Tomatoes are a powerhouse of nutrients beneficial for humans. Undeniably, rabbits cannot safely consume a particular food simply because it is healthy food for humans. Do rabbits eat tomato plants too? Is it safe for them? You will also see how you can keep rabbits away from your tomato plants.
Feeding your rabbit a nutritious diet is critical for a long, happy, and healthy life, so you must be sure you give him the best. Accordingly, this article details how your pet rabbit can safely eat tomatoes and what parts of the plant are dangerous. In this article, you will get answers to the following questions:
- Do Rabbits Eat Tomatoes?
- How Do I Keep Rabbits From Eating My Tomato Plants?
- Can Rabbits Eat Tomatoes Daily?
- Do Rabbits Eat Tomato Plant Leaves?
Do Rabbits Eat Tomatoes?
Indeed, both wild and pet rabbits enjoy eating fresh tomato fruits. It is common for garden owners to complain of rabbits devastating their tomato garden. Even though large amounts of tomatoes are not suitable for pet bunnies, they will readily eat if it is available.
Fortunately, moderate quantities of tomato fruit are safe and will provide your pet with a healthy dose of nutrients. Notably, fresh tomatoes are a great source of vitamins A and C, B6, K, potassium, folic acid, and other minerals and antioxidants.
Conversely, like most fruits, tomatoes have high levels of natural sugar. Rabbits generally have digestive problems consuming sugary foods, so they only need fruits like tomatoes sparingly in their diet. In the same vein, tomato seeds in large quantities are dangerous to rabbits.
Therefore, if you choose to offer tomatoes to your rabbit, do so as an occasional treat. It should not be their primary food. Thus, ensure that you remove the seeds and cut them into pieces to prevent the risk of choking.
In addition, as good as tomato fruits are, they are usually treated with chemicals. Pesticides and other chemicals are harmful to rabbits. So, wash the tomatoes thoroughly, even if it is from your garden.
Specifically, baby bunnies should not consume tomatoes since their digestive systems are not yet mature enough. Before adding tomatoes to your baby rabbit’s diet, wait until at least 12 weeks old. Also, remember to start with modest portions and monitor their behavior and feces for any unfavorable reactions before introducing tomatoes to rabbits.
Can Rabbits Eat Tomatoes Daily?
In general, rabbits can eat one or two slices of tomato daily. For any reason, they should not eat tomatoes too frequently. To ensure that your bunny gets a range of nutrients daily, vary the types of fruit you offer.
Tomatoes should not be regarded as a necessary component of their diet. A healthy rabbit will eat a mixture of hay, vegetables, and pellets and add fruit a few times a week. Therefore, tomatoes are an excellent occasional treat or snack for your rabbit.
Tomatoes are good as treats because of their high sugar content. Natural sugar is to rabbits what junk food is to us. For this reason, practice portion control, just like with junk food. Don’t provide plenty of tomatoes to your rabbit because it can cause diabetes, obesity, and dental problems sooner or later.
Another reason to be careful with feeding rabbits tomatoes is that they need to eat a lot of hay. If they have too many fruits and vegetables, they may not eat enough hay. Without the nutrients and fiber in the hay, rabbits will get sick.
Do Rabbits Eat Tomato Plant Leaves?
Leaves of tomato plants, flowers, and stems are toxic to rabbits and humans. It may be hard to believe that the plant that supplies those sweet and juicy fruits is deadly. Yet, that’s the reality.
Tomato belongs to the nightshade family of plants. Leaves of plants in the nightshade family (e., g. eggplant, and potato leaves) are toxic to humans and animals. Tomatine, a chemical found in tomato plants, causes poisoning. It occurs naturally in all sections of tomato plants as a defensive mechanism against attack from insects and animals (like rabbits) until the fruit matures.
The plant’s leaves, green fruits, and flowers contain the majority of the chemical. Consequently, don’t let your rabbits eat tomato plants. Tomatine levels decrease substantially as the fruit matures, reaching levels that are no longer toxic to rabbits. As a result, rabbits can eat only ripe tomatoes safely.
