What to do? What to do? Whether you're an avid gardener with a rabbit problem or a rabbit lover with a gardening problem, here are some helpful hints to keeping both your pet bunny and your fabulous garden safe.
If you do decide to feed your rabbit tomatoes, moderation is the key. The actual fruit is very high in sugar and can lead to very fat rabbit if you let him eat too much. Most rabbit lovers tend to keep their rabbits away from the fattening fruit, especially since eating too much can lead to digestive problems.
Many of them are poisonous! The following fruits, in small amounts, are okay for bunny:
If that seems a little too extreme, you can try to find some dried blood. You should be able to find some at your local garden center. Just sprinkle some of the dried blood around your plants and the rabbits will run (away!)
Using evenly placed stakes, wrap some wire around them that is at least 48inches high. You'll also want to bury about six inches of the chicken wire, so smart rabbits don't dig into your garden delights.
Did you know?
The 15 most popular tomatoes in North America are:
Slicer Tomatoes
Can Rabbits Eat Tomatoes? Here's The Real Deal
Rabbits love lettuce. They can munch and crunch on leafy green lettuce (not Iceberg!) leaves for hours. And while eating some types of lettuce is perfectly safe for your new pal, hay is actually a more natural food source. But if you're worried about him getting into your prized tomatoes, here are a few things you should know. While it's okay for your bunny to eat the actual fruit of the tomato, be sure to keep him away from the leaves. They are extremely toxic to rabbits and can kill him.
If you do decide to feed your rabbit tomatoes, moderation is the key. The actual fruit is very high in sugar and can lead to very fat rabbit if you let him eat too much. Most rabbit lovers tend to keep their rabbits away from the fattening fruit, especially since eating too much can lead to digestive problems.
What vegetables can a rabbit eat?
Here's a good tip. For every four pounds of body weight, feed your rabbit one cup of the following vegetables:- Artichoke leaves
- Asparagus
- Broccoli (can cause gas)
- Brussel Sprouts (can cause gas)
- Cabbage (can cause gas)
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chicory
- Cucumber
- Curly Kale
- Fennel
- Green beans
- Peas
- Peppers (red, green and yellow)
- Pumpkin
- Romaine lettuce
- Spring Greens
- Squash
- Watercress
- Kale
What fruits can a rabbit eat?
It's okay to feed your rabbit some fruits, but due to the high sugar content, you really want to limit their intake. A good rule of thumb is no more than two tablespoons of fruit per day. But don't let them eat the seeds.Many of them are poisonous! The following fruits, in small amounts, are okay for bunny:
- Apple
- Apricot
- Banana
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Grapes
- Kiwi Fruit
- Mango
- Melon
- Nectarines
- Papaya
- Peaches
- Pears
- Pineapple
- Plums
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Kale
Darn That Rascally Rabbit
For those of you who treasure your garden more than your neighbor's rabbit, here are some helpful tips to keep those carrot crunchers at bay.Keep It Clean
One of the best ways to keep rabbits from invading your home and garden is to make sure your property is not rabbit-friendly. As a rule, rabbits like lots of cover. They tend to favor very bushy areas. If you have lots of brush piles or junk piles around, you really need to remove them. You should also consider using a mesh barrier around any raised structures on your property. This will deter them from trying to nest underneath the buildings.Repel Them, the Natural Way
If you don't like the idea of spraying a manufactured repellent around your garden, there are a couple of natural ways to keep the bunnies at bay. First, you can try a rotten egg mixture that you spray on your plants. It's a little stinky, but effective. All you have to do is mix three eggs with one gallon of water and let it sit outside for a few days (but bring it in at night or you'll attract other pests).If that seems a little too extreme, you can try to find some dried blood. You should be able to find some at your local garden center. Just sprinkle some of the dried blood around your plants and the rabbits will run (away!)
Fences Make Good Neighbors
Building a fence around your garden is the best way to keep rabbits away. Chicken wire will deter them, but you need to make sure it's too tall for them to simply hop on over to your tasty veggies.Using evenly placed stakes, wrap some wire around them that is at least 48inches high. You'll also want to bury about six inches of the chicken wire, so smart rabbits don't dig into your garden delights.
Did you know?
Some of the smallest rabbit breeds weigh between two and four pounds, while some of the giant rabbit breeds can top out at over 14 pounds.
| Breed | Weight | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| American | 8-11 lbs. | Blue and white |
| American Silver Fox | 8-12 lbs. | Black and blue |
| Angora wooler | 5 lbs. & up | Black, blue, fawn, white |
| Belgian Hare | 8lbs. | Red, tan, chestnut |
| Beveren | 7½ lbs. & up | Blue, white, blue-eyed black |
| Californian | 8-10½ lbs. | White with colored nose, ear, feet, and tail |
| Champagne d'Argent | 9-12 lbs. | White, silver, blue undercoat |
| Checkered Giant | 11 lbs.& up | White and black or blue |
| Chinchilla | 9-12 lbs. | Gray with white belly |
| Dutch | 3½ -5½ lbs. | White and black, blue, chocolate, tortoise, gray, or steel gray |
| English Spot | 9-12 lbs. | White with black, blue, chocolate, tortoise, lilac, gray, or steel gray spots |
| Flemish Giant | 13 lbs. & up | Black, steel gray, light gray, sandy, blue, white or fawn |
| Havana | 5-7 lbs. | Chocolate, blue |
| Himalayan | 2½ -5 lbs. | White with colored nose, ears, feet, and tail |
| Lilac | 5½ -9 lbs. | Pinkish gray |
| Lops | 10 lbs. & up | Gray |
| Marten | 5½ -9 lbs. | Chocolate, silver, silver sable, black, blue |
| New Zealand | 9-12 lbs. | Red, white, black |
| Palomino | 9-11 lbs. | Golden, lynx |
| Polish | 2½ - 3½ lbs. | White, black, chocolate |
| Rex | 7 lbs. & up | Numerous colors |
| Satin | 8-11 lbs. | Black, red, blue, copper, white |
| Silver | 6 lbs. | Gray, fawn, chocolate |
| Tan | 4-6 lbs. | Black and tan, blue and tan |
Did you know?
The 15 most popular tomatoes in North America are:
Slicer Tomatoes
- Brandywine
- Early Girl
- Better Boy
- Beefsteak
- Cherokee Purple
- Super Sweet
- Sungold
- Black Cherry
- Sweet Million
- Yellow Pear
- Roma
- Amish Paste
- San Marzano
- Opalka
- Viva Italia
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