Pet a rabbit is very easy and fun, including for their diet menu. Knowing that they are herbivores, you can enjoy the vegetables and fruits together. But, their digestive system is very sensitive, so you should watch for several vegetables and fruits. Some of them might be harmful to their health. The green leafy vegetable is recommended as its nutrition source alternative. Cabbage is one of the options, even though some people are pros and cons. So, are you also having the same question “can rabbits eat cabbage?”.
Just like a human, a rabbit needs variation on their bowl too. Hay is still the main food because of its high-fiber level which is very good. But, once the rabbit is beyond 6 months old, you are allowed to introduce a new food, such as cabbage. Even some owners don’t put the cabbage on their rabbit’s diet list, in fact, this leafy green vegetable gives many advantages. Cabbage is rich in vitamin B6 which is useful for building proteins and supporting muscle function. So, it is simple to respond “can rabbits eat cabbage?”, because “yes, they can” is the answer.
The other reason why cabbage is good for the rabbits, it helps them to regenerate the teeth. This happens when they enjoy chewing the cabbages. However, as we mentioned above, giving cabbages has some cons. Thus, the full answer to “can rabbits eat cabbage?” is actually “yes, you can with some conditions to watch”. Are you curious about the things to be concerned about? See the list below about the rabbits and the cabbages:
Table of Contents
Can Rabbits Eat Cabbage? And The Things You Should Know
1. The Amount to Feed
It is always fun to introduce something new to your pet. It also happens for new food, you must be excited to see their reaction. As your first start kick, don’t give them too many cabbages. Give in a small portion and see their reaction, especially their digestion. If you see there is no issue, you can put cabbages inside their menu. For the adult rabbit, the amount is about 15% of their overall diet or at least a maximum of 4 leaves per feed. Talking about the frequency, giving them cabbages twice a day is enough. Because you need to combine the hay and cabbages with the other vegetables and fruits too.
2. Source of Nutrients
We have mentioned at glance about the content of the cabbages above. Besides vitamin B6, cabbages also contain calcium, vitamin K, potassium, and others even in small quantities, such as fiber, zinc, phosphorous, and vitamin E. Those contents play a vital role for the rabbit’s nervous system, bone, until the pregnancy supplemental. That is why cabbage is very recommended as a snack for your rabbits.
3. Stomach Issue
Some owners might say “no” for the question of “can rabbits eat cabbage?”. Perhaps, it is because of their bad experience with the cabbages. Indeed, not all vegetables and fruits are tolerable. Several rabbits get the stomach issue after taking a new food, including for the cabbages. They get diarrhea and bloating. This reaction is normal since their digestion system is sensitive, so stomach upset is coming out. The cabbages also tend to produce gas, thus, you should forget this food once your rabbits seem not happy.
4. The Varieties of Cabbages
There are many types of cabbages you can easily find in the market. No matter if it is red, white, or dark green leafy cabbages are allowed so far your rabbits are okay. But, as our recommendation, we might say that the dark green cabbage is better than the others. This kind is less caused by gas, so it minimizes the bloating effect. Also, this variety contains a higher amount of vitamins and minerals. Actually, the red cabbage has high-vitamin C and K, but the rabbits don’t need those vitamins very much.
Another thing you should be concerned about is the urine. Once you see their urine color is green, then it is caused by the pigment from the cabbages. However, never think that green urine is normal. When your rabbits don’t consume the cabbages, it is still an alarm for you.
5. Wash the Cabbages
The last thing you should be concerned about when discussing can rabbits eat cabbage or not is cleanliness. Just because the rabbits are animals, they still deserve clean food. Since today people commonly use pesticides or other chemical things in plating, you must wash the cabbage under the water flow. It is crucial to remove this, so your rabbits are safe in consuming the cabbages. Because, for worse effect, if your rabbit’s foods are contaminated by chemical content, it might cause death.
Actually, above all explanations, feeding a pet is about consistency. Moreover, the rabbits have more sensitive digestion than the other animals. Thus, you should stop when the reaction is not good. There are still many options for their diet menu. Here you already know the answer to can rabbits eat cabbage. If you want to introduce another new food, you should find whether it is safe or not.
