Bunny Salad List

Rabbits should get two fresh salads a day. Every day, a rabbit should get a mix of at least 3 to 5 different greens or veggies. Use the Bunny Salad List as a guide. And be sure to check out the other dietary tips at the bottom of the list.

Basics—one or two of these can be the foundation of a rabbit's salad:

• Romaine
  
• Red leaf lettuce
  
• Green leaf lettuce
  
• Butter or Boston lettuce
  
• Spring mix of greens
  
• 1 or 2 small chunks of carrot a day

Plus—add a few other things:

• Arugula or Rocket
  
• Basil
  
• Beet greens—green leaves on the top, not beets themselves
  
• Carrot greens
  
• Cilantro
  
• Dandelion greens—no pesticides
  
• Dill
  
• Endive
  
• Escarole
  
• Fennel, chopped finely
  
• Kale—use sparingly, if at all—high in calcium
  
• Mint
  
• Mustard greens—use sparingly, if at all—high in calcium
  
• Parsley
  
• Radicchio
  
• Radish greens
  
• Sage
  
• Sorrel
  
• Spinach—use sparingly, if at all—high in calcium
  
• Watercress

Feeding Dos and Don'ts

• Never feed your rabbit iceberg lettuce (no nutritional value), nuts, crackers, chocolate, seeds, pre-packaged "rabbit treats" from pet stores like yogurt drops, beans, potatoes, corn.
• Pellets can be optional in a rabbit's diet; if given, pellets should be doled out in "treat-size" amounts, like 1/8 or teaspoon once or twice a day. Unless your rabbit needs to gain weight, never use alfalfa-based pellets—use only timothy-based pellets like Oxbow's Bunny Basics
• Never use "fiesta" style mixes of pellets or any pellet brand that includes seeds, nuts, or dried fruit or vegetables. These can cause fatal blockages.

For more information, check out the Food Pyramid for Adult Rabbits (PDF file) or go to the Chicago Exotics web site.