Why
Celery appears on the rabbit-safe vegetable lists of the House Rabbit Society, the Royal Veterinary College and PDSA, and the Royal Veterinary College and PDSA both include the leaves. The RSPCA lists celery among the greens that are safe but best offered occasionally rather than every day.
Celery stalk counts as a non-leafy vegetable, the smaller part of a rabbit's fresh food. Rabbit.org's vegetable guide recommends cutting celery into pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, because the strings can be a choking concern or can wrap around the teeth, and notes that celery has a high water content.
Celery leaves sit closer to the leafy greens that should make up most of a rabbit's salad. A few leaves mixed in with romaine, herbs and other greens add a different texture and taste.
What to watch out for
- Long pieces of stalk with the strings intact
- Large servings of a watery vegetable, which can lead to soft droppings
- Wilted, brown or slimy celery
- Celery from soups, stuffing or dips made with onion, garlic or salt
- Any new vegetable introduced together with other new foods
How to serve it
- Wash the celery well, including the leaves.
- Slice the stalk across into pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.
- Serve the pieces with the day's leafy greens rather than as a meal on their own.
- Introduce celery on a day with no other new food, then check the droppings over the next 24 hours.
- Serve vegetables wet. Rabbit.org notes that the extra water helps keep the gut contents moving.
How much?
The House Rabbit Society suggests keeping non-leafy vegetables, celery stalk included, to about 1 tablespoon per 2 pounds (about 1 kg) of body weight per day. For a 4 pound (about 2 kg) rabbit, that is about 2 tablespoons of chopped stalk, shared with any other non-leafy vegetables that day.
Why celery should be cut short
Celery strings are the main hazard. Rabbit.org's vegetable guide explains that long strings raise concern about choking and can wrap around a rabbit's teeth, which is why it recommends pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.
Cutting across the stalk, rather than along it, keeps every string short. A rabbit can still enjoy the crunch, and a short piece is easier to chew thoroughly.
Stalks, leaves and celery root
Every part of the celery plant that people buy is on rabbit-safe lists. The Royal Veterinary College lists celery and its leaves, as well as celeriac, the knobbly celery root, and Rabbit.org lists celeriac among non-leafy vegetables too.
Celery leaves are the part to favor. Leafy greens should make up about 75 percent of the fresh vegetables a rabbit eats, according to the House Rabbit Society, so the leaves fit the bulk of the salad while the stalk stays a small extra.
Celery in human food
Celery in a pot of soup or a tray of stuffing is no longer plain celery. The RSPCA lists onions, leeks, garlic, processed foods and salty human foods among the things rabbits should not eat, and those ingredients often cook alongside celery.
Celery sticks served with dips or peanut butter carry the same problem. Offer celery to a rabbit only when it comes straight from the fridge, washed and plain.
Common questions
Is celery good for rabbits?
Yes, as part of a hay-based diet. Celery appears on the rabbit-safe vegetable lists of the House Rabbit Society, the Royal Veterinary College and PDSA, and the Royal Veterinary College and PDSA both include the leaves. The RSPCA lists celery among the greens that are safe but best offered occasionally rather than every day.
Is celery bad for rabbits?
Not in sensible amounts. The main thing to watch: long pieces of stalk with the strings intact.
Are rabbits allowed to have celery?
Yes. Wash the celery well, including the leaves.
Can rabbits eat celery every day?
Celery can appear in a rabbit's diet several times a week in small pieces, but variety matters more than any single vegetable. The RSPCA suggests offering celery occasionally, and the House Rabbit Society keeps all non-leafy vegetables to about 1 tablespoon per 2 pounds (about 1 kg) of body weight a day.
Does celery help wear down a rabbit's teeth?
Hay does that job, not celery. The RSPCA and PDSA explain that hay and grass wear down a rabbit's continuously growing teeth, which is why hay should make up most of the diet.
Sources
- House Rabbit Society. Healthy Rabbit Diet.
- Rabbit.org. Best Vegetables for Rabbits: A Healthy Diet Guide (Paige K Parsons; adapted from WabbitWiki).
- Royal Veterinary College Exotics Service. Feeding Your Rabbit (Rabbit feeding guidelines, 2022).
- PDSA. Feeding Your Rabbits.
- RSPCA. What Do Rabbits Eat? Rabbit Diet Advice.
- House Rabbit Society. Healthy Rabbit Diet.
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Disorders and Diseases of Rabbits.
If your rabbit has eaten something harmful, or stops eating or passing droppings, contact a veterinarian who treats rabbits right away, even if your rabbit seems fine. Rabbits cannot vomit, so do not try to make your rabbit throw up.