Rabbits are very loving, social animals, which means they not only love to spend time with their humans – they require it. Without human interaction, rabbits can get bored, even to the point of becoming lonely and depressed.
Many bunnies enjoy cuddles and affection
Bunnies are super-soft, and many will love cuddling with you as much as you love cuddling with them.
But we all love our rabbits here, and we want to know if they can understand that we love them. Rabbits are social and intelligent creatures. They'll know that you love them; you just have to learn how to say “I love you!” in a way they'll understand.
Rabbits do appear to become attached to one person once a bond has formed. The formation of this bond takes time, patience, and no small amount of work. However, an attachment requires a bit more time. New rabbits can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to form an attachment to their owners.
Typically this isn't something you should worry about especially since it often doesn't hurt. Many times this is how your pet rabbit will show its love for you. When a rabbit nibbles or bites you softly it is often accompanied with licking, which is a sign of love.
Domestic rabbits will bite as hard as they need to. Sometimes your rabbit will just give you a little gentle nip. This can sometimes be your rabbit showing affectionate or trying to groom you. A nip may also be a gentle, first warning when your rabbit is trying to tell you something.
Nose Nudging: Nose nudging is another behavior that has several meanings. Rabbits might nudge, push, or toss things around as a form of play, to solicit attention from you, or as a territorial behavior meaning “mine!” or “get out of the way!” Rabbits can be very territorial and particular.
A good place to start is to look at your rabbit's ears. If they're close together, facing upwards and pointing outwards, your rabbit is likely to be relaxed and happy. If they're worried, their ears will be flattened against their back.
The best places to pet a rabbit are their forehead and behind their ears. The cheeks and strokes down their backs are also good spots. But rabbits dislike being pet on their bottom, feet, chin, and underside.
Staring is very common in rabbits. It's likely your rabbit stares at you out of love and happiness, but they could also be hungry, or confused. Rabbits also have a transparent eyelid that they use while they sleep, which may make it seem like they are staring.
3 - 5 years old: Middle Age
They may also become more and more affectionate, particularly house rabbits who live closely with their owners. Their level of trust in us has built up to the extent that they feel completely safe and secure in their home and able to truly relax and take it easy.
If your bun seems very needy or clingy, it might be time to get them a friend. There are also rabbits who turn to destructive behaviors to express their frustration at not having companionship. While chewing is a natural behavior in rabbits, overly destructive tendencies could mean your bun is bored or lonely.
When your rabbit lays their head down flat on the ground, they are enjoying being pet and are laying still so that you continue. They might even close their eyes or nudge your hand if you stop petting them.
Licking is a way bunnies groom each other. If your bunny licks you, it's a sign of affection as you'll often see pairs of bunnies grooming each other this way. A bunny lick is a sign of a bond.
Many rabbits who shy away from petting will allow their ears to be stroked, so this may be a good place to build up trust. These strokes are particularly helpful when you have a very sick bunn.
Two baby rabbits (under 12 weeks of age) that are the same sex, or a “love at first sight” couple, can live with each other immediately. All other combinations will need to be carefully and gradually introduced.
Indoor. House rabbits should never be kept completely confined to a cage. Exercise is vital for the rabbit's health. All too often we hear well meaning but poorly informed people describe rabbits as easy to keep because “they can be caged and don't take up much space!”.
Most rabbits will not enjoy being held and hugged in your arms, but they will enjoy gentler forms of cuddling. For me, cuddling means simply being able to sit or lay next to your rabbit without them hopping away from you.
Squeal. If your rabbit nips or bites you (sometimes rabbits nip when they want something or want your attention - it's not always aggressive): give a high-pitched squeal as soon as she nips or bites you.
A bunny nip is gentler than a bite. Bunnies will nip to get your attention, or to politely ask you to move out of their way. Rabbits usually do not bite, but if one does, generally it doesn't mean that he hates you.