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
A rabbit with a small appetite is a real concern — hay isn't optional, it needs to make up around 80% of what they eat. It's the thing that keeps the gut moving and wears down those continuously growing teeth. Without enough of it, you're looking at GI stasis risk and dental problems over time. Pellets should be a small supplement on the side, not the main event. Before I point you anywhere, tell me: how old is your rabbit, are there any known health issues, and what are they currently eating day to day?
She's 5 years old, a Dalmatian rabbit mix. She's always had a pretty small appetite — the vet hasn't flagged anything serious, just says she's naturally a light eater. She gets a small amount of pellets and some veg but honestly she barely touches her hay. I want to find something more appetising to encourage her.
inparticular.ai
Good to know she's had a vet check and there's no underlying problem — that matters a lot here. A few things I want to understand before I suggest anything: what hay are you currently offering her, and how is it being presented? Loose in a rack, in a pile on the floor? And does she show any interest at all, or does she walk past it completely?
She's been getting basic meadow hay from a pet shop, in a rack attached to her enclosure. She'll nibble a tiny bit but mostly ignores it. She definitely prefers her pellets and veg.
inparticular.ai
That's a really common pattern — basic bagged meadow hay from pet shops can be quite dry, dusty, and frankly not very enticing. The smell and texture matters more than most people realise. For a fussy or light-eating rabbit, I'd switch to Oxbow Western Timothy Hay. It's consistently fresh, has a good natural scent that tends to get even reluctant rabbits interested, and the fibre quality is high enough to actually support her gut and teeth properly. It's also worth trying a small amount loose on the floor of her enclosure rather than just in the rack — some rabbits engage with it more when it feels less like a 'station' and more like foraging. Keep pellets to a tablespoon a day maximum at her age; the more you reduce them, the more incentive she has to turn to the hay.
That makes sense. Is there anything else I could mix in to make it more interesting, or should I just stick with the Timothy hay on its own first?
inparticular.ai
Start with the Timothy hay on its own for a week or two — you want to know whether she's responding to it before you add variables. If she's still not engaging well after that, you can introduce a small amount of dried herb mix sprinkled through the hay, something like dried chamomile, rose petals, or dandelion. These act as a draw without replacing the hay itself. But genuinely, the switch from dusty pet-shop hay to something fresh like Oxbow often makes a noticeable difference on its own. Don't underestimate how much the quality of the hay itself is the issue.
Really helpful, thank you. I'll order the Oxbow Timothy Hay and try it loose on the floor too.
inparticular.ai
Good plan. Give it a week before judging — sometimes it takes a few days for them to get used to something new. If her intake improves even a little, that's progress worth building on. And if her appetite drops sharply at any point or you notice her gut sounds different, that's a vet call rather than a hay problem. Good luck with her.
