Rabbit cecotropes and soft droppings: understanding what the stool tells you
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
Seeing a rabbit eat its own droppings often surprises new owners, but it is a perfectly normal and even essential behaviour for its health. Rabbits produce two types of droppings: ordinary hard pellets, and cecotropes, small soft glossy clusters they retrieve directly from the anus to re-ingest. This cecotrophy recovers proteins and vitamins synthesised by the caecum's flora, a central mechanism of lagomorph digestion well described by research on their digestive physiology. Find our other pointers in the care and grooming section.
Contents · 4 sections
Cecotropes: normal and rarely seen
In a healthy rabbit, cecotropes are eaten as soon as they are passed: you should therefore almost never find any in the housing. Seeing them regularly on the floor, squashed or stuck to the rear, often signals an imbalance: a ration too rich in pellets or sugars, a lack of hay, or a rabbit too fat to reach its anus. The fix usually means returning to a diet based on hay and suitable greens.
Soft stool: not to be confused
True soft or liquid, shapeless stool is different from cecotropes and always abnormal: it reflects a disruption of the flora and calls for veterinary advice, especially in a young rabbit. Conversely, hard droppings that are increasingly small, sparse or linked by hair signal a slowing transit to watch closely, as we detail in our guide to GI stasis.
Observe to prevent
Droppings are an excellent health barometer: their size, number and regularity report on the transit every day. Numerous, round, well-formed droppings are a good sign. Correct dental health also underpins good food intake: see monitoring the rabbit's dental health. A soiled rear must be cleaned and watched, as it attracts flies in summer.
Frequently asked questions
Is it dirty that my rabbit eats its droppings?
No, it is vital: cecotropes provide essential nutrients. Preventing it would harm the rabbit's health.
My rabbit leaves soft, sticky clusters, what should I do?
These are uneaten cecotropes, often linked to an overly rich diet. Cut the pellets, increase the hay and consult if it persists.
Are soft stool and cecotropes the same?
No: cecotropes are cluster-shaped and normal, while shapeless soft stool is a sign of digestive trouble to have assessed.
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This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Rabbits universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.
