---
title: "What rabbits can and cannot eat"
description: "17 foods sorted for rabbits: 3 toxic, 6 fine, and what each one actually does. Plus the ones commonly got wrong."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/rabbit/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What rabbits can and cannot eat

17 foods with a verdict for rabbits specifically, because the answer genuinely differs by species — cats are several times more sensitive to onion than dogs, rabbits cannot vomit at all, and avocado is a mild caution for a dog and lethal for a bird.

> If this has already been eaten, ring your vet or an animal poison control line now rather than waiting for signs to appear — for several of these the window in which treatment works closes before the animal looks unwell. Do not try to make the animal sick at home: home emetics are dangerous for corrosive and petroleum substances and for an animal already showing signs, and salt-based ones have themselves proved fatal.

## Toxic — treat as an emergency

| Food | Why | Dose known? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Onion, garlic, leek and chives | The whole allium family should be kept away from rabbits. | Yes |
| Avocado | Avoid entirely. | No |
| Rhubarb | Rabbits are more likely to encounter it in a garden and more likely to be harmed. | No |

## Everything else

| Food | Verdict | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lilies | Risky | Avoid. |
| Apple | In moderation | High in sugar. A slice occasionally, seeds removed. |
| Banana | In moderation | Very high in sugar for a rabbit. A thin slice at most, rarely. |
| Carrot | In moderation | Not the staple the cartoon suggests — a carrot is a sugary root, and hay should be most of the diet. |
| Tomato | Risky | A little ripe flesh is fine; leaves and stems are not. |
| Blueberries and strawberries | In moderation | Safe, but sugary enough to be an occasional treat only. |
| Watermelon and melon | In moderation | Very sugary. A small cube occasionally. |
| Pumpkin | In moderation | Safe in small amounts; sugary for a rabbit. |
| Potato | Not safe | Starchy and poorly suited to a rabbit gut even when cooked. |
| Cherries, peaches, plums and apricots | Risky | Flesh in tiny amounts; stones and leaves never. |
| Bread | Not safe | Starch disrupts the caecal fermentation a rabbit depends on. |
| Lettuce and leafy greens | Risky | Dark leafy varieties are good. Iceberg specifically is not. |
| Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower | Risky | Gas-producing. Rabbits cannot burp, so bloating is a real problem. |
| Peas, green beans and sweetcorn kernels | Risky | Peas and corn are starchy; green beans in small amounts only. |

## Read the full page

- [Can rabbits eat onion, garlic, leek and chives?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/onion-garlic/) — Toxic
- [Can rabbits eat avocado?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/avocado/) — Toxic
- [Can rabbits eat lilies?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/lilies/) — Risky
- [Can rabbits eat apple?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/apple/) — In moderation
- [Can rabbits eat banana?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/banana/) — In moderation
- [Can rabbits eat carrot?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/carrot/) — In moderation
- [Can rabbits eat tomato?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/tomato/) — Risky
- [Can rabbits eat blueberries and strawberries?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/blueberries/) — In moderation
- [Can rabbits eat watermelon and melon?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/watermelon/) — In moderation
- [Can rabbits eat pumpkin?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/pumpkin/) — In moderation
- [Can rabbits eat potato?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/potato/) — Not safe
- [Can rabbits eat cherries, peaches, plums and apricots?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cherry/) — Risky
- [Can rabbits eat bread?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/bread/) — Not safe
- [Can rabbits eat lettuce and leafy greens?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/lettuce/) — Risky
- [Can rabbits eat broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/broccoli/) — Risky
- [Can rabbits eat peas, green beans and sweetcorn kernels?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/sweetcorn-and-peas/) — Risky
- [Can rabbits eat rhubarb?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/rhubarb/) — Toxic

## Related pages

- [What dogs can and cannot eat](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/dog/)
- [What cats can and cannot eat](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cat/)
- [What birds can and cannot eat](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/bird/)