Can rabbits eat bananas? Can they eat banana chips and banana peels? In nature, rabbits and bananas just don’t meet so you might think that this is a definitive “no”. But if that is the case then you’re in for a surprise.
Can Rabbits Eat Bananas?
Yes! And they love them. Like all fruits, they are very high in sugar, so they will get your bunny hooked quickly and they will want to go on chewing, chomping and eating all day. But because their little stomaches are so sensitive and because they don’t process sugar as well as you and I, you need to limit their dose of this fruit.
In fact you should limit their dose of all fruits that are so high in sugar, and indeed vegetables that are equally sweet and starchy. Unlike dogs, which can seemingly eat anything you throw at them and still handle more, you have to take great care with a bunny’s diet and focus on feeding treats like bananas only occasionally.
Can Rabbits Eat Banana Peels
This is one that we personally haven’t tried ourselves, but we have been asked this question and we can confirm that banana peels are also safe. They might not enjoy them as much but they will eat them and they will get a kick out of the sugar content. Again though, make sure you don’t overfeed them.
Can Rabbits Eat Banana Chips?
These are just like bananas in that they are rich in sugar and adored by most bunnies. There are a few other things to watch out for with banana chips though. Firstly, they tend to have a higher density of sugar, which means you should feed them fewer chips than you would feed them fresh banana. Secondly, and most importantly, only feed them banana chips that you have personally tried yourself, or chips that are sold as bunny teats.
Banana chips that are sold for human consumption are often sprayed with a sugar solution to make them that little bit sweeter. To a human, this improves the taste and doesn’t do much harm. To a bunny, it could mean the difference between a safe amount and a potentially dangerous amount.
How Much Banana To Feed Your Rabbit
Generally, a rabbit should not be fed any banana that is larger than your finger. Such an amount is excessive to rabbits of all sizes and is likely to cause them great digestive upset. This applies to fresh banana, as well as dried banana and banana peel.
Rabbits have incredibly sensitive digestive systems and they do not act well to foods that are new, especially if they are consumed in large doses. So, when you start feeding hem bananas and other fruits you should begin with a very small amount. See how they react, gauge whether they were able to process it well, and wait for a few days before giving them more.
Our own bunnies absolutely love all things banana related. Both are adults and both enjoy a small banana chip a day. This chip is roughly the size of an adult’s thumbnail and about half the thickness of a finger width. This crisp, tough treat gets their teeth working and their tastebuds exciting and the anticipation of this daily treat sends them crazy!
You can feed them a little more than this if you want, but if you do then look to do it every other day or a few times a week. Your bunny will look like it wants more and it will probably beg you for more. But their health is at stake and it’s up to you to make sure they stay healthy. So, resist the urge and walk away!