Nine Things that are Completely Normal for a Rabbit

This is probably the most alarming thing for new rabbit owners. My own son panicked when he saw red urine in the litterbox for the first time. For humans, this is a common occurrence when we eat beets, for example, and if you like beets, you get used to it. It is totally normal for your rabbit’s urine to be dark brown or a reddish color. It doesn’t happen all the time, which makes it even more surprising, but at some point you probably will experience it. So there is no need to go spending your money at the vet’s office and get roped into expensive tests. 

Rabbits produce two types of poop. Hard round dark pellets and little clusters of smaller, glistening poop that look like mulberries. These clusters are called cecotropes and they contain vitamins that didn’t get absorbed through their first journey through the rabbit’s digestive system.

  This is what’s known as the third eyelid. Rabbits have a top and bottom lid, plus this third one that is vertical and serves to help clean the eye. Don’t panic, there is nothing wrong with your pet’s eyes, and he doesn’t have a terrible eye infection, he or she is not going blind and you do not need to take him to the vet. Save your money for a bigger cage.

These are hard pellets, usually smaller in size than his or her regular poop, but linked together like a pearl necklace. They usually happen when your rabbit is molting, and you should pay attention. Rabbits can get hairballs, like cats, but the difference is that rabbits cannot vomit, so hairballs can accumulate and eventually cause serious issues. It’s time to break out the papaya pills, pineapple or a hairball remedy. Watch your pets’ stool to ensure a crisis has been averted.

  Does your rabbit look like it has a double chin? This double chin is called a dewlap and can seem to appear overnight, but it is nothing more than a flap of skin. Female rabbits, called does, develop a dewlap when they become sexually mature, but dewlaps can occur as well in mature males. 

  Shortly before giving birth, female rabbits will pluck hair from their dewlaps and chest to line their nestbox. They can look pretty scraggly, but it’s totally natural behavior and in time their fur will grow back.

  If you haven’t been warned, watching rabbits mate can be surprising to say the least. The male mounts the female, often grabbing her by the scruff of the neck. After ejaculation, the male rabbit will let out a scream and fall over to the side, seemingly paralyzed. Give him a minute or two and he will be back to normal.

There are a few things you need to learn if you want to breed your rabbits. Do not place the male into the female’s cage or your risk the doe attacking the buck. They are very territorial so you don’t want to tempt nature. Place the doe in the buck’s cage and carefully watch them after mating, removing the female as soon as the mating has been successful. 

  Unlike dogs and cats, rabbit mothers only feed their young once, sometimes twice a day. In the wild the mom will stay away from her nest to avoid drawing the attention of predators. You probably will not witness mom feeding her kits—mom prefers to be left alone and may even stay away from feeding them if you are around. Once she hops into her nest, she will only feed the kits for five to ten minutes. So do not be alarmed if you never see it happening. As long as the kits have a rounded belly, they are absolutely fine.