There are several reasons why your rabbit poops so much. Rabbits commonly poop between 200-300 times per day. One of the main reasons is because of the design of their digestive system, but there are also other reasons which cause your rabbit to poop frequently.
What Causes Rabbits to Poop So Much?
Rabbits Have A Uniquely Designed Digestive System
The main reason that your rabbit poops a lot is because of their digestive system. After the food travels from the rabbit’s stomach to the small intestine, enzymes in the intestine process the food, and the nutrients are absorbed by the rabbit’s body. The fiber then travels to the rabbit’s colon where the fiber is separated into digestible fiber and indigestible fiber.
Once in the colon, the indigestible fiber is “pooped out” in the form of the round and firm droppings that all rabbit owners have become familiar with.
The digestible fiber is then diverted to the Caecum. Within the rabbit’s Caecum there are special bacteria which further process the digestible fiber and nutrients are extracted and absorbed by the rabbit’s body. The broken-down fiber is then moved back into the colon where it is coated with mucus and expelled from the rabbit’s body.
These special droppings that are coated in mucus are called Cecotropes or Cecal Droppings. Once expelled, the rabbit eats the special droppings so their body can process and extract the remaining nutrients in their small intestine.
Rabbits Eat A Lot Of Fiber
Another reason why rabbits poop so much is because they eat a lot. Part of the reason that rabbits eat so much is because of their unique digestive system which works the most efficiently when they are frequently eating hay and other foods rich in fiber. The frequent consumption of fibrous food promotes frequent pooping which helps to prevent blockages which can be deadly.
Rabbits Need To Wear Down Their Teeth
Rabbits also eat a lot because their teeth are continuously growing. To wear down the teeth in order to prevent abscesses and other health issues, rabbits frequently eat hay and other fibrous foods.
By chewing these foods, their teeth are gradually worn down during the movement of their jaw while chewing. Rabbits also have habits of chewing and biting clothing and even cardboard to help wear down their teeth as well.
Whether the rabbit is eating a lot to remain regular or to wear down their teeth, we all know that what goes in must come out. Therefore, rabbits’ constant eating is also a reason why they poop so much.
Marking Territory
Lastly, some of your rabbit’s pooping may be attributed to their tendency to mark their territory. Rabbits use both urine and poop to communicate their territory to other rabbits.
How to Reduce Your Rabbit’s Pooping?
It isn’t a good idea to drastically alter your rabbit’s pooping schedule since it is an essential function that needs to occur to maintain good health. However, monitoring the frequency and examining your rabbit’s poop is useful in assessing the health of your rabbit.
By attempting to alter the pooping frequency of your rabbit, you will have a hard time differentiating differences in their poop habits that are caused by your efforts between differences in their pooping habits that are being caused by a health issue.
Conclusion
Although there are many pros to owning a rabbit, one of the cons to having a rabbit is the amount of poop you’ll have to clean up.
The main reasons that rabbits poop so frequently are because of their unique digestive system and the fact that they are constantly eating. It is normal for rabbits to poop up to 200-300 times per day. Their poop should be monitored occasionally for size, shape, and texture to ensure that your rabbit remains healthy.