rabbit eating own poo

Question
why would a rabbit eat its own poo?  Mine is 9 wks old and she gets food and timothy hay every day. I don't understand.

Answer
Hi,

this is perfectly normal.

Rabbits produce two kinds of pellets.  Fecal pellets are waste pellets, and are round little balls of mostly undigested hay fiber.  These are the larger pellets you find in the litterbox.

The second pellet is called a cecal pellet.  They are much smaller, softer and usually in clusters with other little cecal pellets.  These are the ones they will eat again.  they contain important nutrients, vitamins and good bacteria that help keep your rabbit (and his gi tract) healthy.  They need to eat them again.  It is part of their way they can maximize the energy out of very low-energy food like grass hay.  Think of it as a turbocharger.  Or think about it as them being like 'a little cow' that chews and re-digests food again to get the most out of it.  That is what they are doing.

Spend some time reading up on rabbits, you should know what is normal behavior and what isn't.  Go to the House Rabbit Society web site (www.rabbit.org) and spend time reading their articles on all aspects of rabbit behavior and needs.  I also would suggest picking up the books I recommend from your local bookstore or Amazon.

Lee