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We associate carrots with rabbits because of Bugs Bunny. In the Bugs Bunny cartoons, Bugs was usually seen munching on a carrot. But is this based on really rabbit’s eating habits or is the idea that rabbits LOVE carrots just cartoon truth?
P.S. Do you know why Bugs Bunny munched on carrots? He stole it from a famous actor! Read the story here!
Do Rabbits Really Love Carrots?
Rabbits really do love carrots, but they don’t love them more than they love other vegetables. Just like us, rabbits have a sweet tooth and vegetables have more sugar than leafy greens or hay, which makes them a favorite for bunnies.
FYI, most rabbits love fruit even more than vegetables because those fruits contain even more sugar.
Can Rabbits Eat Only Carrots?
Rabbits could eat only carrots, and some pet bunnies might even prefer to live on carrots, however, it wouldn’t be good for them. A rabbit that ate only carrots would not be a healthy rabbit.
Living on just carrots would cause your bunny a number of health issues. Those potential health issues include:
- Obesity
- Teeth Growing Too Long
- Teeth Decay
- Poor Digestion
Can Rabbits Eat Carrot Greens?
Throughout the rest of this article, when I’m talking about the ‘carrots’ I’m referring to the orange root portion of the carrot which is high in sugar.
Rabbits can eat all of the carrot tops that they want. Carrot greens are packed with good nutrients and are high in fiber which makes them great bunny food.
Do Wild Rabbits Eat Carrots?
Wild rabbits primarily eat grass & weeds and they seldom eat root vegetables. However, giving the opportunity wild rabbits would certainly eat a carrot. Wild rabbits have a sweet tooth too!
Our family keeps a big garden and wild rabbits do get their share of our vegetables, but they primarily eat the veggies growing on the plants, not the root vegetables.
We have occasionally had a rabbit eat part of a carrot, but they usually just eat the bit of the carrot that is growing above the ground. I’ve never seen a wild rabbit dig down into the ground to eat a whole carrot when fresh leafy greens were available.
How Often Should A Pet Bunny Eat Carrots
A pet rabbit’s diet should be mostly hay and fresh greens (grass and weeds) supplemented with rabbit pellets. Vegetables and fruits are considered treats and should make up a very small portion of our bunny’s diet. Treats should be given just a few times a week and in very small portion sizes.
If you want to learn more about choosing good bunny treats, here is a link to an article we wrote just about rabbit treats.
If you’d like to learn what brands of feed we recommend for pet rabbits, be sure to visit our recommended gear page.
Your rabbit friend,
~Stacey
In fact, if it weren’t for Bugs Bunny, I don’t think we’d have this myth. Why? Because Bugs Bunny eats carrots because Clark Gable did once. In a movie.