Usually, the rabbit isn't eating the cecotropes because they are producing too many due to an imbalance in their gut health. If too many cecotropes are being produced, your rabbit won't feel the need to eat all of them, so you end up finding them in the litter box (or around the room).
In short, they eat their own poop and digest it a second time. Bunnies actually make two different kinds of droppings: little black round ones and softer black ones known as cecotropes that are eaten. This process is known as coprophagy, and functions the same as cows chewing their cud.
A diet too high in carbohydrates, protein, or sugar can upset the balance of bacteria in the caecum causing the production of too many cecotropes. The rabbit ignores these extra dropping as they contain unneeded nutrients and they become stuck in the fur or squished on the floor instead.
Cecotropes. These poops are completely normal, usually bunnies eat them to ensure that they get enough protein and B vitamins in their diet. Sometimes bunnies will make more than normal when they're stressed or are getting too much sugar in their diet.
If rabbits don't eat a certain type of poop that they produce, called cecotropes, then they run the risk of becoming nutrient deficient. These special kind of poop allows rabbits to absorb nutrient out of their normal daily diet.
While rabbits can carry parasites like tapeworm and roundworm, their waste is not known to transmit any diseases to humans.
The treatment of ISC is based first on a serious diet restriction to grass hay, which acts to return the GI tract to normal, and secondly a gradual reintroduction of additional foods after normal cecotropes are produced for at least a week.
Grooming can be a self-comforting behavior for rabbits. If they are stressed, anxious, bored, or even a little sick, a rabbit might try to feel better by self-grooming more often.
It is very common for rabbits to poop in small amounts in their housing enclosure outside of the litter box for territorial reasons. Also, sometimes poop may be kicked out when the rabbit jumps from their litter box.
An imbalance of the normal bacteria and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract is a common reason this can occur. In young rabbits, we get concerned that parasites can cause this imbalance leading to poor nutritional absorption, which can result in changes in the character of the stool such as the clear gel you observed.
Fish Flop ("Life is good"): When a rabbit dramatically gets into resting position by suddenly 'flopping' onto their side. If your bunny fish flops, it means that he is relaxed and ready to nap.
Essentially, rabbits produce two types of droppings: fecal pellets and cecotropes. The rabbit consumes the cecotropes as they exit the anus. The cecotropes are nutrient packed, dietary items that are essential for the rabbit's health. Normal cecotropes are dark, greenish-brown and resemble tightly bunched grapes.
Cecotropes are produced in the cecum, which is a part of the rabbit's digestive tract. The cecum contains a wild concoction of bacteria and fungi that are incredibly beneficial for the rabbit.
Baby rabbits can't produce cecotropes at first, but need them to jump-start their digestive system when they switch from milk to solid foods. Without cecotropes, they don't have the gut flora necessary to digest foods properly, and they die a painful death.
Thumping the back foot is a natural response by rabbits to danger that they have smelled, heard, or seen. This danger could be a loud noise, a strange person or animal, a potential predator, etc. If your rabbit become alarmed, they may start to thump one or both of their back feet.
They are very social. Rabbits enjoy being around people and can usually recognise their owners by sight and sound.
Rabbits might nudge, push, or toss things around as a form of play, to solicit attention from you, or as a territorial behavior meaning “mine!” or “get out of the way!” Rabbits can be very territorial and particular. They like their things arranged a certain way, and can become upset when their things are moved.
When a rabbit nibbles or bites you softly it is often accompanied with licking, which is a sign of love. He is trying to groom you and is simulating the grooming process (however, you have no fur to build up knots in so it results in just a little nibble of the skin).
If you don't have access to cecotropes, add a pinch of acidophilus (a probiotic) to the formula to promote healthy gut flora. This is particularly important for rabbits under one week of age.
You can expect that if the rabbit eats a large amount of hay in the morning, they will produce a large amount of fecal poops around 5 hours later, while the cecotropes will take much longer to be ready for redigestion.
It may seem gross, but rabbits normally eat some of their feces once a day, either early in the morning or late at night. These special feces are called cecotropes, or “night feces.” They are produced through fermentation of food in the part of the rabbit's digestive tract called the cecum.
The cecotropes are produced in the cecum, a part of the intestinal tract of a rabbit, by fermentation of the food a rabbit eats. They are also only produced at night, so a rabbit will be seen eating them late at night or early in the morning.
You don't need to fill the box, a small layer of litter on the bottom works just fine. If you have some available, scoop up a few of your rabbit's poops and add them to the box.