A lot of new rabbit owners worry that something’s wrong when they witness this behavior. Most of the time though, it’s actually the exact opposite.

What you’re seeing is a completely natural and important part of your rabbit’s digestive system when they eat their poop. Those special droppings are called cecotropes. Without ’em, rabbits wouldn’t be able to get all the nutrients they need from their food.

Rabbits have a pretty remarkable digestive system that’s specially designed to get nutrients from grass, hay and other high fiber plants. Because of that, they actually produce two different types of droppings.

The first are the dry, round pellets that most rabbit owners recognize and find around the enclosure every day.

The second type is known as cecotropes. These are produced in the cecum, where beneficial bacteria help break down food and release nutrients that would otherwise be lost.

Many people are surprised when they first see them because they look very different from normal rabbit droppings.

Cecotropes are often:

Dark in color
Soft in texture
Slightly shiny or glossy
Clustered together like a small bunch of grapes or blackberries

They also have a much stronger smell than regular droppings.

Most rabbit owners rarely see ’em though because rabbits usually eat them immediately after they’re produced.

It may sound a little strange to us, but for rabbits this is an essential part of healthy digestion.

By eating their poop, rabbits get a second opportunity to absorb important nutrients that weren’t fully utilized the first time food passed through the digestive tract.

Cecotropes contain:

B vitamins
Vitamin K
Amino acids
Beneficial bacteria
Other nutrients created during the fermentation process inside the cecum

You could almost say a rabbit’s digestive system is designed to let food pass through the body twice.

This usually happens when a rabbit feels safe, relaxed and undisturbed.

Many rabbits produce and eat their cecotropes during the evening, overnight or in the early mornin’ hours. That’s why owners often never notice it happening at all.

If ya do happen to see yer rabbit eating ’em, there’s usually no reason to worry. In fact, it’s often a sign that their digestive system is workin’ just the way it should.

If you regularly find large amounts of uneaten cecotropes in your rabbit’s enclosure, it’s worth taking a closer look at what might be causing it.

Possible reasons include:

A diet that’s too rich in calories
Not enough hay and fiber
Excess weight that makes it difficult to reach the rear end
Dental problems
Pain or illness

Finding an occasional cecotrope isn’t usually cause for concern, but repeated problems may be a sign that something needs attention.

Nope.

Eating cecotropes is completely normal and a natural part of rabbit biology. It’s not bad behavior and it’s not something that should be discouraged.

Quite the opposite, actually.

It’s an important process that helps rabbits get the most nutrition possible from their natural diet.

Of all the unusual things rabbits do, this is probably one of the behaviors that makes new pet owners raise an eyebrow the most. But the more time you spend around these wonderful little animals, the more you realize that nature has a way of solving problems in its own clever fashion.

For an animal that survives on grass, herbs and other fiber rich plants, every bit of nutrition matters. What may seem a little gross at first glance is actually an impressive example of just how efficient nature can be.

So if you catch yer rabbit eating its cecotropes, you usually don’t need to think:

Yuck – instead try thinkin’:

“Good. Their digestion is workin’ exactly the way it’s supposed to.”

Fredrik 🐇