What is coprophagy in rabbits?

• A. Ingesting the first feces of the day that contain protein and vitamins
• B. Eating their own fur
• C. Eating only dry pellets
• D. They do not eat feces

Answer: (A)

Coprophagy is when a rabbit eats its own soft feces, called cecotropes. Rabbits have a hindgut fermentation that produces two kinds of waste: the usual dry pellets and nutrient-rich soft feces created in the cecum. The soft feces contain higher levels of protein, B vitamins, and other nutrients. The rabbit typically re-ingests these cecotropes soon after they’re formed to re-digest and reclaim nutrients that weren’t fully absorbed the first time through the gut. That’s why the first feces of the day can be nutrient-rich and why this behavior is normal and important for their digestion. The other options don’t fit because rabbits don’t rely on fur eating, don’t eat only dry pellets, and do eat feces as part of their regular physiology.