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Can Rabbits Eat Green Beans?

Rabbits are some of the dearest and most adorable pets around the world. If you provide them appropriate living conditions and devote them enough of your time and patience, you will certainly have a wonderful and happy furry friend.

However, if you have small children, you should better wait for a while. Rabbits are sensitive to kneading and carrying around and very small children still don’t have sense of what their animal likes or not. Rabbits are also not recommended for rough and impatient individuals, because they need a lot of time, patience and constant care from their owners.

Those furry and cute rodents usually live in groups, they are sociable animals. If you can afford yourself to have at least a pair of rabbits, it would be ideal! Otherwise, you should always spend enough time with your pet. Rabbits enjoy company of other animals and their owners and they are adaptable to other living beings. If you get a couple of rabbits, the best advice is you take a girl and a boy. Timely castration and sterilization would make it easier to adjust to each other and spend fulfilling life together.

Rabbits are generally considered quiet and timid little fellows that just sit in a cage and nibble their vegetables. On the contrary, their nature is quite different. Rabbits are extremely social, cuddly, playful, intelligent and curious creatures. They spend a lot of time sleeping or napping, but they are always eager to play.

Proper nutrition for rabbits

Rabbits’ nutrition consists of hay, which is the most important compound of their diet, fresh vegetables and herbs, some fruit (see our article on whether rabbits can eat blueberries) and seeds. Fresh and pure water should also be always available. Hay and water are the basics of healthy rabbit’s diet. Other food is considered addition and enrichment of their nutrition. There are many opposite opinions on introducing greenstuff on their menu. Some experts and owners claim baby rabbits should not eat any green food until they are almost half a year old. On the other hand, there are arguments that early introduction of greenstuff leads to better adaptation of rabbits’ digestion system and less problems with their sensitive intestines.

Let’s say both opinions have their pros and cons. However, all new food should be introduced gradually, including green food. Rabbits separated from their mothers under eight weeks of age who are exposed to stressful environment in pet shop are more likely to get diarrhea when eating some new viands. That is why you need to be careful when including new stuff, especially greenish and leafy vegetable full of fiber.

Unlike other mammals, until they start to eat solid food, baby rabbits have a sterile lower part of their digestive tract. Without mother’s milk, baby rabbit that starts eating solid food is very susceptible to enteritis, which can cause fatal diarrhea. Whenever you begin with new food, start gradually and cautiously, one type of food at a time. If diarrhea occurs, stand down.

Green beans only as a treat

Green beans are generally considered super healthy food and there are many studies on their precious nutritional content. Green beans are very good for humans and for animals, as well. All sorts of beans are cultivated all around the world and prepared in various forms. They are used steamed, boiled, baked and canned. Green beans are suitable for freezing and preserving, so they are very common in humans’ nutrition. In addition, they are full of valuable and beneficial nutrients. They are good for us, but can our pets eat them? Are they beneficial to rabbits?

You know your long-eared friend would most likely nibble anything you give it. Green vegetable is recommended in your pet’s nutrition, but not all the vegetable should be present in same amounts or frequency. Balanced diet for rabbits includes hay and grass as a base and everything else as an addition. Despite popular depictions of rabbits eating tones of carrots and stuff, they are actually not suited for eating too much vegetables of any kind. Green beans are amongst vegetables that should be given cautiously and with extra attention, if not to be completely avoided.

Green beans are quite high in sugar and they are acidic. They also contain a bit of phosphorus and calcium. Unfortunately, green beans can cause bloating in your little friend, because they are pretty gassy.

In addition, too much green beans would most likely lead to diarrhea as well. Inexperienced owners usually think rabbits should eat lot of vegetables, but the reality is quite different. Those animals have specialized digestive system that tolerates larger quantities of hay and grass, but not vegetables. This is why larger amount of any vegetable could cause them stomach problems.

If you decide to feed your bunny green beans, consider it an occasional treat. Keep to small amounts and your pet will be healthy and happy!