Rabbits are getting high on lettuce.
Rabbits get high when they eat lettuce
Bunny owners have been warned of the myths about what the animals should be fed as part of Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) and these included the common perception that lettuce and carrots are good for the pets.
Animal experts have stressed that feeding a carrot to a rabbit is akin to giving a chocolate bar to a human while some types of lettuce contain lactucarium.
The milky fluid has also been described as a 'rabbit opium' as it causes bunnies to experience a "mild sense of euphoria".
A spokesman for RAW said that 90 per cent of a rabbit's diet should be hay with vegetables only provided as a "rare treat".
He said: "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."