Free reference · Adult maintenance · FEDIAF-sourced
How much should I feed my rabbit?
Published guidance answers this with a formula, not a guess: an adult rabbit needs about 100 × (body weight in kg)^0.75 kcal per day — the FEDIAF (2013) maintenance guideline for pet rabbits. A 2 kg (4.4 lb) adult rabbit lands near 168 kcal a day. That number covers healthy adult maintenance only — nothing more.
Informational, not veterinary advice. What to actually put in the bowl — hay, pellets, fresh food, treats — is a different question this page does not answer; your vet should guide that.
Adult maintenance reference · FEDIAF
The formula, and what it gives
100 × (body weight in kg)^0.75 kcal per day
| Adult weight | Maintenance kcal/day |
|---|---|
| 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) | ≈ 136 kcal |
| 2 kg (4.4 lb) | ≈ 168 kcal |
| 3 kg (6.6 lb) | ≈ 228 kcal |
| 5 kg (11 lb) | ≈ 334 kcal |
Source: FEDIAF "Nutritional Guidelines for Feeding Pet Rabbits" (2013): maintenance ME = 100 x BW(kg)^0.75 kcal/day; MSD Veterinary Manual concurs on the allometric framework.
Checked against the source on 2026-08-08. The PetLife app computes this exact reference from the same constant, with the source named on screen.
Growing rabbits need more
The number above is for healthy adults. Growing, pregnant, nursing, and recovering rabbits need more than adult maintenance, and the cited guideline gives no factors for those stages — so neither does this page. If your rabbit is young or in any of those situations, feeding amounts are a question for your vet, not a formula.
No weight-loss targets here — on purpose
Never put a rabbit on a crash diet. Rapid weight loss in rabbits can trigger a dangerous liver condition, and the cited guideline provides no weight-loss protocol — so this page will never suggest one. A rabbit that is losing weight, or stops eating, is a same-day vet call.
What this page is — and is not
It is
An adult-maintenance energy reference from a named, published guideline — the formula, the citation, the date we checked it, and worked examples. It is the same constant the PetLife app uses for rabbits, so the page and the app cannot disagree.
It is not
A diet plan, a life-stage chart, or a weight-loss program. The cited references give no life-stage, spay/neuter, or weight-loss factors for rabbits — so this page refuses to invent them. The app takes the same position: it tracks what you feed and weigh, it never prescribes a treatment.
Keep the number where you feed
Track meals and weigh-ins against this reference, free, in the PetLife app
The iPhone app carries this exact rabbit maintenance reference — with the source named on screen — and keeps meals and weigh-ins on one chart. One pet with core care logging stays free.
Why is there no bird page?
Because we could not find one honest number. The published avian energy literature is split on the key constant — a widely used non-passerine value (78) versus a psittacine-specific one (175), a 2.2× spread — and presenting either as the answer for your bird would be an invented choice. PetLife’s engine has a standing rule: no constant without a citation. Birds stay unsupported until the literature supports a number we can stand behind, and this page would rather tell you that than guess.
Have a dog or cat?
The interactive Feeding Calculator computes a personalized daily target for dogs and cats — life stage, spay/neuter, and body condition included. The calculator stays dog & cat only; rabbits and their neighbors get these sourced reference pages instead.
Informational, not veterinary advice.
This page is an educational reference built from the published guideline named above. Nothing here is veterinary or medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Always consult a licensed veterinarian about your rabbit’s weight, diet, or health — and never delay or disregard professional veterinary advice because of something you read here. A pet that stops eating or loses weight quickly is a same-day vet call, not a reference-page question.