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 background feature, it's the foundation of healthy gut motility and the main mechanism that keeps teeth worn down properly. Pellets are a small supplement at best, not the main event. For an overweight rabbit, getting the hay right becomes even more critical, because you want bulk and satiety without the extra calories that come from rich, high-protein hays. How old is your rabbit, are there any other health concerns beyond the weight, and what are they currently eating day to day?
She's five, a Harlequin Lop. The vet said she's overweight and we need to cut back on pellets, which we've done. But she seems hungry all the time and I don't want her to be miserable. She's on meadow hay at the moment but I wondered if there's a better option.
inparticular.ai
Good that you've already cut the pellets — that's exactly the right first move. Meadow hay is actually decent, but the issue is consistency. Bagged meadow hay varies a lot in quality and can be quite rich depending on the blend. For a five-year-old lop who needs to feel full without taking in extra calories, the best option is feeding primarily timothy hay. It's lower in calcium and protein than meadow hay, higher in fibre, and the texture is coarser — which means more chewing, slower eating, and better dental wear. Is she currently getting unlimited hay access, or are you rationing it?
She has a rack that we top up, but honestly I'm not sure she's eating much of it. She seems more interested in the pellets and the fresh veg.
inparticular.ai
That's the classic pattern — pellets and veg are easy and tasty, so hay becomes an afterthought. The trick is making the hay the most appealing thing available, which means offering it in a way that encourages foraging rather than just sitting in a rack. Try placing a pile directly on the floor of her enclosure, or in a cardboard box she can sit in — rabbits often eat more hay when they can dig and root through it. Freshness matters too. A lot of supermarket hay is stale and dusty, and rabbits will ignore it. What brand are you currently using?
It's from a pet shop, I'm not sure of the brand. It comes in a big plastic bag. She does sometimes ignore it.
inparticular.ai
That's probably a big part of the problem. Compressed, bagged hay from pet shops often lacks the smell and texture that makes it appealing. My clear recommendation here is Supreme Science Selective Timothy Hay — it's a consistently high-quality, fresh-smelling timothy hay that's well regarded specifically for weight management in rabbits. It's lower in energy than many meadow blends, high in fibre, and most rabbits find it genuinely appealing rather than ignoring it. You can get it on Amazon UK in 1kg or 2kg bags. Switch her over to this, offer it ad lib so she never runs out, keep pellets to no more than a tablespoon a day, and you should see both her weight and her interest in hay improve within a few weeks.
That's really helpful, thank you. Should I mix it with her current hay to transition her?
inparticular.ai
You can, but honestly with hay you don't need to be as careful as with a food transition — it's not going to upset her digestion. The bigger benefit of mixing initially is just letting her discover the new hay by smell alongside something familiar. After a few days, just swap fully. The main thing is keeping it fresh and plentiful. If she starts eating more hay and less of everything else, that's exactly what you want.
