Bunny drinking urine

Question
Hi Dana, remember me, Amy with the cottie who wrote your personal addy for advice on feeding him during the winter? I know it hasnt been that long, but I've wrote you a couple times and havent heard back. Altho after I've read your profile here(and on your website?) I understand you must be a VERY busy lady! I let my pet rabbits run the dining room, and there is 2 litter boxes out for them, with a length of newspaper laying underneath both for misses or bootys hanging over the edges of boxes and also for the cottie who for some reason doesnt use the litter box anymore and uses the paper instead(I think cuz the pets were using them so he started to use the paper instead, now the pets use the paper since they smell the cotties urine on it?). The pets use the paper too, and tonight after I had changed the paper, my Thumper, a 6 month mixed unspayed(but soon)female went pee on the paper, and then started to lap it up. Normal or something wrong or lacking? I thought of writing your Etherbun site which I joined today, but wanted an answer instead of a guess or opinion. I hope to hear back form you to the messages I left in your personal addy, hope they made it to you. I do hope all is well with you too. Kidney stone is taken care of (after Lithotripsy) and I'm a new woman again, with hopes of never getting another! Thanks Dana, looking forward to hearing from you, Amy

Answer
Hi, Amy!

Sorry I haven't responded to your emails yet.  I'm very behind, and I always seem to save the ones that need a longer, more thoughtful answer (yours) for later!  :(  I promise I'll answer ASAP!

I've known a few bunnies who drink their pee, and no one really knows why.  Here's one excerpt from a rescuer:

"We had 3 female rexes that came to us after a serious neglect case.  
All 3 of them did it and I always assumed that it was a survival
technique they had developed due to a lack of clean drinking water.  
Two of them discontinued after about 6-8 months in foster care.  
However, there is one old gal that still does it.  Not very often,
(she usually uses the litterbox), but when she does have
an "accident" she cleans it up herself."

I don't think it does them any harm.  It's just kinda gross.

Dana