Food check · Rabbits

Can rabbits eat raspberries?

Yes, as a treat: one or two fresh raspberries once or twice a week. Raspberry leaves are a healthier everyday option than the fruit.

Checked against Rabbit Welfare Association: Recommended vegetables and herbs, Rabbit Welfare Association: Greens, veg and herbs, Woodgreen: What to feed your rabbits and 5 more on

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Can other pets eat raspberries?

Yes, rabbits can eat raspberries as a treat. The Rabbit Welfare Association lists raspberries among fruits for occasional treats, and Rabbit.org says all fruit should be a very small amount once or twice a week because of the sugar. For an average rabbit, that means one or two raspberries at a time. The leaves are even better and can be part of the daily greens.
Safe? Yes, as a treat
How much 1 or 2 berries for an average 2 kg (4.4 lb) rabbit
How often Once or twice a week
Best served Fresh, washed, whole, at room temperature
Watch out for Soft or sticky droppings, weight gain

Are raspberries good for rabbits?

They are safe, but they are a treat rather than a health food. Raspberries are not toxic to rabbits, and the RWAF and VetPartners both list them as fruit rabbits can have in small amounts. The catch is sugar. Rabbit.org counts every fruit as a treat for that reason, and Woodgreen goes further, saying rabbits generally should not be fed fruit and suggesting raspberry leaves instead.

We follow the middle path: a berry or two now and then is fine for a healthy adult, as long as the diet stays about 85% hay and grass. Our rabbit diet guide explains why sugar upsets that balance.

How many raspberries can a rabbit have?

One or two at a time, once or twice a week. Here is how the sources' fruit limits work out:

  • Rabbit.org: fruit under 5% of the diet, a very small amount once or twice a week
  • House Rabbit Society: no more than about 1 teaspoon of fruit per 2 lb (900 g) of body weight a day
  • Animal Trust: a fruit treat about the size of a 1 cm (0.4 in) cube
  • One raspberry is about a teaspoon, so 1 or 2 suits an average 2 kg (4.4 lb) rabbit

Give fruit on different days from other treats, not on top of them.

How to serve raspberries

  1. Pick ripe berries. Use fresh, firm raspberries with no fuzz or soft, gone-off patches.
  2. Wash them gently. Rinse under cold water and pat dry.
  3. Start with one. For a first try, give a single berry and check droppings the next day.
  4. Use it as a reward. Hide it in hay or use it for training, so the treat does a job.

Which parts and forms are OK?

Part or form Verdict
Fresh raspberries Yes, as a treat
Raspberry leaves, unsprayed Yes, good with daily greens
Frozen, plain, fully thawed Yes, same small amount
Jam, juice, yoghurt, dried with sugar No
If you grow raspberries, the leaves are the real prize. Woodgreen and the RWAF both recommend them, and a few washed leaves can go in the daily greens with none of the sugar of the fruit.

Who should skip raspberries?

Leave fruit out for rabbits that are overweight, have soft droppings or a sensitive stomach, and for babies under 12 weeks. PDSA says overweight rabbits should have treats taken from their normal nugget or veg allowance rather than added.

Other treats to rotate

Swap between strawberries, blueberries and a thin slice of apple, keeping to one fruit treat at a time. Our rabbit safe food list has every option, and our rabbit care guide covers the rest.

Raspberries and rabbits: questions

Can rabbits eat raspberry leaves?

Yes, and they are a better choice than the fruit. Woodgreen recommends raspberry, strawberry and blackberry leaves instead of fruit, and the Rabbit Welfare Association says rabbits enjoy raspberry bush leaves. Pick them from plants that have not been sprayed, wash them, and add a few to the daily greens.

Can rabbits eat frozen raspberries?

Only once fully thawed and at room temperature, and in the same tiny amounts as fresh. Check the bag says plain raspberries, with no added sugar or syrup. Fresh is simpler and easier to portion, so we would use fresh when you can.

Can baby rabbits eat raspberries?

No. Young rabbits have a delicate gut, and Rabbit.org advises no vegetables before 12 weeks, so fruit should wait longer still. Once your rabbit is an adult and settled on hay and greens, try a single raspberry and check the droppings the next day.

Can rabbits eat raspberry jam or yoghurt?

No. Jam is mostly sugar, and yoghurt is dairy, which the RSPCA lists among foods rabbits should avoid. Rabbit.org also lists yoghurt drops as a food to avoid. Stick to the fresh fruit, in tiny amounts, or better still the leaves.

Sources

Read next

What can rabbits eat? The safe food list

Rabbits eat mostly hay and grass, plus daily leafy greens and herbs; fruit and carrots are treats, and onions, potato, avocado and bread are off the list.

Rabbit diet: what to feed every day

Rabbits eat about 85% hay or grass, 10% leafy greens and 5% high-fibre pellets, with fresh water always and fruit only as a tiny treat.

Sometimes

Can rabbits eat strawberries?

Yes, as a treat: half to one small strawberry once or twice a week. Strawberry leaves are safe and less sugary.

Sometimes

Can rabbits eat blueberries?

Yes, as a treat: two or three fresh blueberries, once or twice a week, for an average rabbit.

Sometimes

Can rabbits eat apples?

Yes, as a treat: a thin slice (about an eighth of an apple), pips and core removed, once or twice a week.

Rabbit care: the complete guide

Keep rabbits in pairs, give them at least 3 x 2 x 1 m (10 x 6 x 3 ft) of space, unlimited hay, daily greens, yearly vaccines and daily checks.