WHY ARE RABBITS NOT KOSHER?
The Torah forbids Jews from eating any land animal that does not both chew its cud and have a cloven hoof. This includes cows, sheep, goats, deer, and giraffes but not pigs or rabbits.
Rabbits are of the family Lagomorpha. They do not chew their cud because they eat their food too quickly to allow their stomachs to sweep the food through their digestive system. Rabbits are sometimes regarded as “fish” or “fowl” because they can’t fly, but they do have some similar characteristic0s. Rabbits also have a split upper lip which is why they cannot be kosher animals.