Rabbit behavior can range from shy to quiet, energetic, playful, and occasionally erratic. You can tell how a rabbit feels just by watching the way it behaves. A rabbit will display a wide range of habits and behavior during its lifetime. And sometimes, it is difficult to read the meaning of every one of them.
A rabbit can also showcase a particular behavior with more than one meaning, making the exercise a little daunting for newbie rabbit owners. Nevertheless, there is a general thumb rule when it comes to rabbit behaviors and what they respectively mean.
As a piece of advice, it is always best to consult a trained vet where you cannot make meaning from your pet rabbit’s action. Under the following topics, we will be covering a few things about what you need to know about a rabbit’s behavior:
- How do you tell if your rabbit likes you?
- Can you tell if your rabbit is happy?
- How do you read Rabbit behavior?
- Why does my rabbit put her head down when I pet her?
How Do You Tell If Your Rabbit Likes You?
Rabbits require an adequate amount of care and attention every day to stay strong, healthy, and happy. Once you can satisfy these basic needs, there is a high chance your rabbit will develop deep affection towards you. Even after you have done this, your rabbit can still be a little hesitant when you try to pet it.
Rabbits all have different personalities when it comes to how they show affection and each displays a trait that is unique to it. But there are generally agreeable behaviors your pet bunny exhibits that tell you he likes you. We will discuss 5 of the most common of them.
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Licks and Soft Bites
This is one of the most popular ways to know that a rabbit shows gratitude. A rabbit would run up to you and start to lick your feet. It may even attempt to give you a light nibble. These are just ways your pet bunny shows that it loves you. A more aggressive rabbit can go as far as biting your cloth just to get your attention. Sometimes, this is just a way of making you love and respect him.
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Asking For Head Rubs and Neck Scratches
Rabbits also show that they like you by asking for head rubs. Your pet bunny may run up to you and nudge you with its nose and then it settles down at your feet. It is simply asking that you rub his head. Actions like these are ways of not only showing affection but sort of a need for approval that you love and respect them.
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Does a Binky
Rabbits will do multiple binkies at a stretch to display their affection towards you. Binkying is a rabbit’s way of showing you they are happy and very content. Then again, it is another way of telling you that they need a treat from you. This still sums up the fact that they are simply trying to show their affection.
As a pet bunny owner, you can indulge your rabbit a minute or two to show him or her that you like them as well.
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Running In Circles Around Your Feet
When rabbits are happy and content, they tend to do strange things around their owner. One of them is running around your foot/feet in circles. Rabbits can display this kind of rabid behavior for a brief period before settling down close to you. There are few meanings to this; for one, your rabbit may just be greeting you. It is also a way of asking for a treat especially if you are holding one.
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Clicking Its Teeth
Gentle teeth grind is similar to the purring of a cat. Cat purr when they feel relaxed and content. The same thing applies to a rabbit. Rabbits will click their teeth together to make a very quiet sound. Most times they will do it when they are close to it. This grind continues if you rub or stroke them gently.
How Do You Know Your Pet Rabbit is Happy?
Rabbits have and show emotions in several ways. As a rabbit owner; your job is to observe these actions to know how your rabbit feels from time to time. There are many ways to tell if your rabbit is happy. This will range from the way it plays, exercises, and other unique body movements.
Generally, once the basic needs of a rabbit are taken care of, you will almost always have a happy rabbit. To know if your rabbit is really happy and content with its life, it will display one or more of the following:
- It will lie stretched out to assume a relaxed position.
- It could tilt to lying on its side while grinding its teeth (purring).
- Also, it becomes calm and collected.
- Binkying is also one way to tell your rabbit is happy.
- Developing a good, healthy appetite.
- It can get very inquisitive and start snooping around energetically.
How Do You Read Pet Rabbit Behavior?
Most animal lovers like to be able to read their pets’ behaviors so they can communicate and bond with them better. As you learn to read a pet rabbit’s behavior, you understand it a lot more. This helps in times of crisis where acting fast is very crucial to saving a bunny’s life.
Below is a compilation of different rabbit emotions and their respective gestures.
Happy and Contented Rabbit:
When your rabbit is happy and content, it will display the following:
- Lying stretched out in a relaxed position.
- Calm and collected posture.
- Binkying.
- Developing a good, healthy appetite.
- Energetical and inquisitive.
- Purring
- Flopping its ears
Anxious Rabbit
Your rabbit will display any of these actions if it is scared or in a defensive position.
- Thumping (an act of raising feet in the air)
- Screaming
Upset Rabbit
When a rabbit is upset, it will use either its tail or ear to express discontentment. The following are ways to know that your rabbit is angry:
- Loud grunts
- Erect tails
Rabbit Looking For Attention
Rabbits seek attention from their owner via several actions including:
- Nipping: This is a way of pinching you slightly to get your full attention.
- Chinning: There are glands on a rabbit’s chin that produce a special scent which they use to mark items or territory. This is a way of registering their presence in an environment.
- Bonking: A rabbit will bonk its nose on things when it is curious about its environment. Rabbits bonk their owners too when they need them to move out the way.
- Head Bopping: Rabbits bop or sway their heads when they need to get a better view of their surroundings.
Why Does My Pet Rabbit Put Her Head Down When I Pet Her?
A rabbit will make certain gestures with its head that have various meanings. Sometimes, it is not easy telling one another especially when dealing with a new rabbit. Pet rabbit owners for this reason are always trying to learn ways to understand their rabbits better.
A pet bunny may act strangely when you first bring him into the house. This may involve one or two head movements from time to time. Most times, it is only trying to investigate the environment. Rabbits don’t adapt to a new environment almost immediately. They tend to groom around, snoop, and nibble on things to get a better feel of their new habitat.
Head movements are a way of showing inquisitiveness. But this doesn’t apply in all cases. A rabbit may make head gestures than follow them up with other body movements. Like in the case of a binky, a rabbit would flop its head and ears before flipping around. Actions like these are just a way a rabbit expresses contentment.
Now, you have a pet rabbit that puts its head down anytime you try to stroke its head and ears. Many meanings could be read from this type of behavior.
- The rabbit may just be trying to be submissive to your attempts at touching it.
- It could just be shy.
- It could also mean that it wants to be alone.
- Bending its head is another way of showing tiredness or boredom.
- Rabbits also respond this way when you stand and try to pet them. (Always try a squatting position.)
- Sometimes, when you beckon at a rabbit and it walks towards you, it can still bend or tilt its head sideways. This indicates that it still doesn’t trust you enough to let you pet it.
- Also, very young rabbits are usually scared of being stroked.
- Rabbits bend their head to express discontentment.
- Lastly, when they don’t like or trust you enough, they bend their heads when you try to pet them.