Cabbage For Rabbits: Feeding Guide, Nutrition & Facts

Adding vegetables to the diet of rabbits is ideal since it can be a source of more nourishment for them. Most especially if the veggie is packed with nutrients that can help boost immunity and bodily function. One of the veggies that rabbits can eat is cabbages.

According to Hasting Veterinary Hospital, vegetables are naturally part of rabbits’ diet aside from hays and pellets. However, note that even if there are various foods you can choose from, not all vegetables are safe for your rabbit.

As a rabbit owner, it is your responsibility to know important information, such as what food can cause complications and food that is nutritious for your pet. Knowing this, you might wonder what cabbage does to your rabbit’s body after they start eating this veggie. In this article, we will go through the cabbage’s health benefits and if there are any risks to eating it. If you want to know more, keep on reading.

Cabbage and Rabbits

Cabbage is a type of vegetable that belongs to the Brassicaceae or known as the mustard family. Other plants that belong here are broccoli, turnip, kale, and sprouts. They are classified as important agricultural crops because they provide a vast amount of nutrients. That is why offering cabbage to your rabbit pet is safe.

Other types of cabbage that are safe for a rabbit to eat:

Green Cabbage
Red Cabbage
Savoy Cabbage
Bok Choy Cabbage

Moreover, cabbage is known to have a low-calorie content making it a great snack treat for your pet. However, you must note that all rabbits do not have the same digestive function. Some rabbits can eat cabbage and experience good results, but complications occur for others. Some rabbits tend to have an upset stomach just by eating an improper diet, which is why some foods are unsafe for them to consume.

But that will also depend on how you offer the veggie to your rabbit. In case your rabbit is not familiar with cabbage, you can still give them this veggie by introducing it properly. Or another way of making them eat cabbage is by putting it with foods they like. In that way, you can also monitor how they respond to the food.

Remember, do not force your rabbit to eat cabbage. It will just upset their tummy, and they might refrain from eating for several days. If you think that your rabbit suddenly changes their behavior after consuming the veggie, remove it right away in their sight.

And if the symptoms persist, even if your pet is not eating the food for days now, schedule a visit to the veterinarian as soon as possible. They will assess your pet and provide treatment for any underlying illness.

Symptoms you should keep an eye on:

Cooked Cabbage

Cooked cabbage or other vegetables are not recommended because the nutritional value decreases upon cooking. Although it will not give serious health problems to rabbits, you should still avoid giving them cooked food. Moreover, raw cabbage has a crisp and rough texture. You can take advantage of it by letting them bite on it. For sure, your pet will enjoy munching on pieces of this veggie.

Cabbage’s Nutritional Value

Cabbage is Low in Cholesterol

According to a Mayo Clinic article, cholesterol is commonly found in the blood. Although the body needs cholesterol, too much value of this nutrient is bad. It can lead to several heart-related problems, especially for your rabbit. They are known to be vulnerable to cholesterol levels.

Moreover, excessive cholesterol will only turn into unwanted waste inside their body and can disrupt the other nutrients from working effectively. Hence, giving your pet a slice of cabbage is safe since it contains only a low amount of cholesterol.

Cabbage is fiber-rich

Fiber is one of the important nutrients for rabbits’ bodies. This helps your pet improve the function of their digestion by breaking down the nutrients. If your rabbit eats a fiber-rich food like cabbage, their bowel movement and poop will work efficiently.

Some rabbits that are fiber deficient experience problems in their stool. You can identify the lack of nutrition by looking at the texture of their poop. Typically rabbit poop will look like a pellet, but if it appears soft or too hard, it might be a problem with how their digestive system works.

You don’t have to worry about the fiber count with cabbage because it carries several nutrients. But note that too much fiber can also cause complications. Balanced the cabbage well with other food that contains fiber.

Cabbage is water-rich

Cabbage belongs to the list of vegetables that are rich in water content. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 100 grams of raw cabbages have 92.2% g of water. Hence, it will help keep your pet hydrated. But be careful about mixing it with other food rich in water because it can cause diarrhea for your rabbit.

Other Vegetables

Since some vegetables are safe for your rabbit to eat, you can try giving your pet 2 to 3 types of variety daily. Ensure that you balance the nutrition so your pet will not get overwhelmed. You can ask the local vet what balanced food is for your rabbit because each animal has different nutritional needs.

Here are the other vegetable that you can safely offer to your pet aside from cabbage:

Key Takeaways

Adding vegetables to meals is an important part of your rabbit’s diet. But not all veggies are safe for your pet, so you must have information about safe and unsafe foods for rabbits.
One of the safe veggies you can offer your rabbit is cabbage because it covers nutrients suitable for their body. However, note that you need to feed your rabbit with vegetables in moderate amounts only.
Too many nutrients or unfamiliar content can cause digestive issues for rabbits. Although all rabbits do not have the same metabolism process. So to some animals, complications can occur, but for some, it can benefit their body.
Other types of cabbage that are safe for a rabbit to eat are green & red cabbage, savoy cabbage, and bok choy cabbage.
Cooked cabbage is not recommended for rabbits because it has fewer nutrients than raw cabbage.
Cabbage contains different kinds of nutrients that can benefit the health of rabbits, such as low in cholesterol, fiber-rich veggie, and rich water content.