Can Rabbits Eat Kiwi Fruits and Leaves?

Kiwifruits are not only sweet and tangy, but they contain a lot of nutrients that are quite beneficial. These edible berries from woody vines are also known as Chinese gooseberry belongs to the genus Actinidia.

The high content of vitamin C and other antioxidants can help treat asthma, Its fiber can aid in digestion while actinidin enzyme is essential in protein breakdown. These fruits can also reduce oxidative stress, manage blood pressure, lower blood clotting and protect against vision loss.

Furthermore, vitamin C can boost immunity, and it is more than the amount found in oranges. Kiwi fruits are also loaded with vitamin K, E, copper, sugars, potassium, folate, among other nutrients.

Can rabbits eat kiwi fruits

Yes. Rabbits can eat kiwi with the pits or seeds intact since they are small to present any choking risk. All types of kiwifruits are safe including the hardy, arctic, purple, silver vines as well as the regular fuzzy kiwis among other species. The fruit is quite nutritious, and your bunnies will benefit from the various nutrients we have listed above. 

However, as in the case of other fruits that rabbits eat, including grapes, bananas, apricots, apples, mangoes, melons, papaya, peaches, pears and so on, you need to give them in small amounts as occasional treats. Treats should not be more than 10% of your rabbit’s diet. Therefore, give them two teaspoons for a bunny weighing about four pounds.

When feeding them with this healthy fruit, begin with small amounts and after 24 hours, check for any gastrointestinal disturbances. If none, you can increase the amount to the recommended one.

Since they are high in sugars and have carbohydrates, you should expect problems including diarrhea, constipation, bloating, cecal motility issues. Also, high sugar foods may cause issues including “obesity, heart problems, foot pain, fatty liver disease, arthritis, respiratory problems,” as Rabbit.life notes.

A rabbit’s diet should have a high fiber, low sugar foods. You should give them over 80% hay, about 10-15% fresh foods of which the bulk should be leafy greens that bunnies can eat and some treats of fruits and non-leafy vegetables such as celery stalks, bell pepper, cucumber, zucchinis and so on. The rest can be high-quality rabbit pellets brands such as Small Pet Select Rabbit Food Pellets. 

Note that baby rabbits, aged below 12 weeks should not be given any vegetables or fruits as their digestive systems have not fully developed. They are likely to cause stomach upsets and other problems.

Cut these fruits into small pieces for your bunnies to be able to eat them with ease. You can hide them in logic rabbit toys, use them during training including litter box training or to grow a bond during their playtime.

Can rabbits eat kiwifruit skin, leaves, and vines?

Yes. Bunnies can eat kiwi branches and leaves. As the Spruce notes, “rabbits may eat the branches in winter.” Its wood is also listed as safe woods you can give your furry friends.

You do not need to peel the skin off since it is healthy and contains less sugar. However, you need to give them still the kiwifruit skin as a treat. Ensure the fruit is washed thoroughly to get rid of some herbicides, pesticides or insecticides that may have been used.

For the leaves and vines, you can mix them with other leafy greens that rabbits eat. A packed cup of the leafy green’s mixture is enough for a rabbit weight two pounds.

What about dried kiwis

Bunnies can eat dried kiwifruit. It will not harm them. However, we do not recommend giving these furry friends nay dry fruits as they have much higher sugar content.