Senior rabbit hay-only diet: what to buy

Switching an eight-year-old rabbit off pellets is actually one of the best things you can do for them at that age — vets recommend it more and more for seniors because excess protein and starch in pellets can strain the kidneys and contribute to weight issues. The key now is making sure the hay you're offering is genuinely high quality and palatable enough that your English Lop actually eats enough of it. Can I ask — is he eating hay reasonably well already, and do you know whether he's more drawn to meadow hay or timothy? And is he losing weight, or is this purely a preventative switch?

That's really useful context. The challenge with a rabbit who's always been pellet-reliant is palatability — you need a hay that's genuinely tempting, not just nutritionally correct. For a senior with early kidney concerns, you want something low in protein and high in long-stem fibre, and meadow hay is actually slightly better than timothy in this case because it has more variety in grasses, which makes it more interesting to a fussy rabbit. It's also softer, which matters as teeth wear differently in older rabbits. What's he currently eating in terms of brand or type of hay, even if it's just occasional?

That's really common with supermarket-style compressed bags — the hay is often older, dustier, and has lost a lot of its smell, which is what actually entices rabbits to eat it. The fix is moving to a premium, hand-sorted meadow hay that arrives smelling genuinely fresh and green. The one I'd point you to is Hay Experts Premium Meadow Hay — it's hand-selected, comes in large bags or boxes, has a noticeably different smell and texture to pet shop hay, and a lot of owners report that even pellet-addicted rabbits start grazing it properly within a week or two. For a rabbit making this dietary transition, getting the hay quality right is the single most important lever you have. I'd order the largest bag available so you can offer it generously and change it daily — abundance matters when you're trying to shift eating habits.

Gradually, definitely — especially since his gut flora is used to the starch load. I'd drop by about 25% each week over four weeks. So if he's currently on, say, 60g a day, go to 45g for week one, then 30g, then 15g, then nothing. During that same period, make the hay as available and appealing as possible — fresh daily, in multiple spots if you can, and try offering it in a hay rack right next to where he likes to sit. The goal is for him to start reaching for hay as his default before the pellets disappear entirely. Some people also sprinkle a tiny bit of dried chamomile or rose petals into the hay initially to make it more interesting — it works surprisingly well.

That sounds like a really solid plan. Given his kidney situation, also make sure fresh water is always available and plentiful — hydration becomes even more important when hay is the main diet, and some seniors drink more willingly from a bowl than a bottle. Good luck with him — eight years old is a wonderful age for an English Lop and catching this early gives him a real chance at a good few more years.