BEHAVIOR | CARE | SICKNESS
By Christine
Rabbits have this peculiar habit. They eat their poop. Sounds gross, right? But there’s an excellent reason why they do so. Also, they don’t consume all their droppings.
Instead, they only go for the type called cecotropes. Long-time bun parents know how important this poop is to their pets’ well-being.
Rabbits produce two kinds of droppings. One type is round, dry, and crumbly, which they make mostly during the day. The other kind, called cecotropes, is softer and stickier than their regular poop.
Being herbivores, rabbits eat primarily plants and grasses. However, these hard and fibrous food materials aren’t the easiest to digest. So even after their meal passes through their digestive system, it still contains valuable nutrients. Buns eat their poop and digest it a second time to extract the extra nourishment left in the cecotropes.
We mentioned that it’s likely you won’t see the cecotropes your bun produces as they’re eaten almost as soon as they exit from the anus.
* Check your rabbit’s litter box and cage floor:
Regular rabbit droppings are round and dry. If these are the type you see on the litter box or cage floor, the chances are high that your bun is eating his cecotropes.
* Look at your bun’s behind:
Seeing soft, sticky poop on your pet’s behind is a sign that he’s not eating the cecotropes he produces.
* Watch your bun during certain times:
Try checking on your pet during those times to see if he’s cleaning his hind section or licking below his tail. This is a sign that he’s eating or has just eaten his cecotropes.
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