Pet rabbits getting stoned on lettuce because it will get fluffy-tailed creatures excessive
Pet rabbits are getting stoned on lettuce as owners don’t realise it gets the fluffy-tailed creatures high.
As part of Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) – which kicked off today (Monday June 24) and runs until Friday (June 28) – the UK’s 1.2 bunny owners are being warned about rabbit ‘myths’.
Among those include the commonly held belief that rabbits should be fed lots of lettuce and carrots.
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In reality vets and animal experts warn that carrots are the equivalent of a chocolate bar for humans and that some types of lettuce – most notably Iceberg lettuce – contains lactucarium.
(Image: Getty Images)
Lactucarium, a milky fluid, is known as ‘rabbit opium’ as it has sedative properties as well as ‘promoting a mild sensation of euphoria’, which can dangerous to bunnies.
And despite Bugs Bunny always seen chomping on a carrot, experts say they should only be given as a ‘rare treat’ as they are full of sugar, and like a human eating a Mars Bar.
Rabbit experts at Burgess Pet Care, which launched RAW in 2006, said it was celebrating it’s 18th year by trying to ensure its message was getting through.
(Image: Getty Images/Westend61)
They say an average rabbit should weight around 6lbs, with dwarf rabbits around 4lbs, and giant breeds up to 20lb.
Experts warn that if a pet bunny develops a ‘pot belly’ and ‘fatty pads’ on its shoulders and legs – or if it is ‘wider than it is long’, you know it’s overweight.
Other no-nos include rabbit muesli, chard – which causes rabbits to bloat – rhubarb, which is poisonous to bunnies, and nuts, which give them in indigestion.
(Image: Getty Images)
A spokesman for RAW said a healthy diet was ‘vital’ for a ‘happy bunny’, saying that 90% of a bunnies diet should be hay.
He added: “A good diet is the cornerstone of your rabbits’ health.
“The essential thing is to provide rabbit food that mimics what they would eat naturally.
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“Wild bunnies feed on weeds, grasses, wildflowers, and flower and vegetable plants – foods that are naturally high in fibre.”
He added: “Rabbits don’t naturally eat root vegetables, so carrots are generally best avoided.
“Some types of lettuce, such as iceberg, contain lactucarium, which can be harmful to rabbits.”
