cereal?

is it alright to feed bunnnies cereal, like shreddies and cornflakes?

I wouldn't advise it, as cereals have a very high sugar content, and many also have added vitamins and minerals in human proportions, way too much for little bunnies. Some people feed a small amount of weetabix/shredded wheat etc as a treat but personally I wouldn't suggest it. The best cereal to give as an occasional treat is a few porridge oats soaked in some warm water, it is good for the condition of their fur, but is very fattening so really should be occasional!

shredded wheat should be ok as it contains no sugar or salt, just wheat.

ooo thats a really good idea..the oats..i cud do that next autum to fatten them up a lil so they have a nice warm layer of fat!..i might give them abit now as its still quite nippy out ther..thnhk u!

at the beginning of winter I started giving Benny a level desertspoon of oats, with a few pellets mixed in, and a splash of boiling water from the kettle - leave it to soak for 5 mins and cool down, then mash it all with a fork - He loved it! They really shouldn't have it now though as the flies might get them in spring if they get a roll of fat on their tum - Benny put on weight very quickly with the oats for supper every night - I think I only did it for a month.

It's important to soak the oats so they don't swell in their stomach.

A lot of people reckon wheat products in general should be avoided, even pure ones like shredded wheat - and especially processed cereals as it can cause a change in the balance of bacteria in the stomach, since too many carbs feed the bad bacteria and cause gas, just like in humans who eat too much sugar.

well this week ive fed them mostly on veg..and just a small amount of dried food.....is that a good balance for like bacteria? just thought theyd like a treat...il deffo start experimenting tho!..ive just borrowed some bunny food off my friend..and mine wont touch it..they came runnnin up as they saw ther bowl...sniffed it and walked off!!...very particular!

rabbits don't even need pellets/mix at all if they eat lots of hay and some veg - they need some veg rather than 'lots' - but they do need endless hay - some hay is horrible and they won't eat it - finding good hay is a nightmare but worth the searching, and umpteen bags binned because they're no good - as it's so essential for their health, teeth and stomachs!

I use science selective pellets and all my rabbits go mad for it - I only give them a handful a day for breakfast, plus a few a night - I use pellets as treats because they love them and they are healthy for them.

I just give them a small amount of veg for tea, chunk of carrot, leaf of greens and small chunk of brocolli floret - but once it's dry enough to go on the grass then they'll eat that too.

elve said:

but they do need endless hay - some hay is horrible and they won't eat it - finding good hay is a nightmare but worth the searching, and umpteen bags binned because they're no good - as it's so essential for their health, teeth and stomachs!

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ohh tell me about it,last week I ran out of their 'usual' and picked up a bag of Russel Rabbit meadow hay.....OMG it was awful, they had it for one night cos I had nothing else, then next day (even tho I was streaming with cold) I struggled out to the usual shop for their 'readigrass'

I have now used the RR one in with their bedding..but even so its still not nice and soft like the straw they're used to

I will second that about the rr meadow hay, it's awful!, my bunnies thought I was trying to poison them when I got that stuff :shock: Mine only eat Oxbow, they love all of the different oxbow hays. At the moment they love the oxbow orchard grass and bunny brome the best . They like the oat hay, but only for the seed heads :roll: my chinchilla eats the rest!. I had a nightmare trying to get them to eat hay :? my old bun bilbo wouldn't touch the stuff! probably why he had bad teeth and was over weight. If only I'd known about oxbow then It's definetly worth findind a good quality hay they love.

wow ur bunnies are spoilt! and fussy!...mine enjoy tht finer hay from P@H ( i no how much u h8 it lol)..but they will only eat their food from their too...i tried them on my friends and they didnt touch it!..the thing with the mixed food i buy is they pick thru it..and leave the pellets??!!...so i have to leave it untill they are ravenus and will eat anything!! the only way....mine have trays of hay in the corners which they sit in and munch

sxfe_121 said:

wow ur bunnies are spoilt! and fussy!...mine enjoy tht finer hay from P@H ( i no how much u h8 it lol)..but they will only eat their food from their too...i tried them on my friends and they didnt touch it!..the thing with the mixed food i buy is they pick thru it..and leave the pellets??!!...so i have to leave it untill they are ravenus and will eat anything!! the only way....mine have trays of hay in the corners which they sit in and munch

