Can Rabbits Eat Strawberries? What You Need To Know.

Last Updated on February 23, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

Yes, rabbits can eat strawberries as long as your rabbit is old enough (at least 7 months old) and you only give them sparingly (2 times per week). Just make sure that your rabbit is not eating strawberries in lieu of hay.

The majority of rabbits’ diets should be fiber and protein. That’s why hay is the recommended diet for rabbits. Hay, especially alfalfa hay, is like the perfect food for young rabbits.

Hay contains fiber, which helps the movement of your bunny’s gut. Without it, rabbits could develop gastrointestinal stasis.

Hay also contains protein, which is especially important for growing and lactating rabbits. Without it, rabbits are not growing as they should.

Another reason why you don’t want to feed your rabbit too many strawberries is that they contain too much sugar that can damage your rabbit’s teeth.

Now that I’ve given you the gist of the article, read on as I explain in more detail why rabbits can eat strawberries:

Do rabbits like strawberries?

If your bunny could speak and you asked them what their favorite treats are, they would probably say strawberries!

Rabbits love strawberries. In fact, they love them too much. That’s why it’s important that you always monitor the amount you give them.

Are strawberries safe to be eaten by rabbits?

Yes, strawberries are safe to be eaten by rabbits as long as they don’t have any digestive problems and they should be at least 7 months old.

Strawberries would only cause problems when your rabbit is not eating enough fiber while eating large amounts of sugary treats like strawberries.

Another possible scenario where strawberries could lead to problems is when you introduce them to your rabbits in large amounts. Every new food on your rabbit’s diet should be introduced slowly by only giving in small amounts at first.

What are the benefits of feeding strawberries to rabbits?

To properly understand the benefits of feeding strawberries to your rabbits, let’s first take a look at their nutritional content and whether or not it’s within the nutritional constraints for rabbits.

You can use this nutritional constraint calculator for rabbits to see how many nutrients a strawberry has and whether or not it’s within the nutritional constraint.

You can also click on the blue icon beside the nutrient to see the benefits and deficiency of each nutrient:

As you can see from the nutrient constrain calculator above, strawberries are within the nutritional constrain as long as you only feed them in small amounts.

Are strawberries good for rabbits?

Strawberries actually contain very little of the nutrients. But as a treat, it’s okay because you should never rely on treats to meet any nutritional requirements. Doing so could lead to digestive problems because treats could never meet your rabbit’s fiber requirements.

How many strawberries can a rabbit eat?

The amount of treats (strawberries) you should give your rabbits would depend on their age and weight.

You can use this diet portion calculator for rabbits to determine if your rabbit is old enough to eat strawberries (treats) or how many treats to give based on your rabbit’s weight:

If you don’t know your rabbit’s weight, here’s the average weight of each rabbit breed and how much strawberries to give based on their weight:

At what age can rabbits eat strawberries?

Growing or young rabbits should eat as much fiber and protein as possible and should not be given any other food until they are 7 months old.

The reason is that growing rabbits need a constant supply of hay and pellets rich in fiber and protein. Without these two, your rabbit could develop serious medical conditions.

Another reason why you should not feed strawberries to young or growing rabbits is that strawberries contain too much sugar. Too much sugar is damaging to a rabbit’s teeth.

But after 7 months, it’s okay to feed them strawberries as a treat. Just remember that they love strawberries too much and would likely keep eating them way past the healthy amount.

You should be there to stop them from munching too many strawberries!

Here’s a table to guide you on how much you should feed your bunnies as they get older.

Risk of overfeeding strawberries to rabbits.

While strawberries are safe and nutritious for rabbits, there are still risks associated with overfeeding your rabbits:

• Gastrointestinal Stasis – Overfeeding strawberries in lieu of hay to your rabbits could lead to GI stasis, which is caused by a lack of fiber in your rabbit’s diet.
• Diarrhea – Diarrhea is also possible when rabbit owners overfeed large amounts of strawberries to their rabbits too fast. Always introduce any new diet to your rabbits slowly.
• Uneaten cecotropes – Soft uneaten cecotropes are also possible when rabbits are eating large amounts of strawberries instead of hay. This could lead to softer cecotropes due to the lack of fiber.
• Dental problems – Due to the sugar content of strawberries, feeding your rabbits large amounts of them could lead to dental problems.
• Obesity – Overfeeding strawberries to older rabbits, whose metabolism is slower, could lead to obesity due to the high sugar content of strawberries. Obesity could also lead to uneaten cecotropes, or “poopy bottoms,” because obese rabbits wouldn’t be able to reach their cecotropes to eat them.

Healthy alternatives to strawberries.

Rabbit owners should always try to mimic the variety of food wild rabbits have. This abundance of choices would make your pet rabbit happy and healthy.

Here are some alternatives that you can give to your rabbits one to two times per week as a treat:

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Conclusion

Giving your rabbits strawberries is safe. Just make sure that you only give it to them in moderation and only as a treat.

Rabbits that are less than 7 months old should not be given strawberries or any other food because they need to eat their recommended amount of hay for the day. Giving them any other food could make them full and not eat their hay.

Another reason why you should limit the number of strawberries you give your pet rabbit is the amount of sugar a strawberry has. Too much sugar is bad for your rabbit’s teeth and could damage them.

Make sure that you’re keeping an eye on the number of strawberries you’re giving your rabbits because they love them too much and will likely keep eating more unless you stop them.