RABBIT HAY GUIDES · SINGAPORE
Feeding a senior rabbit: what needs to change?
Keep familiar favourites, make feeding easy and watch for changes.
Keep a grass hay they eat well; check access and weight more closely. Make food and water easy to reach and weigh weekly. Review the food if appetite or body condition changes, rather than switching just because of age.
RWAF: feeding older rabbits ↗Eating less or passing fewer droppings? Contact a rabbit-savvy vet promptly. PDSA’s appetite advice.
1. Start with what they already enjoy
Timothy, orchard and oat are grass-hay options. Keep a familiar favourite available. If your rabbit prefers a softer texture, try a small amount of orchard grass alongside it. Oxbow describes the texture differences.
What about alfalfa? House Rabbit Society suggests it for underweight seniors. Discuss a weight change with your vet before adding richer food. See its senior feeding guidance.
Leaving the coarse stems? See whether your senior rabbit needs softer hay.
2. Make a favourite meal easier to reach
- Keep hay within a comfortable reach. Avoid making your rabbit climb a ramp to get to it.
- Use a low-entry tray if stepping into the feeding or litter area has become awkward.
- Put fresh water nearby. A stable bowl at floor level offers an easy drinking position.
Practical adaptations from Woodgreen and RWAF.
Walk through the senior rabbit feeding setup for hay, water and floor grip.
3. Keep a simple weekly record
Weigh your rabbit weekly and note their usual appetite and ease of chewing. Older rabbits can gain weight as activity falls, or lose it for several reasons. Ask a vet to check unexplained weight changes or difficult chewing.
RWAF: weekly weighing · Woodgreen: weight changes
If weight is falling, use the senior rabbit weight-loss checklist to record useful observations before a feeding review.