The rabbit owners are quite aware of the fact that irrespective of the quantity and quality of the food that they provide their pet rabbits with, they always keep eating. Their hunger can never be satiated as they will always ask for more and if given, they will eat non-stop.
Now, this can be an issue of worry for the new rabbit owners. They may think that they are not giving the right amount of food to their pets, but in reality, if you feed the rabbits non-stop it will increase their body weight.
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Why the rabbit always looks hungry?
Rabbits are grazers. When they are left in the wilderness they do not get much food regularly. So they keep eating unless and until the food that is available before them is not finished. They try to pack their tummy with as much food as possible as they may not get to eat on the same day or the next day.
This is why their digestive system has become quite complex. They do not take heavy meals but need to munch on something regularly. When they find some green grass, leaves, and plants that are juicy and green they keep on munching.
Yes, they do have a full tummy after some time. But also they can stop eating when they fear that some of their predators are around. This is yet another reason why they stuff themselves with food. If they get to know that there are some predators around the area they will not come out of their burrow and will hide as they are unable to defend themselves against powerful predators.
Is it normal for the rabbits to eat a lot?
Rabbits may eat more than is required for their body but when they suddenly start eating more than the regular portion then it can be a cause of worry for the owners. Other than their overeating habit, they can also start getting hungrier as they increase in size and age.
When they become mature they need more and more food. So you can give it more food and thus, you should give it some more food at the time of maturity. Molting is yet another phase when the rabbits need more food. You as an owner will learn the time of molting and will understand that the rabbit will eat more than regular times at this time.
What does a rabbit do when they are hungry?
Eating or sucking their own feet is a curious and funny movement that is seen among rabbits when they are hungry. You must not forget to feed the rabbit as they are voracious eaters and they can never skip their meals. Even if you forget to feed the rabbit one meal, you may see them eating their feet and thus, will definitely provide it some food at that point.
Will a rabbit stop eating when it is full?
Rabbits usually stop eating when they are full. Also, they may not eat even when they are half full or starving. This happens when they are afraid of some light, sound, or presence of something or someone threatening. So when giving it food, make sure that there is no disturbance or deviation while they eating, as that will make them stop their eating and get afraid.
How will you understand if the rabbit is really hungry?
As rabbits eat food whenever it is given to them it is hard to understand when they are actually hungry and when they are not. Not every time can you visit a vet when you are not decided that the pet is hungry or just overeating. You may see the rabbit biting things around it, like the furniture, the carpet, and other such household things, but that does not determine that it is actually hungry.
So to allow the rabbit to have the right amount of food and be healthy is, to provide them the food that is measured and directed by the vet. Do not give it an abundant amount of food as that will spoil them and will make them obese. The food quantity and quality should be decided by following the vet’s guidance.
When you will be assured that you have given it an ample quantity of nutritious meals then there would be no chance of the rabbit getting hungry in between two meals.
How often should you feed your rabbit?
Pet rabbits are supposed to be fed two times a day, in the morning and in the evening. This has been decided by following their nature and eating time when they are in the wilderness. These two times they get hungry and get to eat lots of food like wild ones.
You may need to give the rabbit access to an ample amount of hay. Keeping hay handy for the rabbit will serve you two purposes. Even if you forget to feed the rabbit once in a while it will reach the hay stock and eat from there. Also, it will contain its snacking habit and you do not have to arrange for sugary items to provide a snack or treat for the pet rabbit.
If your rabbit has eaten enough amount of hay, you can give it some pieces of healthy and nutritious fruits and vegetables which have low sugar content. That can be done at any part of the day. Hay will not increase the rabbit’s body weight and thus it will not be a big problem for the rabbits.
Why my rabbit’s hunger has increased?
There are several reasons that have made the rabbit hungrier than ever before. When you are giving it the same amount of hay and it is craving for some more, you can assess the below-mentioned situations.
If the season is spring and you see a sudden rise in the hunger level of your pet rabbit, then you can be assured that this is due to the breeding season. Spring is the breeding time for rabbits, and if you have owned a female rabbit, then their hunger increases more than the male ones as they will become ready to become pregnant and bear the child.
Not all the rabbits feel hungrier than the rest part of the year during spring. If you usually take the rabbit out for a walk or let it play outside in the backyard then it will feel the change of the season and thus it will be ready for its breeding season. If the rabbit is always kept indoors then it will not understand the season change and thus will not feel the extra pangs of hunger.
Also when you neuter your rabbit, it will not feel this breeding instinct and will not change its hunger pattern.
Molting or shedding is yet another time when the rabbits feel very hungry. We have mentioned it earlier in this article. Molting or shedding happens due to the physical need of the rabbit. This happens during the spring and fall seasons. During these two particular times of the year, the excess fur of the rabbits is shed to give the creature some relief from harsh weather and humidity.
At this time rabbits require a good amount of energy and that will be initiated if the rabbit eats a good amount of food. When you find that your rabbit is shedding in huge numbers and clumps of fur are scattered everywhere you may give it some extra food. To recover the energy that it is losing from the fur shedding should be regained by that extra amount of food.
Parasites in their internal organ can because an increase in hunger. When the rabbits get affected by parasites they experience a sudden rise in their hunger. There are intestinal parasites that grab the nutrition of the rabbit and the rabbit starves even after having a good meal.
Depending upon the type of parasites and the severity of infection the rabbit can suffer from other such symptoms like weakness, skin irritation, and even discharge. If you find that your rabbit is eating a lot more than its usual portion and yet it is not gaining weight, or it is gaining weight faster than it used to then taking the rabbit to the vet for a check-up is necessary.
Diabetes is another human disease that affects rabbits. Though it is a rare thing for a rabbit to get affected by diabetes it can be a reality. After getting affected by this disease, the hunger of the rabbit will increase a lot.
Other than increased hunger, it is much more difficult for the owners to diagnose diabetes in their rabbits. However, if you find that your rabbit is getting hungrier day by day and it is not the time for breeding, you may get it checked once for diabetes detection.
What kind of food should be given to the rabbits to satisfy the excess hunger?
The owners often make the mistake of providing the rabbits with an excess amount of pellets. You should not give them too many pellets in case it looks hungry. The excess pellets contain too much nutrition which will make the rabbit obese. Providing them with ample hay and grass is the right way to deal with excessive hunger. Hay does not have any side effects like stomach upset or weight gain, and it will only help the rabbits by fixing their digestive system.
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