Can Rabbits Eat Mint? Here’s Why.

Last Updated on February 27, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

Mint can be eaten by rabbits that are at least 12 weeks old. You should also limit the amount you give your rabbit to prevent triggering digestive problems like diarrhea, because young rabbits are more susceptible to it.

Also, when it’s the first time you’re giving mint to your rabbits, make sure that you introduce it slowly.

This would make it easier to know if mint is causing any digestive problems so that you can remove it immediately.

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

Do rabbits like eating mint?

Leafy greens like mint are one of the most recommended vegetables for rabbits due to the fact that they’re highly nutritious and rabbits love to eat them.

In my case, both of my rabbits (Tyr and Freya) like to eat mint leaves and will gobble them up as soon as they leave my hand.

I’ve also asked several of my friends who have rabbits, and all of them reported that their rabbits love to eat mint.

Is mint safe to be eaten by rabbits?

Mint is safe to be eaten by rabbits as long as they’re old enough (12 weeks) to eat them and you’re only giving the recommended amount (age-dependent, see below).

The most likely and common scenario where mint could cause harm to rabbits is when a rabbit owner overfeeds mint to their rabbits in lieu of hay.

The lack of fiber in their diet would cause all kinds of digestive problems due to the fact that fiber should account for 80% of your rabbit’s diet.

Another possible way mint could harm rabbits is if it’s given to rabbits that are less than 12 weeks old.

Young rabbits have sensitive gut flora.

That’s why rabbit experts recommend that hay should only be given to rabbits at that age.

What are the benefits of feeding mint to rabbits?

Gist:

Mint is rich in vitamin A.

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For you to properly understand the benefits of feeding mint to rabbits, you can use this nutrient constraint calculator for rabbits, which would show you the different nutrients your rabbits would get whenever you feed them mint and if it’s within the nutritional constraint.

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

As you can see from the nutrient constrain calculator above, 100 grams of mint leaves contain large amounts of vitamin A.

Mint also contains trace amounts of essential nutrients like copper, vitamin B6, niacin, protein, fiber, fat, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.

Is mint good for rabbits?

Yes, mint is good for rabbits because of all the essential nutrients I mentioned above.

Just make sure that you only feed mint in moderate amounts so that your rabbit is not eating it in lieu of hay.

How much mint can a rabbit eat?

The proper amount of mint leaves to give your rabbits would depend on their current age and weight.

You can use the diet portion calculator tool for rabbits to determine the proper amount of mint leaves (vegetables) to give your rabbits:

If you currently have no idea of your rabbit’s weight, here’s a table that shows the average weight of rabbits based on their breed and how many mint leaves to give:

When can rabbits start eating mint?

The table above assumes that your rabbit is at least 12 weeks old.

Another important factor when deciding how many mint leaves or leafy greens to give your rabbit is their age.

Here’s a table that shows how much mint (vegetables) to give your rabbits as they get older:

When should you not feed mint to rabbits?

Gist:

Stop giving mint leaves to young rabbits (less than 12 weeks old) or rabbits that are having digestive problems.

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Rabbits that are having digestive problems should only be fed hay. Remove any other food from their diet except hay.

This would ensure that your rabbit is getting their required fiber for the day.

Always bring your rabbit to a veterinarian if you suspect that they’re having digestive problems.

Ignoring digestive problems in rabbits is extremely dangerous, especially for young rabbits.

Risk of overfeeding mint to rabbits.

The risk associated with mint leaves is mainly due to overfeeding.

Overfeeding any other food to rabbits (except hay) is dangerous because rabbits wouldn’t be able to get their required fiber for the day.

Here are the most common problems when rabbit owners overfeed mint to their rabbits:

• Gastrointestinal Stasis: Overfeeding mint leaves 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 mint leaves or any leafy greens 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 mint leaves instead of hay. This could lead to softer cecotropes due to the lack of fiber.

Healthy alternatives to mint.

While mint leaves are safe for rabbits, you should still mix in some other vegetables and leafy greens to your rabbit’s diet.

Here are some alternatives to mint that you can give to your rabbits:

• Spinach
• Celery
• Green peppers
• Basil
• Alfalfa, radish & Clover sprouts
• Beet greens (tops)
• Parsley
• Peapods (the flat edible kind)
• Peppermint leaves
• Bok choy
• Escarole
• Clover
• Peppermint leaves
• Carrot & carrot tops
• Radicchio
• Raspberry leaves
• Wheatgrass
• Watercress
• Cilantro
• Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Conclusion

Mint is healthy and highly favored by rabbits. Just make sure that you’re only giving moderate amounts and make sure that your rabbit is not eating mint in lieu of hay.

Finally, you should wait until your rabbits are 12 weeks old before giving mint to them to prevent triggering digestive problems.

If it’s the first time you’re giving mint to your rabbits, make sure that you only give it in small amounts (e.g., 15 grams) at first and introduce it slowly.