Twisting and turning in your slumber, the echo is still in your mind: can rabbits eat cabbage?
Heavens, it sounds like how I felt until I found the key:
YES, your bunny can eat cabbage, and it’s healthy for them — But feed cabbage in small quantities and only a couple of times a week to avoid any digestive issues.
So, if you’re hooked on learning more (I know you are!), KEEP SCROLLING…
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways:
- You can feed cabbage to your bunnies, but focus on the darker textured ones (more nutrients!)
- Feed your bunny 1 cup of cabbage per feeding, and four times per week max.
- The 4 types to the eye are Cannonball cabbage, Red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, and Bok Choy.
Types of Cabbage To Feed Rabbits
Cabbage is like stars in the sky: they come with many variations available for your rabbit to eat.
Feed your rabbit cabbage with a darker texture. This type supplies the highest nutrition and is packed with fiber and antioxidants (see below):
1. Cannonball Cabbage
It is also known as green cabbage. It’s one of the more popular cabbage varieties.
Their dense leaves are wounded tightly over each other, which is how they get their name. This cabbage’s thick and dark leaf makes them ideal for feeding rabbits.
2. Bok Choy
This leafy vegetable is another variety of cabbage that’s excellent for feeding rabbits.
They have slender stems with dark leaves that are packed with nutrition. Another great cabbage variety for rabbits.
3. Red Cabbage
This cabbage variety is also known as purple cabbage or red kraut. They get their color according to the pH value of the soil it grows in.
Red cabbage is nutritious and an excellent choice to feed your rabbit.
4. Savoy Cabbage
This variety of cabbage is more tender than other cabbage.
This cabbage doesn’t have a lot of nutrition like the rest of the cabbage. But it’s still a great cabbage to feed your rabbit.
While many other varieties of cabbage are available, the above are the ones with the most nutrition in them.
Every bunny has a unique taste, so experiment with different types until you get the right combination.
Also, check out our guide on other vegetables rabbits can eat to find a variety of foods for them.
Health Benefits Rabbits Get From Eating Cabbage
Now that you know the answer to So, can rabbits eat cabbage? I’ll address some of the health stuff:
Your bunny can benefit a lot from eating cabbage. These leafy greens are packed with nutrients, especially fiber. Fiber helps the digestive system of the rabbit with digestion.
While fiber content is high in cabbage, there are other sources of vitamins and minerals. One of them is vitamin B6.
For a rabbit, this is very important as it helps break down protein for the development of muscles.
For a healthy pregnancy, pregnant rabbits need lots of nutritious food. And cabbage can help boost these needs as a rich source of vitamins and other goodies [1].
I’m including the dietary information of 1 leaf of raw cabbage for your review.
Don’t forget to check our guide on the best rabbit food other than cabbage so you would have more options to feed your bunnies.
How Much and How Often To Feed Cabbage To Rabbits?
Cabbage is great for rabbits, but too much could make them sick.
Don’t feed your bunny more than 1 cup of cabbage per feeding, and don’t feed cabbage more than four times per week.
If it’s your first time feeding them, start with a small amount — one or two leaves. This approach will give their bodies time to adapt.
You can always increase the amount once they get used to their new diet.
What if your bunny refuses to eat cabbage? Trust me: it doesn’t mean that they are unwell (see below):
You know how humans are: picky. Fun fact: so it is with your bunny. There’s nothing wrong with it!
But if you can see that your bunny isn’t digging the cabbage, don’t give it any more cabbage:
You can always give them a handful of cabbage later to see. If they still think it stinks, stop the process.
Thankfully, many other goodies contain the vital nutrients found in cabbage.
Can Rabbits Eat Cooked Cabbage?
Rabbits are accustomed to eating raw cabbage. But what about when you cook it?
Bunnies in the wild are used to snacking on raw cabbage and other veggies. This happens because their digestive systems are used to digest these raw foods.
Now, you might be guessing, “why don’t I cook it?” To answer your question, I will list 2 reasons:
First, because of its fascinating evolution, your bunny is evolved to munch on raw foods; because of this, its stomach cannot handle cooked foods [2].
And second, cooked, this veggie can lose some nutrients, including vitamin C, and you end up losing this golden source of nutrients and sacrificing taste.
So if your guilty pleasure is cooking food, please refrain from doing so for the sake of your bunny!
How To Feed Cabbage To Your Rabbit?
Start with plain leaves if it’s your first time feeding your bunny cabbage. Any side effects will hint that you should stop.
So, how many leaves? Start with 1 or 2 leaves. As your bunny becomes accustomed to the taste, feel free to give it more!
Be patient for a week. If you see no side effects, mix in other veggies like leafy greens or other fresh foods will pack a super meal that will fuel your bunny with proper nutrition.
Apart from the one-sided-all-is-beautiful good side, there’s a downside:
Cabbage tends to rot quickly at room temperature, so throw any uneaten bits away, especially after it lays around for 2 hours.
Failing to do so will leave your poor bunny’s cage swept with nasty bacteria and pests (not nice!)
FAQs
Can baby rabbits eat cabbage?
Nope, their digestive systems haven’t fully developed yet.
Baby bunnies should consume only their mother’s milk for the first seven weeks.
After that, you can feed them alfalfa hays and pellets, and after 6 months, introduce grass hays.
Can rabbits eat cabbage every day?
Nope, although cabbage is safe to feed rabbits, don’t do this every day. Besides, too much can cause digestive problems such as diarrhea, gas, and bloating.
Conclusion
(Drum roll)
At last, you know the answer to can rabbits eat cabbage?
It is OK to feed your rabbits cabbage.
Don’t let trouble rear its ugly head: be careful with white cabbage and feed your bunny the darker texture.
Some cabbages are tapered in nutrition, while others are loaded with nutrition, high vitamin content, and lots of fiber.
Better yet, create a salivating homemade treat by mixing fresh fruits and veggies.
This way, your pet bunny will be happy, and they will thank you for it (in special ways!)
But the high calcium content may damage your bunny’s kidneys, so do monitor their cabbage intake.
So, did you ever feed cabbage to your rabbits? Let us know in the comments section!
Resources
- 1. Faulkner B. A Guide to Rabbit Pregnancy [Internet]. www.petplan.co.uk. 2021. Available from: https://www.petplan.co.uk/pet-information/blog/a-guide-to-rabbit-pregnancy/#:~:text=During%20pregnancy%2C%20the%20mother%20rabbit
- 2. Jess D. Can Rabbits Eat Cabbage? [Internet]. Vet Explains Pets. 2021 [cited 2022 Dec 10]. Available from: https://vetexplainspets.com/can-rabbits-eat-cabbage/
Andreea is a very passionate content creator and her purpose is to provide you with the most interesting articles, while constantly discovering new facts. She’s been freelance writing for the past five years and has created numerous articles and educational materials while managing her own mom blog.
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