial preservatives
Similar to the same kind of food wild animals would eat
Cons
Contains Yucca Extract
Protein level only 13% min
9. Wild Harvest Wild Harvest Advanced Nutrition Diet For Rabbits
Key Features
Contains a decent amount of fiber to aid rabbit health and digestion
Great for picky eaters because there’s a mixture of food for bunnies to pick through
Includes a couple of fresh veggies that have been dried to be added into the product
First five ingredients: Soybean Hulls, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Barley, Cracked Corn, Oat Groats
Designed to promote healthy growth while encouraging your rabbit’s natural foraging instincts, this advanced nutrition rabbit food from Wild Harvest is full of goodness that all pet bunnies will appreciate. Your pet’s diet requires a certain kind of balance to ensure that they’re getting enough fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein.
Whichever rabbit feed you choose should include a mixture of hay products and vegetables because the best bunny food always helps supplement the other things your rabbit is eating and drinking throughout the day. In most cases, this means that your bunny should have new hay every day, pellets for rabbits, and fresh water. Wild Harvest’s product will help you reach part of that goal.
Pros
Specifically created for rabbits
Contains a good amount of vitamins and minerals
A mix of vegetables, alfalfa, and Timothy hay
Cons
Contains an oat-based ingredient
Contains Pork Fat
10. Sherwood Pet Health Adult Rabbit Food
Key Features
Used and recommended by veterinarians
Contains essential amino acids for your bunny
Added B vitamins for better rabbit health
First five ingredients: Alfalfa Hay, Timothy Hay, Whole Oil Seed Blend (Flax seed included), Monodicalcium Phosphate, Salt
A lot of natural rabbit food includes grain-based ingredients. The interesting thing about this adult rabbit food from Sherwood Pet Health is that it’s completely grain and gluten-free. Feed your rabbit this pellet food to give them complete nutrition, full of natural vitamins, chelated minerals, and plenty of quality ingredients that will boost your rabbit’s immune system health.
Unlike many other rabbit pellet foods, this product from Sherwood has no filler ingredients, which is sure to make them some of the best rabbit pellets around.
Pros
Gluten-free for rabbits with allergies and/or intolerances
Soy-free
Promotes healthy and shiny fur
Cons
Higher in fat than other rabbit pellets at 5%
The ingredients list on the listing isn’t complete
11. Vitakraft Pet Rabbit Slims with Carrot
Key Features
Suitable for all small animals, not just rabbits
Made with real carrots
Great for an everyday snack, rather than just being an occasional treat
First five ingredients: Wheat Flour, Corn Flour, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Dehydrated Carrot, Vitamin A Supplement
Not all rabbits care for treats, but surely no rabbit can resist these nibble stick treats with carrot from Vitakraft. These strikingly colored treats are a great way to get your kids to feed your rabbit because there’s nothing more joyous than watching a bunny take a treat right from your fingers.
Vitakraft’s rabbit treats are naturally low in fat and they’re made with real carrots instead of any nasty artificial ingredients. They’re an ideal snack that you can sneak to your bunny each day, without worrying about them gaining any weight from eating treats.
Pros
Perfect everyday snack
Naturally low-fat
Helps with digestion
Cons
Contains color additives
Reviewers have mentioned their animals won’t eat them
12. Ware Manufacturing Large Rice Pops Small Animal Treats
Key Features
Easy-to-eat rabbit treats
Made with rice and corn
Suitable for other small animals like guinea pigs
First five ingredients: Rice, Corn, FD&C Red No.40, FD&C Yellow No.5, FD&C Blue No.1
These fun-colored Critter Pops from Ware are small animal treats that you can feed to your rabbits by hand. Made with rice and corn, they are puffed up and improved with almost festive colors; which makes them perfect for the season ahead. The downside to this is that three of the five ingredients are color additives, which could have been replaced with natural coloring, instead.
The protein in these rabbit treats is somewhat low, but they are made to be treats and not part of your rabbit’s main diet. Remember to only give your bunny treats like this occasionally, and be sure to give them hay and water every day with their regular rabbit food.
Pros
Easy for all small animals to eat
Simple ingredients
Great for feeding rabbits by hand
Cons
Most of the ingredients are color additives
No real nutritional benefits
13. Vitakraft Rabbit Sticks And 4-Ounce Bag
Key Features
Two flavors in one pack for more variety
Great for your rabbit or your guinea pig
Triple-baked for a crunchy texture that lets your bunny gnaw for longer periods of time
First five ingredients: Wheat, Ground Wheat, Oats, Flaked Oats, Ground Corn, Corn Starch (Popped Grains & Honey), and Wheat, Wheat Flour, Peanut Kernels, Cracked Corn, Oats (Berry & Honey)
This 2-pack of Crunch Sticks contains one Popped Grains and Honey flavor, and one Wild Berry and Honey flavor stick. These would be an excellent treat for any rabbits that you have at home, allowing you to give your bunny some variety in their treats, rather than giving them the same treat again after they finish the first one.
We find that the best rabbit treats are those that rabbits can graze on over a day or two, instead of being something that your rabbit can only eat once a day. Rabbits love treats, and it’s a shame to limit them, even if it’s best that you do! With grazing sticks like this, your bunny is snacking on a lot of good ingredients, instead of additives and fillers that other treats contain.
Pros
Different flavors for your rabbit to snack on
Aids dental health
Long-lasting treats
Cons
Contains oats
Added coloring
14. Kaytee Second Cut Timothy Hay Small Animal Treats
Key Features
America’s number one brand for hay products
All-natural Timothy hay with no artificial preservatives
Non-GMO
First five ingredients: Only ingredient is Sun-Cured Timothy hay
For the best rabbit hay in America, this huge bag of hay from Kaytee is exactly what you’re looking for. Alongside any rabbit foods that you’re feeding your bunny, you need to give them hay because it’s supposed to make up 75% of their daily diet. Some rabbit foods also contain hay products, so you might not need to feed your rabbit as much fresh Timothy-style hay, but it’s still important that your bunny has access to it.
