Bunny Bunny Lied!!!!
Many pet owners interpret the character's favourite food too literally and risk giving their rabbits tooth decay and other health problems, says the RSPCA.
The charity said owners were mistakenly using carrots and other salad foodstuffs for rabbits' staple meals, adding that just 8 per cent of owners knew what to feed them.
Eleven per cent of pet rabbits suffer from tooth decay and 11 per cent have digestive problems, according to research at the University of Bristol commissioned by the charity.
"Bugs Bunny was wrong," said Rachel Roxburgh, an animal scientist for the charity. "We want all pet rabbits to be eating hay as their main food. People also think their rabbits should eat carrots because that's what Bugs Bunny does.
"But he's a cartoon, real rabbits don't talk, and they shouldn't be eating carrots too often either."
The charity has launched a campaign called Hay Fever to encourage owners to feed rabbits correctly.
Rabbits do not naturally eat root vegetables, cereals or fruit, and iceberg lettuce can be dangerous. Carrots and apples are high in sugar and should be an occasional treat.
The charity recommends giving rabbits good quality hay in daily bundles of about the rabbit's own size and allowing them to graze on growing grass, but not lawn clippings.
They should also be given regular handfuls of washed dark greens, such as cabbage, kale and broccoli and small daily portions of commercial pellets or nuggets.
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