Mike Clinton
Introduction: The Rabbit Digestive System
Rabbits are herbivorous animals, which means their diet is primarily composed of plant-based materials like hay, grass, and vegetables. Their digestive system is highly specialized to efficiently break down and absorb nutrients from these foods. Unlike humans and other mammals, rabbits have a unique digestive process that involves two types of feces: hard pellets and soft cecotropes. This may explain why rabbits tend to poop a lot more than other pets.
Grazing and Coprophagy Habits of Rabbits
Rabbits are natural grazers, which means they prefer to eat small amounts of food throughout the day instead of a few larger meals. This grazing habit, combined with their efficient metabolism, means that food moves relatively quickly through their digestive system. To extract as many nutrients as possible from their food, rabbits have developed a unique digestive strategy called coprophagy. This involves eating their own feces, which are soft and nutrient-rich cecotropes that are produced in their cecum. Rabbits typically consume cecotropes directly from their anus, which may seem unappealing to humans but is a normal and necessary part of their digestive process.