Can Rabbits Eat Papaya? Here’s Why.

Last Updated on March 12, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

Papaya is safe to be given to rabbits as long as you stick to giving it 1-2 times per week and your rabbit is at least 7 months old. It’s important that your rabbit is not eating papaya or other sugary treats in lieu of hay.

Lack of fiber is the main cause of digestive problems in rabbits, which is dangerous, especially if your rabbit is young (less than 7 months old).

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

Do rabbits like eating papaya?

Both of my rabbits (Tyr and Freya) like to eat papaya and will gobble them up as soon as they leave my hand. In fact, I’m pretty sure my babies would overeat papaya if they were allowed to because they love the stuff too much.

I’ve also asked several of my friends who have rabbits at home if they ever fed papaya to their babies. All of them reported that their rabbits loved papaya and would always give them some when available.

Is papaya safe to be eaten by rabbits?

As long as you stick to only giving small amounts of papaya 1-2 times per week and your rabbit is at least 7 months old, then papaya is completely safe to be eaten by rabbits.

The main cause of digestive problems in rabbits is not the food itself but the lack of fiber in their diet. It is usually caused when a rabbit is eating too much unnecessary food in lieu of hay.

What are the benefits of feeding papaya to rabbits?

To properly show the benefits of feeding papaya to your rabbits, you can use the nutrient constrain calculator for rabbits. This tool shows the different nutrients your rabbit is getting and if the amount is within the safe range whenever you feed them papaya.

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

As you can see from the nutrient constraint calculator above, 100 grams of papaya contains large amounts of vitamin A while still being in the nutritional range.

Is papaya good for rabbits?

100 grams of papaya contains large amounts of vitamin A and small amounts of vitamin E, B6, copper, pantothenic acid, niacin, protein, choline, fiber, potassium, and magnesium.

All of which are great for rabbits if fed at a reasonable amount.

How much papaya can a rabbit eat?

The proper amount of papaya to give your rabbits would depend on their current weight and age. You can use the diet portion calculator for rabbits to see how much papaya (treats) to feed your rabbits:

If you currently don’t know the weight of your rabbits, here’s a table that shows the average weight of rabbit breeds and how much papaya to feed them:

The table above assumes that your rabbit is at least 7 months old. Another important factor to consider when deciding to feed your rabbit papaya is their age:

When can rabbits start eating papaya?

Here’s a table that shows how much papaya to give based on your rabbit’s age:

When should you not feed papaya to rabbits?

Gist:

Stop feeding papaya to rabbits that are having digestive problems and to young rabbits (less than 7 months old).

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Young rabbits or rabbits that are less than 7 months old should not be given sugary treats like papaya. This is to avoid triggering digestive problems.

Also, the proper protocol whenever you notice or suspect any digestive problems is to remove any other food in your rabbit’s diet except hay.

This would ensure that your rabbit is getting their required fiber for the day, which should account for 80% of their diet.

Risk of overfeeding papaya to rabbits.

While papaya is safe and nutritious for rabbits, there are still risks associated when a rabbit owner overfeeds their rabbits:

• Gastrointestinal Stasis: Overfeeding papaya 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 papaya 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 papaya instead of hay. This could lead to softer cecotropes due to the lack of fiber.
• Dental problems: Due to the sugar content of papaya, feeding your rabbits large amounts of it could lead to dental problems.
• Obesity: Overfeeding papaya to older rabbits, whose metabolism is slower, could lead to obesity due to the high sugar content of papaya. 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 papaya.

While papaya is safe to be given to rabbits, you should still give your rabbits a variety of choices when it comes to their diet, just like what wild rabbits have.

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

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Conclusion

Your rabbits must be at least 7 months old before you give them sugary treats like papaya. You should also limit the amount of papaya you give your rabbits to 1-2 times per week in small amounts.

This would ensure that your rabbits wouldn’t develop digestive problems.