Here on Hobby Farm Heaven we pay attention to poop. I know that sounds strange, but poop is a good indicator of animal health. If an animal’s poop is not “normal”, then that animal may be fighting illness or disease.
Our focus here is on rabbit poop and the question, “How often do rabbits poop?” We have a great deal of experience and have done a lot of research on the topic.
Bunnies do poop frequently. In fact, due to their high fiber diet, they poop more often than most pets. Healthy rabbits can produce over 200 poop pellets (droppings) per day. Further, most bunnies also urinate between 2 and 8 times daily.
Read on to learn about the different types of rabbit poop you may see and what they likely mean about your rabbit’s health!
Rabbit Poop Types?
Here we address both normal or good rabbit poop and bad or abnormal rabbit poop.
Normal Or Good Rabbit Poop
Generally, there are two types of normal or good rabbit poop.
1 Normal Rabbit Poop Pellets – These are the medium to large, dry or only slightly moist, medium to light-brownish pellets that you see piling up below the rabbit hutch, or in the rabbit litter box if you have a house rabbit.
2 Cecotropes or Cecal Pellets – These are dark, moist or slightly gooey pellets that rabbits poop but usually immediately eat. They are a special nutrient dense pellet that is made in the rabbit’s cecum and is meant to be eaten or ingested by the rabbit. That’s right, they eat these cecal pellets.
You typically won’t see these cecal pellets because the rabbit usually eats them directly from its bottom, yes as soon as they are excreted.
The rabbit’s high fiber diet is hard to digest and the first time through the digestive tract the rabbit does not absorb enough nutrients. So, the rabbit has adapted over many years and many generations to create cecal pellets for itself. Eating the partially digested, fermented cecal pellets is how your rabbit actually obtains most of its nutrients. For more information about these special pellets click here Cecal Pellets and Cecotropes.
Abnormal Or Bad Rabbit Poop
There are several types of abnormal or bad rabbit poop. Here is an overview.
1 Wet and Mushy Pellets – This kind of rabbit poop may mean that your rabbit’s diet is too sweet. You may need to reduce fruits and other treats, and as always, increase hay and seek out the best rabbit pellets you can find and afford.
2 Pellets Strung With Fur – If you see pellets on a fur necklace, then your bunny is probably ingesting too much fur. Rabbits ingest fur as they groom themselves and other rabbits. A rabbit experiencing a heavy molt, may ingest quite a bit of hair. Here are some tips on keeping a molting rabbit healthy How To Help A Rabbit During Seasonal Molt.
Additionally, Rabbits pull their fur out with their mouths for various reasons, some are good and healthy reasons and some are bad and unhealthy. Click to learn more about Rabbits Pulling Out Fur.
Further, if you notice that your rabbit is losing hair you can refer to this article for more information Why Is My Bunny Losing Hair.
3 Small, Hard Pellets – If your rabbit is not eating enough quality hay, then you may see these smaller and harder pellets. Here is a link to some great guidance concerning How Much Hay To Feed Your Rabbit.
Again, abnormal poop is just a manifestation of a problem. The poop is a tell-tale sign for you that something is wrong. Abnormal poop may only happen for a day or two, or it may last longer. If it lasts longer, then it is indicating a more serious health problem for your rabbit.
Causes of Bad Rabbit Poop
Rabbit poop that is not of normal consistency, smell or color indicates a health problem such as:
- 1) Your bunny ate something that is not in agreement with its digestive system.
- 2) Your bunny’s diet is not sufficient. The cumulative effect of the insufficiency is making your rabbit ill.
- 3) Your rabbit is fighting a bacterial illness or a disease.
- 4) Your rabbit is stressed out by one or more environmental factors such as a predator repeatedly prowling near its hutch at night, or a “bully bunny”, etc.
- 5) Some combination of the above.
Examples: Urine trickles and soft, runny stools indicate infections. So, you should always check your bunny’s poop and pee for signs of health issues.
Below, we will discuss your bunny’s poop in detail, so let’s begin!
How Much Do Bunnies Poop?
Many people ask “how often do rabbits poop and pee” and “How often do rabbits poop a day”? Just like people, every rabbit is different. However, most bunnies will poop over 200 fecal pellets or droppings daily. They’re round, brownish in color, slightly moist, and don’t have any odor.
As we already established, rabbits poop a lot! It’s nothing unusual. On the contrary, it’s very natural due to their high-fiber diet. And they need fiber for nutrient assimilation and optimal digestion.
Normal-sized bunnies poop between 200 and 300 pellets daily. And you can learn a lot about your pet’s health through their poop.
You see, bunnies can’t tell you when they’re feeling sick. Worst of all, they tend to hide illnesses as a protective act. Predators actively seek out the sick injured prey. Sick and injured rabbits do their best to hide their illnesses, so that they are not as much of a target for predators.
Check your bunny’s poop and pee regularly and keep track of their habits. If you notice that your bunny hasn’t pooped or peed in 24 hours, then we recommend you immediately contact your veterinarian for advice.
