Hay Buffet (Bunny Week 2020, Day 2)

In nature, wild rabbits are foragers. They spend up to 75% of their waking hours searching for their next tasty bite. They eat all sorts of leaves and flowers and bark and stems and grasses. House rabbits have the same foraging instinct and need a variety of foods to stay healthy. But the bulk of their diet should be hay. 

Rabbits should have access to unlimited hay. When we adopted Trouble, we learned that timothy hay is the best for rabbits, so that is what we bought for him. Now we know that is a simplification. The best hay for pet rabbits is any hay that is high in fiber (which keeps the digestive tract moving) and low in protein (which in excess is fattening) and calcium (which in excess can cause bladder problems). Just like humans, rabbits like having choices when it comes to eating, so we bought a few bags of different types of hay and set them out for Trouble. He LOVED being able to pick just the right piece of hay from the bags. 

Hay Buffet (affiliate link)

Now we buy the Sampler Box (affiliate link) from Small Pet Select. It has four types of hay and is delivered super fresh. It smells wonderful. 

As you can see from the photos in the layout, the box is large and sturdy enough for Trouble to hop inside to graze. We call it the Hay Buffet. What's interesting is about the Hay Buffet is that Trouble never just rests or hangs out in there. He'll stop by for a few pieces of hay, then move along to another place to relax.