The bacteria use the energy from the food to support their growth. The rabbit can use some of what the bacteria make for its own growth and survival, and in the process, release nutrients to the rabbit. Some nutrients are absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the wall of the cecum, the others are packed into the cecal pellets that the rabbit consumes in a process known as coprophagy. This allows the rabbit to absorb those nutrients through the normal process of digestion. Digestion of food begins in the mouth.
Food is mashed up by the teeth and mixed with saliva.
Proteins in the saliva begin the process of breaking down food into pieces small enough to move into the blood. When food is broken up and moist, the bunny swallows and the food enters the stomach. In the stomach the food is mixed with stomach acid and digestive enzymes begin the process of digestion. Unlike many other animals, food will remain in the rabbit's stomach for a long time. Some evidence suggests that bacteria from the cecal pellets help the food digest while in the stomach.