Understanding Pet Rabbit Behavior - Care and Tips for Owning a Pet Rabbit

It helps to put into perspective the rabbits instinctive position in the wild. Rabbits are prey animals therefore they are constantly on the lookout for danger and ready at anytime to take action to avoid predators. They live in social communities called Warrens and develop a hierarchy based on domination, as far as your rabbit is concerned you are also a rabbit and will have to establish your place in the Warren. Rabbits are also very territorial and will defend their territory against invaders.

As a prey animal they have several characteristics to help them to avoid predators. Their eyes are on the sides of their heads giving them the ability to see almost all angles except directly in front of their face, an important tid bit of information to know, you should not approach or put your hand directly in front of your rabbit's face. Rabbits are equipped with a keen sense of hearing and can hear up to a mile away. If they sense danger they will stomp their hind feet to warn the Warren (that would be you and your family) of the approaching danger. Rabbits also have a very good sense of smell that far exceeds humans, at the first smell of danger your rabbit will stop with ears up to listen and the nose will stop twitching.

With your rabbit constantly scanning the environment for danger it is very easy for your rabbit to become stressed. It is important to always approach your rabbit calmly and with a soft tone of voice. Rabbits can sense anxiety in you and this will cause them to become over stressed. Keep your hands where your rabbit can see them and use extreme care if you pick up your rabbit, always be sure to support the hind feet. Most rabbits do not like to be picked up since in the wild this would mean they have been caught by a predator.

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To understand your pet rabbits behavior you will have to learn the many ways of communicating. Sometimes your rabbit's expression can mean very different things so you will have to do some interpretation based on your experience with your rabbit.

• Sniffing - May be annoyed or just talking to you


• Grunts - Usually angry, watch out or you could get bit!


• Shrill scream - Hurt or dying


• Circling your feet - Can be part of a courtship dance or a means of getting attention. If other aggressive indicators are displayed, e.g. an erect tail and laid back ears, an attack is about to take place.


• Chewing - is a natural behavior. This keeps your rabbits teeth ground down and is instinctive to keep any obstruction (electrical cords, etc.) that are encroaching on the entrance to his burrow


• Spraying - Males that are not neutered will mark female rabbits in this manner as well as their territory. Females will also spray.


• Chinning - Their chin contains scent glands, so they rub their chin on items to indicate that they belong to them. Same as a cat rubbing its forehead on people and objects.


• False pregnancy - Usually just unspayed females may build a nest & pull hair from their chest & stomach to line the nest. They may even stop eating as rabbits do the day before they give birth.


• Bunny hop/dance - a jump straight up with a mid-air half turn and a twist usually executed in mid-run. A sign of pure joy & happiness!


• Begging - Rabbits are worse than dogs about begging, especially for sweets. Beware of giving the rabbit treats as overweight rabbits are not as healthy as trim rabbits.


• Boxing - rabbit stands on hind legs with their dukes up and throws punches. Stay back or your going to get it.


• Territory droppings - Droppings that are not in a pile, but are scattered, are signs that this territory belongs to the rabbit. This will often occur upon entering a new environment. If another rabbit lives in the same house this may always be a nuisance.


• Flop - rabbit literally throws his/herself onto their side which looks like they just keeled over. You have a happy at ease rabbit.


• Playing - Rabbits like to push or toss objects around. They may also race madly around the house, jump on and off of the couch and act like a kid that's had too much sugar.


• Burrowing: Tunneling behavior. Instinctive Rabbits are burrowing animals


• Bunching - Pushing, pulling, and biting bed linens, towels, pillows. Organizing to their liking


• Don't touch my stuff - Rabbits often are displeased when you rearrange their cage as you clean. They are creatures of habit and when they get things just right, they like them to remain that way.


• Stomping - He's frightened, mad or trying to tell you that there's danger (in his opinion).


• Teeth Grinding - Indicates contentment, like a cats purr. Loud grinding can indicate pain.

One of the joys of having a rabbit as a pet is to fully experience all of the behaviors your rabbit will exhibit as a happy rabbit. In order for your rabbit to be happy it is important to know how to care for and keep you rabbit comfortable.

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To keep your rabbit happy you must learn and understand your rabbits behavior he/she will be the one to let you know if he/she is happy. Providing your rabbit with an adequate living environment is a very important part of your rabbits happiness. If kept in a small cage, a pet rabbit will survive as long as it is fed, given water, and kept adequately clean, but the rabbit is unable to engage in any of the complex behaviors that make it a good pet and that are important to its welfare. Rabbits that are kept in a larger housing or even loose in the house allows you and your rabbit the ability to fully and happily live together. Rabbits are very playful animals and will push toys around with their noses, bat them with forepaws, pick them up in their mouths and carry them around, and toss them. Rabbits will also seek out and play or cuddle with the human rabbits. You can even train your rabbit to walk on a leash by using positive reinforcement techniques.

While a rabbit allowed to roam freely will be a happy rabbit it is important to provide a place in which to hide if he/she gets scared or stressed. Rabbits like cave or tunnel like places to hide and will need it to be in the same spot. Rabbits are animals of habit and like their space to be unaltered. You will find your rabbit organizing his space to his liking and will show extreme displeasure if you try and arrange it differently. Rabbits are also easily litter box trained.

Rabbits are social animals and do best with a fellow rabbit companion along with lots of attention form you. Make sure you provide plenty of play time along with human interaction. If your rabbit is happy and comfortable you will find that they will seek you out to cuddle and often times will curl up on your chest to take a bunny nap but don't forget most rabbits don't like to be picked up. Most rabbits will get along just fine with other animals such as dogs, cats, and other small mammals be they need to be properly introduced. Most rabbit organizations can guide you through the steps. Be cautious if you have young children since rabbits can be easily squeezed to hard and injured. Most important enjoy your pet rabbit to the fullest.

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