cuzrabbits

Finding healthy rabbit treats can be tricky.

There are plenty of companies that market dangerous treats to rabbit parents by using a cute bunny on the packaging. They may even falsely say one of their products is especially for rabbits, despite including ingredients that can cause health issues.

I’m an experienced rabbit owner, yet even I have fallen for these marketing tricks.

So, how can you figure out which treats are safe and which you shouldn’t waste your money on?

Maria Lary of Texas worked at a veterinary office and decided to start her own Etsy shop AshyandCC. She shares some things that she considers when making treats for her shop and picking out food for her own rabbits.

How do you know whether the ingredients in treats are healthy for rabbits?

There are many different types of treats out there, like herb mixes, willow balls, compressed timothy hay cubes. When choosing between all these options, make sure to look at the ingredients on the packaging or the online listing.

Lary says she would double check with the exotic vet at her office to make sure certain foods were okay for her rabbit. But you can also do your own research, comparing packaging ingredients to lists of healthy foods on trusted websites.

“Google would be my best friend, searching on medically acclaimed websites,” Lary says.

Simpler, more recognizable ingredients are better, especially if you’re questioning whether a treat is actually healthy for your rabbit.

“Things that are too processed are bad for them,” Lary says. “If you see that a treat has too many ingredients, that is going to be a warning sign right there, especially if it’s ingredients that you don’t know what they are.”

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Some good ingredients to look out for are:

• Timothy Hay: Rabbits need all the hay they can get! It helps with their digestion and keeps their teeth trim.
• Certain Tree Branches: Little branches and twigs can also give your bunny’s teeth a workout! Just make sure you know which trees are safe for your rabbit.
• Certain Fruits: Since fruits have sugar, you want to make sure you don’t overdue it with treats that have foods like bananas and apples. But they can be delicious in moderation!
• Certain Vegetables: Veggies are good for your bunny in general, but make sure you keep the carrot quantity in check. You may not realize it, but carrots are high in sugar too.

While researching, you may find that the safety of some ingredients are not as straightforward as others.

It may be better to take a more cautious approach.

“Things that are iffy, I usually just don’t feed them to my rabbits. Recently, I was looking into honeysuckle and adding those to treats because we have a huge honeysuckle growing. But I was seeing that there was conflicting opinions on what kinds are okay for rabbits and what are not. So I’m probably just not going to be including them,” Lary explains.

Which bunny toy construction techniques should you beware?

Even if a treat is made from healthy ingredients, it can still be dangerous because of how the treat may have been made.

Steer clear of toys or treats made with glue (which can be accidentally ingested) and wire (which could cut your rabbits mouth during chewing).

Braided or woven hay rings and mats may fall apart after a while, but these natural ways of keeping treats and toys together is much safer.

What are some rabbit companies and small businesses you can trust?

If you have no idea where to start, it’s worth researching the companies themselves.

Check product reviews before you buy.

Look at the comments on their social media posts. While every company will have some naysayers and the occasional angry customer, oftentimes people will call out companies online for their bad practices.

Here are some good options to get you started.

Companies and Small Businesses

Small Pet Select is a family owned business that focuses on transparency and quality ingredients. Many of their employees own rabbits themselves!

Oxbox is another respected rabbit supply company. It’s often recommended by vets and is known for its Critical Care products (given to sick rabbits).

AshyandCC is Lary’s Etsy shop and is relatively new on the scene. There are a wide variety of treats to choose from, and you can even order a box packed with treats and toys.

BinxBox is a well known subscription box for bunnies with monthly and bi-monthly options.

Your own household

You can also grow your own veggies to incorporate into treats.

“I would always look for healthy options that maybe I have growing in my yard. We grow lettuce, collard greens, kale, parsley, and lavender. We have a huge rosemary bush. So I have a huge variety of things that I can choose from that are free, available to me,” Lary says.

What are Baby’s favorite treats?

Over the years, Baby has been exposed to a bunch of different types of treats. While there have been a lot of misses, we’ve also discovered some favorites – that are actually healthy.

Right now, he’s obsessed with:

• Papaya Treats: They’re delicious and great for his digestive system. We give this in moderation to prevent him from getting too much sugar.
• Timothy Hay Cubes: With a little trickery on our part, Baby is getting more hay into his diet. It took some time for him to get used to the idea, but now he loves chewing on these.

Have any treat suggestions for us and other rabbit owners? Let us know what your bunny’s favorite treat is in the comments!