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If they pick through their food mix it would probably be better if you could change them onto a pellet food that is higher in fibre and then they get the right amount of nutrients from it. If they eat everything when they are ravenous then im sure they would eat the pellet food if they dont get anything else.. just remember to mix it in with their usual food for about a week to 10days, increasing the new food gradually :wink:

Concerning cereals.. ive given simba the odd little bit of weetabix which he loves.. i only gave him a little bit each week to try fatten him up a little but rarely give it to him anymore cos i didnt think it was good for him

u rekon? thnx ill bare that in mind!..i might try it, just worried about buying a bag then them not eating it, wht a waste! mine love weetabix!!..and brown bread...but mostly sit eating hay...does long grass that ive pciked for them have the same goodness for them as hay then? is it a good filler?

wow! well i tried the porage with gucci and she seemed to like it..then walk off...then id put it under her nose again..and shed eat it..lol..i dunno wht she made of it..paris outright wudnt eat it..and the guinea had a little try lol..wht a good idea...

mine are still having the oats just becuse they are both ill and have loast lkoads of weight snowey came to me very starved and thin so she has more than midnight whom is a little thin right now

awww bless them!...hopefully sometime in the future wen i have my own place..id love to foster bunnnies!id convert the garage and give them a huge play pen!...aww the dreams lol :lol:

I just mine a few cornflakes occasionally (very occasionally) Also I've heard rabbits like Ryvita, but I haven't tried it.

I just mine a few cornflakes occasionally (very occasionally) Also I've heard rabbits like Ryvita, but I haven't tried it.

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Mine go mental for Ryvita - they get it very very occasionally!

I feed my cats and bunny food that is made for them. There is so much, I have the Oxbow hay, science selective food, spring greens, herbs, cucumber etc.

The cats have chicken, prawns etc and Jacob has the odd grape, slice of banana apple etc though less fruit and more veg. I spend hours searching for the best stuff for them food, bedding, toys etc. My boys mean the world to me and I think part of loving someone is to accept them for who they are. My boys aren't human so they don't have human food (though they have human quality). Jacob loves to run off with my hot cross bun if the phone rings and I leave it unattended but I don't 'feed' it to him. With porridge I was under the impression that it is a good short term food for ill or elderly bunnies who needed to build their strength up, it isn't an everyday food.

I have a croissant for breakfast so no cereals anyway but it wouldn't have occured to me to feed Jacob it as it is human food. It's not just weight gain, teeth suffer with high sugar and frankly bunnies/cats/dogs are biologically made to consume sugar so the long term damage of their bodies trying to process an alien substance doesn't bear thinking about.

I used to get Jacob those sugary bunny treats as marketed for rabbits. I know better now, rabbits don't need 'sweets' and the weight is hard to get off. I can say hand on heart that Jacob is as happy with a bit of basil and parsley as he was with sugary treats and I feel better knowing I am treating him as a rabbit and not as a human friend. There are so many nice bunny things, the oxbow hays, veg, herbs, dandelion leaves, readigrass etc that are good for bunny in so many ways, why spend all that time trying to see if coco pops or whatever are OK??

aww thts sweet...altho feeding cats cooked chicken isnt sumthing id do..my grandparents feed their dog cooked chicken breasts...and it causes severe BAD BREATH urgh lol...and it causes tht brown gunk around the mouth..ther not meant to eat cooked meat..its sumthing to do with the bacteria in their mouths...tuna and fish are fine tho like prawns...but i guess if it was doing tht to ur kittys ur wudnt do it..i just think tht cuz of my granparents dog yuk!!
yer ive been giving them porridge today...and they keep having a nibble and coming back..ive been down to the field and got them some fresh grass...and i bought some hay today too!..cleaned out ther shed...lookin ded tidy in ther now..i can sit and pet them now! more room

mine act like hoovers under the dining table when my son is eating cereal (Jordans clusters) , wouldn't give it to them by choice but he doesnt have it with milk and gets it everywhere! :?