Cabbages are a normal part of many human dishes, such as salads and burgers. You might get the urge to also feed the delicious and leafy vegetable to your pet rabbits. With that said: Can rabbits eat cabbage?
Can Rabbits Eat Cabbage?
YES! rabbits can eat cabbage. Rabbits can safely eat leafy vegetables as it should be another part of their diet other than grass and weeds. Cabbages provide many vitamins and minerals to your pets.
Rabbits are grazing herbivores, so you don’t have to worry about feeding cabbages and other leafy greens to them. Although cabbages and other vegetables are part of the rabbit’s diet, it should take about fifteen to twenty percent of their diet.
Can Kits Eat Cabbage?
No, kits can’t eat cabbages and any other vegetable or fruits. During the first two to three months of rabbits, they will only need the milk from their mothers. The months before they turn one year old, grass such as meadow grass and alfalfa are introduced.
You can safely feed cabbages to kits after turning one as their metabolism is less sensitive.
Can Wild Rabbits Eat Cabbages?
Wild rabbits can and will feed on cabbages. Since they are herbivores, munching on vegetables is entirely normal. So, if a population of wild rabbits is near your cabbage patch, we recommend setting up preventive measures to keep them away.
Nutritional Value of Cabbages
Water | 92% |
Carbohydrates | 4g |
Fiber | 1.8g |
Protein | 0.9g |
Sugar | 2g |
Vitamin C | 25.6mg |
Potassium | 119mg |
Vitamin A | 68.6amu |
Magnesium | 8.4mg |
Calcium | 28mg |
Iron | 0.3mg |
Fat | 0.1g |
Sodium | 13mg |
Nutritional approximation from USDA for one hundred grams of fresh cabbage.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates will significantly help your rabbits energize and be active throughout the night and day. Cabbages are rich in carbohydrates and can be the source of your rabbit’s fuel.
Protein
Protein is a macronutrient that helps the muscles and blood process healthily. Cabbages are a good source of protein to keep your rabbit have healthy body functions. Besides carbohydrates, protein also provides energy to help them throughout the day.
Fiber
Since rabbits have a very sensitive metabolism, fiber is crucial to their diet. The mineral helps the rabbits to absorb better and process their food.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C will help your rabbits fight off nasty diseases. The vitamin will strengthen the immunity of your rabbits and get them to better overall health. Rabbits are easily susceptible to infections, so vitamin C is vital to their diet.
Potassium
Potassium deals with the regulation of fluid balance in your rabbits. Along with that, potassium also helps to keep their nerves healthier.
Magnesium
Magnesium is good for better absorption of nutrition. They ensure that rabbits will get the most nutrients out of their diet along with fiber. Magnesium also deals with the enzymatic and metabolism process to help regulate blood sugar levels.
Calcium
If better bones and teeth are what you are looking for, calcium is the mineral for that. As rabbits tend to grow their teeth longer and use their joints for jumping, keeping these functions in the best shape is very important.
Other than these nutritional values, cabbages also offer a small amount of vitamin K, A, B6, and B9, antioxidants that can lower the chance of blood clots. Vitamin K is essential, especially for pregnant and lactating rabbits, so make sure they get some leafy vegetables such as cabbage.
Do Rabbits Like Cabbages?
Now that we establish that rabbits can safely eat the vegetable do rabbits like cabbages? The answer is it depends on the rabbit.
Some rabbits will eat it willingly, while some will not. It’s best to slowly introduce the vegetable to your pet before serving them a full cup to see if they like it or not.
Most rabbits will eat whatever vegetables and hay are in front of them, so your rabbits will likely eat and like cabbages.
What Type of Cabbage Should You Feed to Rabbits?
Cabbages come in different types and sizes. They can vary in many areas, such as nutritional value and weight. When choosing the right kind of cabbage for your rabbits, make sure they are on the dark green and leafier side.
The dark green variants of the cabbages, such as savoy cabbage and spring greens. These variants have the most nutrients and have less gas than other cabbages.
