From fluff to friend: Understanding rabbit behaviour
“Why does my rabbit do that?” Ever wondered about the quirky behaviour of your pet rabbit? And what about their rabbit habits? There’s more to rabbit care than meets the eye: we took a look at the body language of rabbits to help you understand your pet. They can’t talk, but they are highly complex social creatures, and they can tell you how they are feeling – you just have to decode the signs!
Common Social Cues
Relaxed Rabbits
A happy rabbit might adopt a ‘loaf’ posture with their legs tucked underneath them, or may even fully stretch out. Ears in this happy stance are usually close together and in non-lops might be slightly back.
Rabbits sometimes also ‘flop’ to the ground and flip on their side with their belly exposed – this rabbit habit might look alarming, but usually means they are relaxed and feel extremely safe.
From time to time a rabbit may even lick people and other rabbits – this is associated with bonding and a sign of trust.
Of course, the ultimate expression of happiness is the ‘binky’, where rabbits jump into the air and twist before landing.
Now isn’t that curious?
When exploring or showing curiosity, a rabbit’s ears are often held straight up. These rabbits may also rise on two legs and look around. It is vital that their hutches offer the headroom to allow for this behaviour.
As they explore, rabbits may also ‘chin’, rubbing their chin along surfaces. This is a form of scent marking which denotes their territory as ‘home’, and also allows them to track where they have been.
Rabbit droppings may also be scattered in the same way to form a trail, rather than being left in piles. Helpful navigation for them – less pleasant for us!
In the mood for love
Soft honking sounds and circling are rabbit habits that may indicate that a rabbit is feeling romantic. Mounting may also be part of mating behaviour, but can be a little trickier to work out, as mounting can also be a sign of dominance, where one rabbit tries to show they are in charge.
Some happy, bonded pairs of rabbit pets may mount without any real dominance issues – even when they are neutered. For these rabbits, this behaviour can just be a way to reinforce their friendship. Young rabbits that start to show mounting may be signalling that it’s time to think about neutering to ensure pairs stay compatible.
Less pleasantly, some rabbits will spray – this is often associated with territory marking in both males and females. It may be seen more frequently in new surroundings, so if this is behaviour you are seeing in a newly acquired rabbit, it may well settle down as they begin to feel at home.
While we are on the topic of companionship, we don’t want to miss an opportunity to remind you that rabbits should be kept in blended pairs or groups – it’s an essential component of good rabbit care. A lonely rabbit is an unhappy rabbit and will often stop interacting and show a distinct lack of curiosity and engagement with its world. The absence of the signs of happiness is an important indicator in these situations so do be alert to this too!
Not mad for you, but mad at you!
Is my rabbit angry? Yes, possibly! If you are invading a rabbit’s space and they are feeling territorial, they may well act aggressively. Moving items in their hutch can also make them feel a little disgruntled: “I don’t like the food bowl there!”
Angry nudging as you move items around is a sure sign they want you to ‘just back off!’ (This is very different from soft nudging and play behaviour around toys). Grunting is another show of displeasure, and you may even receive an annoyed nip.
If the tail also starts to wag, this is a sign that things are escalating. Seeing all of this? Give them a little time to calm down and try offering a tasty treat next time you approach, to get back in their good books.
If you do persist with your ‘annoying’ behaviour or do something that really makes your rabbit mad, expect to see the tail go upright, ears back and the body tense. At this point, your rabbit may lunge for you and either bite or scratch – this is war! It’s time to understand that your rabbit really has very little control over its environment and needs you to respect their space. Wave a white flag (not literally!) and retreat to try again another day.
Feeling the fear
Of course, as prey animals, rabbits are naturally fearful – this strong instinct is necessary as a survival tactic in the wild. This means they may react to sudden or loud noises or the scent or site of pets like cats and dogs.
As with anger, ears drop or go right back against a tense body. They may thump with their back legs to signal danger to other rabbits or lay their head flat on the ground to hide.
Very fearful rabbits might freeze, and it’s worth knowing that rabbits held on their backs are not in a trance-like state of relaxation, as some people believe, but in fear of their lives. Sometimes, a scared rabbit will just hide away, and it’s vital that there is always somewhere in a hutch or a run that rabbits feel they can retreat to in order to feel secure.
It’s an emergency
Of course, one of the most worrying things about being a rabbit owner is not knowing if they are experiencing pain. Like all prey animals, rabbits hide the signs of illness because in the wild, showing any weakness would have left them vulnerable. This ability to mask how they are feeling makes it really tricky to spot disease until it is advanced. Over time, you will come to have a good appreciation of what is usual for your rabbits, so don’t ignore your instincts if you think they ‘just don’t seem right’.
Important signs to look out for when it comes to rabbit health include hiding, refusing to interact and withdrawal from normal routines. Teeth grinding can be very serious, and when in extreme pain, rabbits can scream – a hugely distressing sound and a sign that they need emergency treatment. Screaming may also be heard when a rabbit experiences terror, so this is never a sound to ignore.
The power of observation
Spend time just watching your rabbits and their rabbit habits. Observe their behaviour and learn to appreciate what is normal for them. The tiny clues they give you when their behaviour changes can indicate enormous concerns and may be the only early warning signs you receive. It will also show you when your rabbits are comfortable in their interactions with you, and allowing things to progress at their pace is a big bonus when it comes to building a strong bond and loving relationship.
