When you’re considering what to feed your bunny, you may wonder: can I feed my rabbit a banana? The short answer is yes, rabbits can eat bananas. Just like other fruits and vegetables, rabbits love to eat bananas. You can even feed your rabbit the banana peel, but make sure you wash it first.
How Can Rabbits Safely Eat Bananas?
Just like your diet, the key to feeding your rabbits a healthy amount of banana is moderation. Feed your bunny a small amount of banana, especially the first time.
The actual amount depends on your bunny’s weight. A good rule of thumb is two tablespoons of fruit per five pounds of body weight. You don’t want to overwhelm your rabbit’s system or raise its blood sugar too much. Keep in mind that fruit contains a lot of sugar.
When you first start feeding bananas to your bunny, try a very small piece. This is because you don’t know how your rabbit will react to this new food. Like any dietary change, you’ll want to implement it slowly.
Follow These Simple Guidelines to Keep Your Bunny Safe:
What About the Banana Peel?
Many wild animals will eat whole fruits – peel and all. Your pet rabbit can safely do this, too, as long as you keep the pieces small.
However, you may want to consider whether you want to feed your rabbit a banana peel. It’s not toxic, but it won’t taste as good and may not provide a lot of nutrition.
If you do want to feed your bunny a banana peel, make sure you tear it into very small pieces. You’ll probably also want to monitor your rabbit while it’s eating.
What Happens If You Feed Your Rabbit Too Much Banana?
Bananas contain two things that can cause health problems in rabbits: sugar and starch. A medium-sized banana contains 14 grams of sugar and 6 grams of starch. That’s less sugar than many other fruits (mangoes contain an impressive 45 grams!), but enough to cause a blood sugar spike.
Feeding your rabbit too many bananas can lead to health issues.
Don’t confuse the sugar-loving Easter Bunny with your pet rabbit! In reality, rabbits have complex digestive systems and may struggle to digest large amounts of sugar.
And what about the starch? Too much starch can raise your rabbits’ blood sugar or damage their intestines. Bananas will be healthiest as a special treat for your rabbit.
- See Also: Can Rats Eat Bananas? What You Need to Know!
Can Rabbits Eat Bananas? The Bottom Line
What’s the bottom line? Rabbits can safely eat bananas, and they seem to love the flavor! You can also feed them small amounts of banana peel, as long as you wash it first.
You’ll want to keep in mind a few simple rules, though. Start slow, giving your rabbit time to react to new foods. And feed your rabbit bananas (and other fruits and vegetables) in moderation. Too much sugar can cause health problems and may discourage your rabbit from eating hay or grass.
We hope this article has cleared up your questions and helped you learn how to feed your rabbits bananas — while keeping them healthy and happy.
Featured Image Credit by: GabiSanda, Pixabay
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
