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
Feeding a rabbit well on a student budget is absolutely doable — and the good news is that doing it right is actually cheaper than doing it wrong. Hay should make up around 80% of your rabbit's diet. This isn't optional padding — it's what keeps the gut moving and wears down teeth that never stop growing. Pellets are a small supplement, not the main event. So before I point you anywhere: how old is your rabbit, is she in good health, and what are you currently feeding her day to day?
She's a 4-year-old Havana, seems healthy, bright eyes and good energy. Right now I'm buying whatever hay is cheapest at the pet shop and a budget bag of pellets. I'm a student so I really can't spend much but I want to make sure she's actually getting what she needs.
inparticular.ai
Good — a healthy 4-year-old Havana is in her prime adult years, so you're not dealing with any special dietary needs right now. The biggest issue with 'whatever's cheapest at the pet shop' hay is that it's often dusty, low quality, or already going stale, which means she may not eat enough of it. When a rabbit isn't eating enough hay, the gut slows and the teeth overgrow — both of which end up costing you a vet bill. Can I ask roughly how much you're currently spending on hay each month, and how much she actually eats of what you buy?
Probably about £5-6 a month on hay but honestly she doesn't always finish it, especially near the bottom of the bag. And maybe £4 on pellets. So around £10 total.
inparticular.ai
That's a really useful picture. The leftover hay at the bottom of the bag is a classic sign of dust and broken stems — rabbits are picky for good reason and will leave the bits that could irritate their airways. My recommendation is Oxbow Western Timothy Hay, the 1.13kg box. It runs around £8-9 on Amazon UK, which sounds like a slight step up, but it's consistent quality, low dust, and rabbits tend to actually eat it rather than push it around. That means less waste, not more cost. Keep pellets to a small handful daily — about an egg-cup worth for her size — and that £10 budget should hold. You're not cutting corners here; timothy hay at this quality level is genuinely what vets recommend as the dietary foundation for adult rabbits.
That's really helpful. Should I bother with any vegetables or is that just extra spending I don't need to do?
inparticular.ai
A small amount of fresh greens is genuinely beneficial — things like romaine lettuce, fresh herbs, or the leafy tops of vegetables you're already buying for yourself cost almost nothing. A loose handful a day adds variety and hydration. Avoid iceberg lettuce, anything starchy, and fruit except as a tiny occasional treat. You don't need to buy anything special — just share what's already in your kitchen. Hay, a small pellet ration, and a bit of kitchen greenery is a complete, balanced diet for her. That's it.
Perfect, that's actually reassuring. I was worried I'd need to spend loads more to feed her properly.
inparticular.ai
You really don't. The trap most people fall into is spending money on treats, flavoured pellets, and elaborate mixes that rabbits don't need and that often cause problems. Good quality hay is the one place to spend properly, and even that doesn't have to be expensive. Oxbow Timothy in the 1.13kg box on Amazon is the move — order it, watch how much more she eats compared to what you've been buying, and you'll see the difference quickly.