When rabbits eat tomato plants, they show signs of poisoning such as stomach pain, bloating, and diarrhea. However, no set level is considered poisonous. As a result, some bunnies may not show any indicators of danger after inadvertently swallowing them. Others, on the other hand, may become ill.
Given these, if your rabbit has access to your tomato garden, try to place a fence around it. While most rabbits will avoid the leaves and instead knock them over to get to the tomatoes, you don’t want to take any chances. Alternatively, you may avoid planting tomatoes in areas that are accessible by your pet rabbits.
How Do I Keep Rabbits From Eating My Tomato Plants?
It is rather frustrating when rabbits wreak havoc on a tomato garden eating up hours of hard work. Though wild rabbits are the main culprits, sometimes domestic rabbits eat tomato plants too. Happily, you can take various measures to prevent rabbits from entering your vegetable garden. Consider the following :
Set-up fence around your garden
You can use wire mesh and plastic or wooden stakes to make a simple fence. Ensure the wall is about 3 feet high (60 cm) so that the rabbit cannot jump over it. In addition, make sure that the holes in the mesh are not larger than 1 inch (2.5 cm). In that way, the rabbit can’t wiggle between them. Most importantly, make sure you pin the bottom of the net so that the rabbit cannot get in under it.
Enclose the tomato plants
If it is not possible to fence the entire vegetable garden, you can fence off only the tomato plants. For this, you can use barbed wire or plastic netting. Just make sure to bury the bottom of the net at least 6 inches (15 cm) underground.
Use rabbit repellents
Rabbits are sensitive to certain types of odors, which can keep them away from plants. There are commercial rabbit repellents for this purpose. Similarly, commercial deer repellents are also suitable for rabbits.
To save cost, you may prepare your rabbit repellents at home. Some of the ingredients for DIY rabbit repellent are substances you can get at home without difficulty. Consider the following ideas:
- Prepare a mixture of eggs, garlic, and little water. Rabbits especially hate the smell of eggs and garlic. So, they will not eat your tomato plants if you spray with this mixture.
- Add Vinegar and eggs together and spray at the border of your tomato garden.
- Combine linseed oil with detergent and water. For the solution to be effective, put more linseed oil than water and detergent.
- Sprinkle powdered red pepper or chili at the base of the tomato plants.
- Fill some old stockings with mothballs and hang them up around your plants. Because of their scent, rabbits will stay away from your plants.
Companion planting
Due to their keen sense of smell, rabbits find the fragrance of some plants repulsive. Consequently, by growing these in your garden along with your tomato plants, you can keep the bunnies away. Examples of such herbs are spearmint, lavender, onions, and mint.
Make your garden look unattractive
Keep your garden neat and free of undergrowth as much as possible. In effect, rabbits will find nowhere to hide or dig burrows. Fill in any holes you find in your garden. Plant flowers that rabbits dislike along the perimeter of your vegetable gardens, such as marigolds, zinnias, daffodils, and snapdragons.
Install sprinkler with motion detection
Rabbits dislike getting wet. A motion-activated sprinkler is an excellent way to keep rabbits and other animals out of your garden. The sprinkler will turn on when it detects motion in the vegetable plot.
Set humane traps
As a last resort, set traps to catch the rabbits and relocate them elsewhere. The traps should be placed near the ground cover rather than in the open. To conceal the snare, use apples as bait and cover it with grasses. After catching a rabbit, use thick gloves to handle the trap.
Conclusion
Summarily, giving your pet rabbit tomatoes is optional. As long as there are various fruits and green leafy vegetables along with loads of hay in their diet, they will have the essential nutrients they need. If your rabbit likes the taste of tomatoes, you can use them as a snack to strengthen the bond between you and your rabbit.
Finally, let your rabbits eat tomato plants safely by keeping the leaves, flowers, stems, and unripe fruits out of their reach.