What do rabbits and guinea pigs eat?
Hay as the staple feed around the clock, vitamin C only for guinea pigs, gradually switch to fresh food, dry food in a supporting role — and which feedstuffs are off-limits for both species.
Rabbits and guinea pigs are often kept together and fed similarly. But there is one crucial difference — and in practice it is regularly overlooked.
The basics: hay, all the time
Both species are constant grazers with a sensitive digestive system. The intestines are not driven by muscle movement, but by incoming food. That is why: Hay must be available around the clock – not as a side, but as the main food.
The second reason is their teeth. The teeth of rabbits and guinea pigs keep growing throughout their lives. Only long-fiber roughage that has to be chewed for a long time wears them down evenly. Soft food does not — misaligned teeth are one of the most common reasons for vet visits in both species.
Good hay smells pleasant, is green to green-brown, low in dust, and contains clearly visible long stalks.
The difference: vitamin C
Guinea pigs cannot produce vitamin C themselves. They lack — like humans — an enzyme needed for the body’s own synthesis. They therefore have to get it daily through their diet: from fresh vegetables such as bell pepper, parsley, fennel, or kale, or from a complete feed that is enriched accordingly.
Rabbits produce vitamin C themselves. An additional supply is not necessary for them.
That is the main reason why guinea pig food and rabbit food are not freely interchangeable — even if the mixes look similar at first glance.
Fresh food
Fresh greens and vegetables should be included every day. Suitable options include:
- lamb's lettuce, endive, chicory, romaine lettuce
- bell pepper, fennel, cucumber, carrot with greens
- herbs: parsley, dill, basil, dandelion
- meadow herbs and grass from untreated areas
Important when making the switch: Introduce new fresh food slowly, starting with small amounts and increasing over one to two weeks. A digestive system that has only known dry food for months will not tolerate a sudden serving of lettuce.
Do not feed grass and meadow herbs in bright sun or when wilted, but freshly cut.
Dried herbs can be mixed in as a supplement, for example the Herbal Mix of 16 Herbs.
Dry food – the supporting role
Ready-made mixes are an addition, not a foundation. A small daily portion is enough; giving too much risks leaving hay uneaten — and that is exactly what leads to dental and digestive problems.
When looking at the ingredients, it pays to pay attention: grain- and molasses-based mixes with colorful components are more energy-rich than necessary. High-fiber mixes with herbs and a proportion of greens are the better choice. You can find our range under Rabbit & rodent food.
If you also want to give a liquid supplement, Röhnfried VitaKanin and Röhnfried Gut Well-Being are two products that are indicated for rabbits — the information on the packaging remains decisive. The rest of the small animal range can be found under Small animals.
Treats
As a reward, dried herbs, a piece of carrot, or natural products without additives are suitable — for example pea flakes or carob. Both in small amounts.
Both are also available in a smaller pack size: pea flakes 2.5 kg and carob 2.5 kg.
Unsuitable are yogurt drops, chew sticks with added sugar, and anything glued together with honey or molasses.
What must not be fed
- Bread, baked goods, pasta – too starchy, disrupt the gut flora
- Avocado – intolerable for many small animals
- Stone fruit pits – contain hydrocyanic acid compounds
- Onions, leeks, garlic
- Cabbage in larger amounts – only introduce slowly, otherwise it causes bloating
- Dairy products and anything animal-based
- Salted, seasoned, sweet foods
Water
Fresh water must always be available — ideally in a shallow, stable bowl rather than a nipple drinker. Animals drink from a bowl in a natural posture and take in more. The bowl should be cleaned daily.
Suitable bowls can be found under Drinking bowls & troughs, for example the shallow plastic feeding bowl.
Cecotropes are normal
Rabbits and guinea pigs produce two types of droppings: normal fecal pellets and soft, grape-like cecotropes, which they take directly from the anus and digest again. It looks unusual, but it is a necessary part of digestion and not a sign of illness.
If cecotropes are left uneaten in the enclosure, however, this is a sign of a diet that is too energy-rich — usually too much dry food.
Frequently asked questions
What do rabbits like to eat best?
Fresh greens, herbs, and carrot tops. The basis still has to be hay — favorite food and staple food are two different things.
What do guinea pigs eat?
Hay as the basis, plus fresh vegetables and herbs daily as a source of vitamin C, as well as a small portion of high-fiber dry food.
Can rabbits and guinea pigs eat the same food?
Only to a limited extent. Guinea pigs need additional vitamin C, while rabbits produce it themselves. When kept together, it should therefore be ensured that the guinea pigs can actually reach their vitamin C source.
How much dry food per day?
A small portion, about one to two tablespoons per animal. If hay is left uneaten, it is too much.
Can rabbits eat cabbage?
In small amounts and only if they have been slowly accustomed to it. Sudden large amounts lead to bloating.
Why do the teeth keep growing?
Because both species naturally chew fibrous food that wears down the teeth. Without enough hay, the teeth overgrow and must be shortened by a vet.
You can find the small animal range under Rabbits, Rodent and Rabbit & rodent food.