This product was grown with small animals at the forefront of the company’s mind, ensuring that bunnies, chinchillas, and other little furry friends can all benefit from a quality hay product.
Pros
Grown without the use of pesticides
Supports your rabbit’s digestive health
Grown with small animals in mind
Cons
Needs to be used with another feed
Recent reviews have mentioned poor quality
Buying Guide & FAQs
When you're looking at different rabbit foods to purchase for your bunny, it's crucial that you look at the ingredients to rule out any products that may include harmful additives that your rabbit cannot digest. Though all of the foods that we've listed here are for adult rabbits, young bunnies are sure to enjoy hay as much as fully grown bunnies will. Always remember that three-quarters of your rabbit's daily diet should consist of hay, while the rest is made up of rabbit pellets and food mixes that contain fruits, vegetables, alfalfa, and the like.
Orchard grass could be a good alternative to include in the diet of younger rabbits, to give them a little variety while you're feeding them things like alfalfa hay-based pellets. That said, if you're looking for products specifically for baby rabbits, be sure that you're buying food marketed towards them. Baby rabbits need slightly different nutrition and their digestive systems are going to be more sensitive while they're young.
Things To Consider When Buying Rabbit Food
Other things to consider when buying rabbit food products are the following:
- Avoid food with large amounts of chemical coloring. There's no need to feed your rabbits anything that is artificially colored, and the ingredients could end up being harmful to your bunny.
- Grass hays that support digestive health are the most important part of your rabbit's diet.
- Read each food packet to find out how much food you should be feeding your bunny, based on their weight.
- Dried mixed fruits are fine to give your rabbit, but only in small amounts because they're naturally high in sugar. The same can be said for fresh fruits.
- Oats are included in many rabbit food products, but they're technically a filler ingredient because they don't aid a rabbit's body in any way.
Types Of Rabbit Food
There are several types of rabbit food that you can find when you're shopping in-store or online. The most common rabbit foods that you'll find will be fresh grass or hay products and rabbit food pellets. Finding the best rabbit foods always feels like a chore because so many of the products look exactly alike. A quick glance at the nutritional value and the ingredients will help you weed out the good products from the bad.
You may also come across mixed food that includes pellets alongside dried fruits and/or vegetables. These are great because your rabbit will have different textures to nibble on and their food will be more similar to what they might have foraged in the wild.
What Ingredients to Look for In Rabbit Food?
Without a doubt, Timothy-style hay is the first major ingredient that you should look for when searching for the best rabbit food for your bunny. Alternatively, look for oat hays, orchard grass, or brome. These are all good types of grass hay that rabbits enjoy.
As for the other ingredients, you'll want to find food that includes healthy dried or dehydrated vegetables. Carrots and spinach are fine, but light-colored lettuce (like iceberg lettuce) is not. Museli-style rabbit food often includes lettuce, so make sure it's a dark type and not iceberg, or you could end up feeding a harmful chemical to your bunny.
What Are The Best Rabbit Food Brands?
Based on the research for the best rabbit food in this guide, these are the best rabbit food brands:
- Kaytee
- Sherwood
- Oxbow
Russel rabbit food by Supreme Pet Foods is a well-known rabbit food in the UK. It contains oats but is otherwise an excellent food mix that you can buy on Amazon.com.
FAQs:
Q: What Foods Are Toxic to Rabbits?
Iceberg lettuce contains lactucarium, which is harmful to your rabbit. Similarly, silverbeet (chard) can bloat your rabbit and cause them to suffer from colic. Neither is technically toxic but should be avoided as much as possible. As for toxic ingredients, avoid yucca. You also shouldn't feed your bunny any yogurt drops because they can lead to an overgrowth of bad bacteria in your rabbit's intestinal tract.
Q: How Much and How Often Do Rabbits Eat?
Your rabbit should be eating around 25 grams of pellets or nuggets per kilogram of body weight. For example, a rabbit weighing 2kg will eat 50 grams of pellets per day. Remember that 75% of your rabbit's diet should be hay (like oat hay or orchard grass). So, if they're eating 25 grams of pellets, they should be eating 75 grams of hay/grass. The calculations for feeding rabbits are actually pretty easy to do!
Q: Can I Make Homemade Rabbit Food?
You can certainly make homemade rabbit food but because of the type of food that rabbits prefer, you might go to a lot of extra effort for no real reason. Instead of making homemade food, why not occasionally put a little effort into the presentation of your rabbit's food or reorganize their food storage so that you can give them more variety each day.
Q: What Else Should I Feed My Rabbit?
Pellets or nuggets, hay or grass, and water are the only things that your rabbit needs to live healthily. If you want to add to this, we would suggest giving your bunny the occasional treat of fresh vegetables or a small amount of fresh fruit. Rabbit food covers all of the bases for good rabbit health.
Q: How Long Will Rabbit Food Last?
As long as you're storing your rabbit food in a cool, dark, and dry place, the food should last up to its expiration date. Rabbit food often keeps for up to a year, sometimes beyond that. Always pay attention to pay expiry dates on your pet's food because no manufacturer can guarantee the quality of the food once it passes that date.
Q: Why Is My Rabbit Not Eating?
There are a few reasons that your rabbit might not be eating. Rabbits are extremely sensitive creatures and one of the first things they do when stressed is stop eating. If it's not stress, your rabbit could be too hot or too cold. With so many reasons, it's difficult to pinpoint the exact issue, so try giving them fresh food and water and keep an eye on them for a couple of days.