This is a specific conversation about Rabbit food and hay — getting the diet right — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Hay should make up around 80% of a rabbit's diet — it's not a nice-to-have, it's the foundation of gut health and, critically, the mechanism that keeps teeth properly worn down through continuous grinding. Pellets should be a small supplement only. With dental issues already flagged by your vet, the type and texture of hay matters even more than usual. How old is your rabbit, what breed or mix, and what are they currently eating day to day?
She's 7, an Angora mix. The vet mentioned her molars aren't wearing evenly and suggested more hay, but she's always been a reluctant hay eater. She gets a bowl of pellets morning and evening and some leafy greens. Not much hay at all really.
inparticular.ai
That's a really common pattern — rabbits who've grown up filling up on pellets tend to be uninterested in hay because they're simply not hungry enough for it. The pellet portions need to come right down. For a 7-year-old Angora mix, I'd suggest no more than one level tablespoon of pellets per day total, split if you like, and hay available constantly. The greens are fine in moderate amounts. Can I ask — has the vet said anything about which teeth are affected, or is it a general uneven wear issue? And does she eat hay at all, or genuinely ignore it completely?
It's the back molars, general uneven wear. She'll nibble hay occasionally but never really commits to it. The vet didn't specify a hay type, just said more roughage.
inparticular.ai
For molar wear specifically, the texture and stem length of the hay makes a real difference. You want something with long fibres and a bit of resistance — the grinding action across long strands is what does the work. Soft or dusty hay tends to get ignored or eaten too quickly without proper chewing. Timothy hay is generally the gold standard for this. My specific recommendation is Burgess Excel Timothy Hay — it comes in a good-sized bag, it's consistently well-structured with long stems, low dust, and it's palatable enough that reluctant hay eaters often take to it better than the cheaper compressed bales. It's widely available on Amazon UK. One practical tip: try placing it in a hay rack right next to her litter tray — rabbits graze while they toilet, and that positioning alone dramatically increases hay intake.
That's really useful, I hadn't thought about placement. Should I be doing anything else given her age and the dental thing?
inparticular.ai
At 7, Angora mixes are getting into senior territory, so it's worth scheduling dental checks every 6 months rather than waiting for symptoms — molar spurs can develop quietly and cause pain before you notice a change in eating. Keep the leafy greens going, they add hydration and variety without disrupting the hay habit. Avoid sugary treats and fruit entirely for now. And do cut the pellets down sharply — I know it feels like you're taking something away, but a genuinely hungry rabbit will eat hay. That hunger is the single biggest lever you have.
Okay, I'll try the Burgess Timothy Hay and cut the pellets right back. Thank you, this has been really clear.
inparticular.ai
Good luck with her — it usually takes a week or two for the pellet reduction to shift their hay interest, so don't be discouraged immediately. If she's still ignoring it after a fortnight, come back and we can look at other textures like meadow hay or oat hay as a blend. Hope the next dental check goes well.
