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
Good news on the hay question — yes, rabbits and guinea pigs can share the same hay, and both absolutely need it as the bulk of their diet. For rabbits especially, hay should be around 80% of what they eat: it keeps the gut moving and wears down those continuously growing teeth. Guinea pigs need it for the same digestive reasons. Timothy hay is the gold standard for both adult species. So tell me: how old are your rabbit and guinea pig, are they both in good health, and what are you currently feeding them?
They're both adults, the rabbit is about 3 and the guinea pig is 2. They're healthy. I've been giving them a mix of pellets and some meadow hay I found at a garden centre, but they don't seem to go through masses of it.
inparticular.ai
Meadow hay is fine as an occasional variety but it's not ideal as the main supply — it can be quite stalky, lower in nutrients, and less palatable than proper Timothy hay, which is probably why they're not diving into it. If the hay isn't appealing, they'll fill up on pellets instead, which is the wrong balance. Timothy hay is softer, sweeter-smelling, and genuinely more attractive to both species. Are the pellets you're using Timothy-based, and how much are you giving each day relative to hay?
I honestly don't know what the pellets are based on — they came from a supermarket. I give them a bowl each morning. The hay is just sort of always there in a rack but I don't really measure it.
inparticular.ai
That's a really common setup, but the bowl of pellets every morning is likely the problem. Both animals will eat the pellets first because they taste better, then ignore the hay. You want to flip that: hay should be available constantly and unlimited, and pellets should be a small handful — roughly an egg-cup worth per animal per day, just to top up vitamins and minerals. Supermarket pellets tend to be low quality and high in sugar too. Switching to proper Timothy hay and cutting the pellets back will make a real difference to their digestion and dental health.
OK that makes sense. So what hay would you actually recommend that works well for both of them?
inparticular.ai
I'd go with Burgess Excel Timothy Hay. It's specifically grown for small pets, consistently fresh and fragrant which means both rabbits and guinea pigs actually eat it enthusiastically, and it comes in a good-sized bag that's cost-effective if you're buying for two animals. It's widely available on Amazon UK. For pellets, swap the supermarket bag for Burgess Excel Rabbit Nuggets for your rabbit and Burgess Excel Guinea Pig Nuggets for your guinea pig — different vitamin C requirements mean they really do need separate pellets, even if the hay is shared.
I didn't know guinea pigs needed different pellets. That's really useful. I'll make the switch.
inparticular.ai
Yes — guinea pigs can't synthesise vitamin C themselves, so their pellets need to include it. Rabbits don't have that requirement, so sharing pellets long-term would leave your guinea pig deficient. Separate pellets, shared hay — that's the easy rule to remember. Burgess Excel for both and unlimited Timothy hay and you'll notice them both much more active and comfortable within a couple of weeks.