Can You Potty Train A House Bunny
No, you can not literally train a bunny to use a human toilet seat. You can however, litter train a bunny. House bunnies are not hard to train to a litter box and you may start litter training your bunny as early as you like.
Some rabbit owners even say that old rabbits can be easier to train than young ones as they’re more developed and find learning new things much easier.
Do Rabbits Know When They Poop?
There’s a myth that bunnies can’t control their dropping because they don’t know when they poop. The idea is that a bunny will roam around continually dropping poop behind them.
However, that’s completely untrue! Bunnies actually choose one or two places to drop most of their poop. They usually choose a corner of the hutch and then use that space primarily, if not exclusively, for pooping.
Similarly, bunnies can be trained to consistently use a bunny litter box. In fact, you can litter train your bunny by providing a pooping spot they know won’t be disturbed by others. Rabbits are well aware of when and where they are pooping and peeing.
Do Rabbits Poop Everywhere?
It may seem like they poop everywhere, but in reality they often select one area of their hutch to use as the pooping area. Similarly, if you train your house rabbit to poop in a rabbit litter box, then it will consistently poop in the litter box.
As with anything, results will vary from rabbit to rabbit and environment to environment.
How Long Can A Rabbit Go Without Pooping?
Most rabbits poop approximately 4 hours after eating.
In short, if a rabbit stops eating and pooping, then it will die.
When the gut of a bunny stops moving food out through the colon and lastly the rectum, it’s referred to as gastro-intestinal stasis (GI Stasis) or ileus.
Most bunnies won’t survive longer than 48 hours with a digestive blockage.
This VCA Animal Hospitals article tells us that GI stasis is not typically caused by a physical obstruction, but by a change in the rabbits gut bacteria.
My House Rabbit also provides great technical information about rabbit GI Stasis including, causes, signs, treatment and prevention.
Rabbit Pooping Less Than Usual
If you are concerned that your rabbit may be pooping less than usual, but are not sure, then we recommend you monitor the frequency, and type of poop for 8 hours. Write your observation notes on a piece of paper. If you still have concerns then contact your veterinarian and share your observations.
How Long Does It Take For A Rabbit To Poop After Eating?
Your bunny produces different types of poop at different times.
For instance, the hard waste feces which have a high-fiber content (what you see on the floor of your bunny’s cage), are created about the first 4 hours after your bunny eats.
The cecotropes (edible poop), on the other hand, are produced during the next 4 hours. Therefore, they’re not produced only at night but also during the day.
Do Rabbits Pee And Poop Out Of The Same Hole?
No, rabbits do not pee and poop out of the same hole.
The urinary tract of bunnies is similar to that of other mammals.
The urine is created as blood enters the kidneys and is filtered of waste products. Then, depending on how much the bunny is hydrated, urine is concentrated or diluted as the kidneys enable more or less water into the urine.
Once created, the urine goes via collecting ducts in the kidney to the ureters. Through the ureters, it flows to the bladder. The bladder is a collection bag for urine.
When your bunny is ready to pee, the muscles of the urine bladder contract, while the sphincter at the release hole relaxes, and urine is released from the bladder and through the urethra.
In male bunnies, the urethra goes via the penis. It’s actually a long tapering tube. In female bunnies, on the other hand, the urethra is wide and short and finishes at the vagina.
That being said, No, bunnies do not pee and poop out of the same hole.
Is Your Rabbit’s Pee & Poop Normal?
Frequently Asked Questions Related To How Much Rabbits Poop
How Often Does A Baby Rabbit Poop?
Baby rabbits produce a few hundred poop pellets daily. There’s not a specific number on how many times they poop, but they poop a lot.
Therefore, you shouldn’t worry if your baby bunny poops a lot because it’s a sign that its digestive system is working well.
However, if their droppings change in consistency, it’s a good idea to contact the vet.
Do Rabbits Make Their Own Vitamin C?
Yes, rabbits make most of their own vitamin C. Their cecal pellets contain significant amounts of vitamin C, along with other nutrients and beneficial bacterias.
How much is a rabbit supposed to poop a day?
Each day a healthy grown rabbit should poop out or excrete, about the same mass that it takes in or eats every day.
Rabbit Poop Chart
Final Thoughts On How Often Do Rabbits Poop
Overall, rabbits poop and pee often. The amount of poop, and to some degree the frequency of pooping, depends on the size of the rabbit as well as the amount of food they eat during the day and night.
The type and consistency of rabbit poop is a good indicator of your rabbit’s health. So, observing your rabbit’s poop, will help you keep tabs on its health.
If you notice a change in the frequency, consistency, size, or shape of your bunny’s poop, or they don’t eat and/or poop for 24 hours, then we recommend you immediately contact your veterinarian.
The Bunny Lady on Why Do Rabbits Poop So Much & What Rabbit Poop Tells Us