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| Safe? | Yes, in small amounts |
| How much | Up to 2 tablespoons (two thin slices) for a 2 kg (4.4 lb) rabbit |
| How often | Two or three times a week |
| Best served | Raw, washed, skin on |
| Watch out for | Leaves, cooked or oiled courgette, too much at once |
Is courgette safe for rabbits?
Yes. The Rabbit Welfare Association lists courgette twice: as a "botanical fruit" (a plant we eat as a vegetable that is lower in sugar than true fruit), and as a suitable non-leafy vegetable alongside celery and fennel. It says courgette is safe "including the flowers, excluding the leaves". The House Rabbit Society lists zucchini squash among non-leafy vegetables, and Woodgreen lists courgette among safe vegetables to grow or buy.
Courgette is mostly water. That makes it light, but it is not a substitute for hay or leafy greens, which do the real work of wearing teeth down and keeping the gut moving.
How much courgette can a rabbit have?
The House Rabbit Society caps non-leafy vegetables at about 1 tablespoon per 900 g (2 lb) of body weight a day, for all of them together. For a 2 kg (4.4 lb) rabbit, that is about 2 tablespoons (two thin slices, or a chunk the size of your thumb). The Rabbit Welfare Association says fresh vegetables should be only around 5 to 10% of the daily diet. We would give courgette two or three days a week and use other veg on the rest.
How to prepare courgette
- Wash it. Rinse off soil and any spray. No need to peel.
- Slice thinly. Rounds about 5 mm (1/4 in) thick, or small sticks.
- Start small. One slice the first time, then check droppings stay firm over the next day.
- Clear leftovers. Take out uneaten pieces by evening, before they start to go off.
Which parts are safe?
| Part or form | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Raw flesh and skin | Yes |
| Flowers | Yes, a nice summer treat |
| Leaves and prickly stems | No |
| Soft seeds inside | Fine in a young courgette; scoop out big seeds from overgrown marrows |
| Cooked, roasted or fried | No |
Who should skip courgette?
Hold back for rabbits with soft droppings, since watery veg can make that worse, and for young rabbits still settling on hay.
What to offer instead
Cucumber and pumpkin are in the same family and fed the same way. Celery is another crunchy option. See our safe food list for rabbits, our rabbit diet guide and the rabbit care guide.
Courgette and rabbits: questions
Can rabbits eat courgette skin?
Yes. The skin is thin and soft, and the Rabbit Welfare Association lists courgette without any advice to peel it. Wash it well to remove soil and any spray. There is no need to peel it, and the skin adds a little more fibre and chew.
Can rabbits eat courgette leaves?
No. The Rabbit Welfare Association lists courgette as safe including the flowers but excluding the leaves. The leaves are rough and prickly. If you grow courgettes, fence the plants off from a free-roaming rabbit.
Can rabbits eat cooked courgette?
No. Cooked courgette is soft and often has oil, butter or salt on it. Rabbits need raw, fibrous food that wears their teeth and keeps the gut moving, so feed it raw.
Can baby rabbits eat courgette?
Wait until they are on hay and a few leafy greens. Non-leafy vegetables like courgette come after that, in a piece about 1 cm (1/2 in) across, one new food at a time, watching their droppings for a day.