White and red cabbages are safe for your rabbits to eat, but they don’t have the same nutrients as dark greens. There is no harm for your rabbits to eat these types of cabbages.
Cooked cabbages are also safe, although it’s recommended to feed them the raw and fresh ones to keep the most nutrients. Fresh raw cabbage also helps trim the rabbit’s teeth as it’s crunchier and harder to chew on.
Cabbage Feeding Tips
Before feeding the cabbage to the rabbits, make sure that they are free of pesticides. If you ensure that they are organic, always wash them to remove grime and dirt sticking to the vegetable. Due to the shape of the cabbage, dirt can quickly get to the creases, so washing is needed.
It would be best to feed your rabbits around fifteen percent of pure, healthy vegetables daily. The recommended serving of leafy greens is about one-sixth to one-third per body pound.
Providing three to four servings per week is the maximum amount of cabbage you can feed to your rabbit.
When feeding them with cabbages is your first time, make sure that the rabbit is above a year old. Introduce the vegetable to them slowly, starting from around one-eighth cup, and mix it with their other food as well. Your rabbit will either nibble on it or not find it tasty at all.
After feeding them for the first time, look out for signs of gas or bloating, as it sometimes happens when they consume leafy greens. If their stool is relatively standard, their metabolism is compatible with cabbages.
However, if they have adverse signs such as diarrhea and bloating after eating cabbages, you might need to stop feeding them the vegetable in the meantime.
After the effects have subsided, try to re-introduce cabbages at a much smaller serving not to cause any gastrointestinal irritation.
When feeding them, stick to the dark green variants of cabbages as they tend to have the most nutritional value. However, other types are also safe to eat.
Cabbages are also perfect as a summer treat due to their high water content. So if the rabbits live in a hot and humid place, cabbages can be a go-to food.
Pros and Cons of Feeding Cabbages to Rabbits
Cabbages are generally healthy for your rabbits, but they also come with cons.
Pros | Cons |
· Low-fat content · Good amount of Minerals and Antioxidants · High water content | · Can cause loose stools and diarrhea · Triggers production of gas |
Pros of Cabbage on Rabbits
Cabbages are packed with lots of good amount of minerals and antioxidants. It can supplement the daily amount of vitamins and minerals per serving.
Cabbages also have a high water content, perfect as a summer snack. It can keep your rabbit hydrated in the hot summertime. The potassium in cabbages is also great if the rabbit is humid and hot.
Low calorie and fat content are also other pros of cabbages. It means that you can feed a high amount without increasing the fat of your rabbits.
Cons of Cabbage on Rabbits
When not appropriately fed, cabbages can cause loose stools and diarrhea. Not to be confused with cecotropes which are wet clumped stools that are partially digested.
Loose stools are runnier. It can be a sign that the rabbit’s digestive tract didn’t process the vegetable entirely due to high serving or quick introduction.
Adverse reactions to cabbages should not occur when it’s fed properly. Try to re-introduce the vegetable with smaller portions and do it for weeks.
High amounts of cabbages can also trigger gas production. Stick to the right amount of weekly servings of cabbages to keep the gas at a minimum. Choosing the dark green variety of cabbages can also help as they have the least gas.
Other Vegetables You Can Feed Your Rabbits
Lettuce
Like cabbages, lettuce can provide a high water content and many vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Carrot Leaves
Although most movies and cartoons show rabbits as carrot-loving animals, it’s not recommended to feed them large amounts of vegetables due to their high sugar content. On the other hand, the carrot leaves can be fed in high quantities and provide vitamins and minerals.
Cucumber
The rabbits can eat different parts of the cucumbers. Cucumbers can provide vitamins and minerals such as protein and vitamin C. It’s also a tremendous hydrating due to the high water content.
In Conclusion
Yes, rabbits can eat cabbages as long as it’s the proper serving. It provides many vitamins and minerals that help keep the rabbits active and healthy. We hope this overview of rabbits can eat cabbages answered your inquiries.
