What Veggies Can Rabbits Eat?

I was noticing some wild rabbits come and go on our yard for a while. They eat the grasses there and leave after some time. Last week I tried to feed them a potato. They looked scared first, then seems they are not much interested in eating the potatoes.

Then it clicked me that if rabbits don’t eat potatoes at all. Then, “what veggies can rabbits eat?” This is because I remember reading that rabbits like vegetables above any other foods.

I start digging about this matter. And found some interesting facts on “what vegetables can a rabbit eat.”

As you may already know that, rabbits are herbivores animals. This means they eat elements that come from the plants, not meat or any other human foods. Rabbits’ food habit depends on the availability of the food they have, whether it is vegetable, grass, hay, or any other green plant.

Even then, there is always a catch, like what vegetables a rabbit prefer, which vegetables can harm or kill a rabbit, and ‘what amount you should give to a rabbit,” etc.

All that information we tried to figure out one by one. So, let’s dig into the main course.

What/Which Vegetables You Can Feed to a Rabbit?

While feeding to a pet rabbit, you don’t have to worry much about their health degradation, as long as you follow the vet’s advice and not providing them with a high volume.

Vets don’t recommend feeding to a wild rabbit, whether it is vegetable, hay, fruits, or anything.

Even though you want to feed a wild rabbit, because of an emergency, like you found an injured rabbit or any other situation. Give them the vegetables we have mentioned in this article, a little in amount.

Let their body get adapted to the new vegetables. Increase the amount a little by little.

Keep in mind that vegetables with high sugar levels should be given as a treat, like a carrot, tomato, sweet potato, etc. Avoid giving these types of vegetables regularly.

Pet rabbits can have lots of other stuff to eat, like pellets, hay, etc. For a wild rabbit, vegetables are one of the main food sources for living besides grasses and other green plants.

Wild rabbits don’t have access to a variety of vegetables. They eat what can get near their nest and feel safe for eating. Rabbits can eat almost all the common vegetables we know. But, some vegetable rabbit prefers more than others. They will eat more what they like.

Some vegetables contain a large amount of Oxalic Acid, like Parsley, mustard green, etc. Oxalic Acid is fine for humans and also for animals as well. Eating too much during a short period may cause a health problem for the rabbits.

For better understanding, we divide the “what veggies can rabbit eat” in three parts. One is a high amount of Oxalic Acid, moderate, and the last one is low in oxalic Acid.

Vegetables with High Oxalic Acid:

These are the vegetables a rabbit likes and contain a higher amount of Oxalate.

Spinach
Mustard greens
Rhubarb
Beet Greens
Swiss Chard
Radish Tops
Parsley
Amaranth
Beet greens
Sprouts (6 or more days old sprouts)
Beets
Chives
Swiss chard
Kale
Sweet potatoes
Endive
Peanuts
Dandelion greens
Turnip greens
Spinach

These vegetables should be rotated. Don’t give these to a rabbit in a high volume.

Vegetables with Moderate Oxalate:

This list contains vegetables that have a moderate amount of Oxalic Acid. You can feed these to a rabbit with less consideration of the rabbit’s health, though, too much should be avoided.

Artichokes
Asparagus
Broccoli
Corn
Cucumbers
Kohlrabi
Brussels sprouts
Carrots
Tomato
Lettuce
Lima beans
White Potato
Mushrooms
Onions
Peas

Vegetables with low Oxalic Acid:

These vegetables contain a lower amount of Oxalate. Rabbits also enjoy these vegetables in their diet.

Carrot tops
Cucumber leaves
Endive
Escarole
Arugula
Friese Lettuce
Mache
Kale (all types)
Romaine lettuce
Spring greens
Red or green lettuce
Turnip greens
Mint (any variety)
Basil (any variety)
Dandelion greens
Watercress
Chicory
Raspberry leaves
Wheatgrass
Cilantro
Bok Choy
Fennel (the leafy tops as well as the base)
Radicchio
Borage leaves
Cauliflower
Yu Choy
Snow peas (pass on the sweet peas and dried peas of any variety)
Dill leaves
Cabbage
Endive
Sweet red and sweet green bell peppers
Celery leaves
Turnips root
Collard greens
Mustard greens
Beet greens
Corn squash
Alfalfa sprouts
Peas
Squash
Peppers
Radishes
Zucchini

You can feed these vegetables to the rabbits without being worried about the health deterioration of them. But for better, you should keep the rotation going.

Some vegetables may overlap among high, moderate, and low Oxalate. Distinguish and serve them with a plan.

Vegetables Preferred by a Rabbit:

So, do rabbits like all the vegetables equally? No, that’s not right. Some rabbits may prefer a vegetable than any other, just like we humans do. Not all rabbits like to eat the same vegetables over time. So, there is no unique line of vegetables for you to pick.

But after doing some research on this matter, we found some common vegetables that may be liked by a rabbit. Here the list for you to try:

Bok choy
Broccoli leaves
Carrot tops (carrots are high in calcium and should be given sparingly)
Celery
Cilantro
Basil
Clover
Dandelion leaves
Dill
Collard greens
Kale
Mint
Mustard greens
Parsley
Lettuce – Romaine or Dark leaf (iceberg lettuce and cabbage should be avoided)
Watercress

Vegetables not safe for a Rabbit:

There are lots of vegetables a rabbit can eat. But it doesn’t mean all the vegetables are healthy for a rabbit. Some vegetables may cause a serious health issue to a rabbit. Feeding these vegetables unplanned could kill a rabbit.

Cauliflower
Avocado
Corn
Iceberg Lettuce
Peas
Silverbeet
Potatoes
Rhubarb

Some of the vegetables of this list are identical to our previous lists. You have to be careful while serving these. They can eat those vegetables; it doesn’t mean you should be giving them.

Some vegetables contain a higher amount of sugar, like Carrot, sweet potato, tomato, etc. Don’t give those on a high volume or regularly.

F. A. Q (Frequently Asked Questions)

01. Do Wild Rabbits Eat Tomatoes?

Answer: Yes, wild rabbits can eat tomatoes. Tomato contains high sugar. Feeding them too much of it will degrade their teeth and will get fat. So, this one also should be given no more than a treat.

So, be careful about giving this vegetable to a rabbit.

02. Can bunnies eat spinach?

Answer: Bunnies love to eat spinach. It helps in several ways, providing lots of health benefits to a rabbit.

Spinach contains high protein, calories, carbs, and fiber, which helps the rabbit’s digestive process. You can feed bunnies as much as you want, but make sure that you don’t overdo it.

03. Do wild rabbits eat celery?

Answer: Wild one does not eat celery. They don’t like it that much. So, they avoid eating them.

But you can offer to a domestic one.

Finale Words:

There are lots of varieties of vegetables a rabbit can eat. But not all the vegetables are safe to feed. And some vegetables they don’t like that much. Also, preferable vegetables change one rabbit to another.

Wild rabbits are more sensitive to change to a new than the pet rabbits. Vets don’t recommend feeding the wild rabbits.

We just provided some information we found so far. There could be a lot of different vegetables, which may include in the list of eligible vegetables for a rabbit. You should always remember this, nothing is written on stone.

For the best, we recommend to discuss you with a professional vet.

So, which vegetable is favorite to your pet rabbit? Let’s know in the comment section below. Until next time, stay healthy.