Have you ever watched your rabbit and thought, “Is my furry friend eating its own poop?” I was pretty alarmed when I first saw my bunny doing that.
But then I spoke to Vets and rabbit owners to understand their reasoning behind it and it did come as a bit of a shock to me. Let me share some knowledge here.
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Why Do Rabbits Eat Their Poop?
Rabbits produce two types of droppings: faecal pellets and cecotropes. The fecal pellets are the typical, hard round droppings we often associate with rabbit waste. These pellets are mostly made of undigested hay fibre and are not eaten by rabbits.
Cecotropes, on the other hand, are soft, shiny droppings that are often clumped together like a bunch of grapes.
These special droppings are packed with nutrients, including proteins, vitamins (especially vitamin B), and fibre.
Rabbits are herbivores and primarily feed on grass, hay, and leafy greens, which are high in fibre but also contain proteins and other nutrients essential to their health.
However, these nutrients are locked inside the fibre and can be tricky to extract. So, rabbits have evolved an ingenious system to get as much out of their meals as possible.
When a rabbit first consumes food, it travels through the stomach and small intestine, where some nutrients are absorbed. But some nutrients, particularly those encased in fibre, remain unprocessed and pass into a section of the rabbit’s gut known as the cecum.
The cecum, essentially a fermentation vat, is teeming with bacteria and yeasts that help break down the fibrous material, liberating the locked-in nutrients and producing what we call cecotropes. These cecotropes are different from the regular faecal pellets that rabbits excrete and leave untouched.
This process is so important for rabbits that they’ve evolved to be very efficient at it. Usually, they will produce these cecotropes at a time of day when they can eat them straight away, often early in the morning or late at night.
They’ll even position themselves in such a way that they can consume the cecotropes directly as they exit, minimizing the chance of them getting lost or wasted.
The eating of cecotropes, or cecotrophy, allows rabbits to thrive on their high-fibre diet, making sure they extract every possible bit of nutrition.
So, as unusual as it might seem to us when our rabbit friends munch on their cecotropes, they’re just practising a vital survival behaviour that keeps them healthy and nourished.
What If Your Rabbit Isn’t Eating Its Poop?
Cecotropes are an essential part of the rabbit’s diet, providing necessary nutrients and beneficial bacteria for the digestive system. If your rabbit is not consuming them, it may be missing out on these critical elements. Here are some reasons why this might happen and what you should look out for:
- Obesity: Overweight rabbits often find it difficult to reach their hindquarters to consume cecotropes due to their body mass obstructing them.
- Arthritis or Physical Pain: Older rabbits or those with injuries may experience discomfort or pain while bending, making it difficult to consume cecotropes.
- Dietary Imbalance: A diet high in carbohydrates and low in fibre can disrupt the digestive system, potentially affecting cecotrope production and consumption.
- Dental Issues: Oral discomfort or dental problems can discourage rabbits from eating properly, including consuming their cecotropes.
- Behavioural Issues: Changes in the environment, such as moving to a new location or introducing a new pet, can cause stress that may affect eating habits.
- Gastrointestinal Problems: Issues like gas, bloating, or other gastrointestinal disturbances can make the act of eating cecotropes uncomfortable or less likely.
- Underlying Illness: Diseases, infections, or other illnesses can cause a general feeling of malaise, discouraging cecotrope consumption.
One common method to address this issue is transformation, where cecotropes from a healthy rabbit are introduced to the rabbit in need, thereby repopulating its gut with beneficial bacteria. It’s reassuring to know such measures exist, even though, thankfully, bunnies have always been diligent with their cecotrope consumption.