Is it okay for rabbits to eat their feces?

Answer 1

Yes, it is normal for rabbits to eat their droppings, although rabbits don't really eat their feces: they eat their cecotropes (also known as cecals or "night droppings").

Feces are round dry droppings seen around the rabbit's territory and in the litter box. A rabbit might sometimes sniff or nibble at a fecal pellet, or might accidentally take on in its mouth while eating cecotropes, but not really eat them.

Cecotropes are often not seen by humans because they're taken straight from the anus, but they look like dark small mushy blobs, sometimes in grape formation, and sometimes they're very smelly. Cecotropes are packed with nutrients that rabbits need to survive. Cecotrophy is a process of re-digestion that allows the rabbit to absorb all the nutrients and get the most out of its food. Rabbits eating cecals is basically the same idea as cows chewing the cud. Baby rabbits eat their mother's cecals as well as drink her milk. Rabbits will redigest their droppings up to as much as 12 times for remaining nutrients.

Answer 2

Not actually, read this...

by Dana Krempels, Ph.D. Unlike most other mammals, lagomorphs (including domestic rabbits) produce two types of droppings, fecal pellets (the round, dry ones you usually see in the litterbox) and cecotropes. The latter are produced in a region of the rabbit's digestive tract called the cecum. The cecum contains a natural community of bacteria and fungi that provide essential nutrients and possibly even protect the rabbit from harmful pathogens. How does the rabbit get those essential nutrients? She eats the cecotropes as they exit the anus. The rabbits blissful expression when she's engaging in cecotrophy (the ingestion of cecotropes) will tell you that she finds this anything but disgusting. In fact, rabbits deprived of their cecotropes will eventually succumb to malnutrition. Cecotropes are not feces. They are nutrient-packed dietary items essential to your companion rabbit's good health. Each individual rabbit usually produces cecotropes at a characteristic time of the day, which may vary from rabbit to rabbit. Some produce cecotropes in the late morning, some in the late afternoon, and some at night. In any case, they usually do this when you're not watching, which might be why some people refer to cecotropes as "night droppings." Anyone who lives with a bunny has seen a FECAL PELLET. These are the small, brown "cocoa puffs" that we all hope end up mostly in the litterbox. They are round, relatively dry and friable, and composed mostly of undigested fiber. Rabbits do not ordinarily re-ingest fecal pellets, though a few bunnies seem to enjoy an occasional fecal pellet hors d'ouevre. A normal CECOTROPE resembles a dark brown mulberry, or tightly bunched grapes. It is composed of small, soft, shiny pellets, each coated with a layer of rubbery mucus, and pressed into an elongate mass. The cecotrope has a rather pungent odor, as it contains a large mass of beneficial cecal bacteria. When the bunny ingests the cecotrope, the mucus coat protects the bacteria as they pass through the stomach, then re-establish in the cecum.

Answer 3

Note: This question is about fecal pellets, not cecal pellets (cecotropes). If you've seen your rabbit apparently eating its droppings, and you don't know about cecotropes, see the related links below for info -- probably it's just cecotrophy and nothing to worry about.

There is not much information available about rabbits eating their feces.

Some people say rabbits eat their feces when they get bored. Boredom in rabbits can be very serious, leading to anxiety, depression, destructiveness, aggressive behaviours, and illness. If your rabbit is bored, that's a good sign you need to renovate her habitat so that she has plenty of diversions to keep her entertained, and you should spend plenty of time with her every day so she can socialize, play, and exercise.

Some people say rabbits eat their feces because they're hungry or not getting enough nutrients. If a rabbit is that hungry or undernourished, it is not healthy. Rabbits should have 100% 24/7 access to hay. When a rabbit always has hay to eat, it will never get so hungry that it eats its feces. Hay is also very important to keep the rabbit's teeth worn down, and to keep the digestive system moving properly -- hay also helps cut down on boredom! A rabbit should get balanced nutrients from its pellets and some fresh greens every day. Not all rabbit pellets on the market are very healthy: research what makes a healthy pellet and make sure that's what you're feeding your rabbit. Remember: dietary changes (even good ones) must be done very gradually so the rabbit doesn't get sick.

Some people have noticed their rabbits eating their feces soon before they found out their rabbit was ill. Rabbits do often change their eating habits when something is wrong in their mouth (overgrown teeth, abscesses, throat tumour, etc.).

One person writes that it's normal for rabbits to eat feces: "When a rabbit eats hay or pellets, it practically goes right through them, so when they smell their droppings, it smells very much like actual food." Not many people agree with this statement, however.

Whether it's boredom or illness, it seems likely that rabbits eating feces is a sign of distress. Whatever the cause, it isn't normal or healthy for rabbits to eat their feces, so if your rabbit is doing this, you should do something about it:

• Pay very close attention and look for other signs of ill health. If you see any, make an appointment with your vet. If in all other ways your rabbit seems normal and healthy, then a vet appointment might not be necessary, but do tell your vet about it at the next regular check-up.
• Do some research about rabbit care and behaviour to make sure you're taking care of your rabbit properly. You may think you know all about rabbits, but everyone can stand to learn a bit more! This is for the sake of your beloved pet, after all.

Because they've got nothing else to eat.

Answer 4

Rabbits secrete two substances from their anus: feces, and cecotopres. Rabbits eat cecotropes in a form of redigestion that allows them to maximize the nutritional benefit of the food they eat; this has nothing to do with soil. Rabbit feces, on the other hand, are an excellent fertilizer that's great for flower soil.

Answer 5

yes, they often do. This is because rabbits only get half the nutrients out of the food so they eat it twice to get all of it. You may find it gross, but it is normal! but it isn't the nicest of sights!

hope this helps!