Do Rabbits Eat Grasshoppers

Do Rabbits Eat Grasshoppers
Do Rabbits Eat Grasshoppers

Rabbits eat a variety of things. There’s a long list of vegetables, plants and herbs they love. I suggest as a rabbit owner, you study what your rabbit should eat.  But, I get asked by people all the time whether rabbits like to eat grasshoppers.

So, do rabbit eat grasshoppers? No, they do not.  Rabbits are herbivores. They eat a plant-based diet high in fiber and low in protein. Their bodies are made for eating plants. First of all, eating grasshoppers isn’t healthy for them mostly because their body isn’t prepared to digest bugs. And secondly, rabbits aren’t really interested in moving critters like grasshoppers. They aren’t predators. So, rabbits wouldn’t try to catch or kill a grasshopper to eat it. Lastly, grasshoppers could be really dangerous for your rabbit especially if they have insecticide on their bodies or if they are carrying parasites.

Contents

What Do Rabbits Typically Eat?

A typical rabbit diet includes hay, vegetables and some fruits and herbs. Giving your rabbit a variety of foods will boost his health and his happiness.

  • Hay– Hay should be a huge percentage of your rabbit’s diet. He should eat his weight in hay every day. Timothy hay, oat hay, alfalfa hay(sparingly for adult rabbits) and meadow hay are all good for your rabbit. Hay provides healthy fiber which is essential for your rabbit’s gut health. Hay also naturally files down your rabbit’s teeth which grow his entire life.
  • Vegetables-A healthy rule of thumb is to give your rabbit at least one cup of vegetables for every four pounds of his weight. Here are a few vegetables (there’s lots more) your rabbit can safely eat:

Green beans
Peas-leaves and pods
Peppers-sweet
Pumpkin
Romaine lettuce
Spinach- not often
Spring Greens
Asparagus
Broccoli leaves
Cucumber

  • Fruits-Don’t give your rabbit too many fruits,not more than 2 tablespoons a day. Remove the pits or stones from the fruit before giving it  to your rabbit. Here are some(there are more) fruits you can give your rabbit:

Blackberry
Blueberries
Grapes
Mango
Melon
Peaches
Pears
Pineapple
Raspberries
Raspberries
Apples
Banana
Strawberries

  • Wild Flowers-Rabbits can eat wildflowers. Here is a partial list of flowers that are safe for your rabbit to eat. Be sure the flowers haven’t been sprayed with fertilizer or other chemical growth compounds.

Calendula
Camomile
Chickweed
Clover
Dandelion
Lavender
Pansies
Roses
Hibiscus

  • Herbs-Rabbits love herbs, but they should be given sparingly to your rabbit. Here is a short list of some of the herbs your rabbit can eat.

Basil
Oregano
Dill
Cilantro
Rosemary
Sage
Tarragon
Peppermint
Lavender
Lemon balm

Be careful with herbs. Some common herbs are poisonous to your rabbit. Always give your rabbit the herbs you want him to eat rather than letting him forage in the garden for them. That way he won’t happen to get a hold of herbs that are dangerous for him.

Do Rabbits Eat Bugs?

Rabbits typically don’t eat bugs. Bugs or insects include: spiders, mites, crickets, fleas, ticks, termites, beetles, caterpillars, flies or moths.

Rabbits are plant eaters or herbivore.  Bugs are usually eaten by animals that are carnivorous(animals that eat meat or flesh) or omnivorous( animals that eat both plants and meat). Carnivores eat herbivores, like rabbits. Your rabbit’s diet is a totally plant based one. Plus, rabbits aren’t predators by nature. So, they wouldn’t go after bugs to catch them since it’s not their instinct to do so. This being said, sometimes rabbits have been known to eat bugs. Sometimes they’ve eaten them accidently, or sometimes out of curiosity. If your rabbit eats a few bugs, he’ll be okay. But the protein in bugs isn’t good for your rabbit. Some people report that wild rabbits do eat bugs especially the Eastern Cottontails, whose diet consists of berries, leaves, grasses nuts, fruits, but occasionally bugs or insect when they can’t find other food.

Do Rabbits Eat Grasshoppers?

No rabbits don’t usually eat grasshoppers. If your rabbit ate one, it would be by accident. Rabbits don’t eat grasshoppers because they are…

1.Herbivores-Rabbits are herbivores so they eat a plant based diet. Grasshoppers are too high in protein for a rabbit’s digestive system. Eating too many would actually kill them because their digestive system couldn’t digest the grasshopper.  Plus they are low in fiber. Adult rabbits don’t need much protein and they need lots of fiber. Eating grasshoppers wouldn’t be good for their digestive system because it’s not made for digesting bugs or insects.

2 .Not prey animals-Rabbits are prey animals not predators. They wouldn’t know how to catch a an insect to kill it. It’s not in their genes.

3.Just not Interested-Rabbits aren’t really interested enough in bugs to eat them. They typically wouldn’t try to pursue moving things to eat them.

Should I Worry If My Rabbit Ate A Bug?

Your rabbit may eat a bug while grazing and foraging in your backyard.  If this happens you don’t need to worry. One or two bugs aren’t going to hurt your rabbit. The biggest concern for your rabbit is the possibility that the bugs had insecticides on their bodies or carry parasites that could infect your rabbit. Dead bugs or grasshoppers might look interesting at first to your rabbit, but usually if they nibble them a bit they’ll realize they aren’t interested.

Why Did My Rabbit Have A Grasshopper?

Several rabbit owners reported that  their rabbit had a strange habit of catching beetles or grasshoppers when outside. Instead of eating the grasshopper or beetle, the owners said their rabbits playfully pulled the bugs apart. This wasn’t aggression on the rabbits part, but rather playful curiosity which rabbits are known for. The rabbits, no double, thought the grasshopper and beetle were new toy.

Another rabbit owner shared a strange occurrence where their rabbit attacked birds and a mouse creeping near their cage. Mother rabbits(does) will become territorial if they’re kept in a cage. She will usually warn any invaders with thumps or loud grunts. In this case, the intruder didn’t heed her warnings so she attacked. Male unneutered rabbits can also become aggressive. He might pounce on a grasshopper that enters his space.It’s not to eat the grasshopper, but to keep it away. Typically, rabbits aren’t aggressive, but mild mannered and easy going, but they will protect their territory if pressed.

How Do I Protect My Rabbit From Accidentally Eating Grasshoppers?

Keep an eye on your rabbit when he’s outside. He should never be in your backyard or garden without supervision. Rabbits are curious creatures. In his foraging around the garden, he might pick up a grasshopper or another kind of insect. Some insects are poisonous, too. Evenings and early morning is often when insects tend to be around your yard. Keep your rabbit out of shrubs or bushes where insects or bugs tend to hang out. Don’t spray your backyard against bugs. Bugs, like grasshopper or other insects, sometime survive the insecticides. If insects are eaten by your rabbit, he could get really sick. Bug spray residue, even small doses, can last for months. Small amounts of a bug killer could kill your rabbit.

Rabbits won’t eat grasshoppers. They aren’t interested primarily because rabbits are  plant eaters. Their diet is composed of hay, vegetables, fruits and herbs. Since rabbits aren’t predators, they wouldn’t attempt to kill a grasshopper. Sometimes while grazing or rummaging through a backyard a rabbit will accidentally eat a grasshopper. It could be dangerous if by chance the grasshopper has insecticide on its body or if the grasshopper has a parasite.