As rabbits doze from mid-morning until early evening, they do not necessarily need darkness to sleep. A rabbit will judge their sleep schedule by their energy levels. If they're exhausted, they'll flop down and fall asleep. Despite this, it's crucial that rabbits enjoy a balance of darkness and light.
A rabbit requires a resting area and an exercise area. Your rabbit's resting area should have at least two compartments. A darkened sheltered area for sleeping away from noise and another for eating/relaxing.
Sleeping through the night
Most rabbits will go to sleep between 10-12 pm. They'll sleep until it's time to wake up in the morning and start a new day. Like afternoon nap time, many rabbits will periodically get up to stretch and eat in the middle of the night.
Rabbits are social creatures, so they'll need a lot of attention while you're awake. They might be thumping and rattling the sides of the enclosure all night because they are lonely and bored and just want to spend more time with you. They get frustrated overnight and end up making noise to try to get your attention.
Time of Day: Rabbits are the most active at dawn and dusk. The low light just before morning and evening provides them protection from predators as they venture out in search of food. If hunting with dogs, you can likely find rabbits throughout the day.
Their eyesight works the best during dim light conditions. They prefer dim lights instead of complete darkness. In dim lights, they can see and feel safe. Hence, bunnies are the most active in dim lights.
This does not mean that rabbits are only active during dawn and dusk, though. They often have occasional short bursts of energy during the day between some of their longer sleep sessions. So rabbits do sleep at night and during the day, but generally not straight through.
Quiet Toys Should Be Your Go-To
Make sure that your rabbit has chew toys to play with at night so that it doesn't get bored and disturb your sleep. You should provide quiet toys to your rabbit to solve this issue. The best part is that these toys produce no noise and keep your rabbit quiet.
They sleep about 12 to 14 hours a day, according to the Ohio State University website. The most active times for rabbits are early morning, night and dusk. The rabbit is quietest during the day, usually between noon and four in the afternoon.
Rabbits need exercise equipment too; ramps to run on, buckets of hay to jump in and boxes to climb on are great fun. Cardboard tubes, large enough for your rabbit to run through will make great rabbit tunnels. Toys, both chew toys and toss/nudge toys, can be added to this environment.
Rabbits love nothing more than having the space to run around, play, dig and explore while enjoying a bit of 'me' time. Show your bunnies you love them by offering a secure environment where they can display these natural behaviours safely away from predators. A happy rabbit is a loved rabbit!
Bunnies are super-soft, and many will love cuddling with you as much as you love cuddling with them. Once a bunny is comfortable in their new home, they may claim you as their own by rubbing their chin on you to mark their territory. They might even groom you with little bunny licks to show you love!
As their twitching noses indicate, rabbits sniff a lot. Try sprinkling dried sulfur around or on your plants. Rabbits also dislike the smell of onions, so try planting these around your garden to further deter the furry creatures. To discourage pesky rabbits, try dusting your plants with plain talcum powder.
Typical things that can make your rabbit stressed include: novelty (for example the first trip in a car or being handled by a stranger) fear-inducing stimuli (for example sudden noises) social stress (for example too many individuals in a small space, loss of a companion, living alone)
Do rabbits get cold at night? Of course, everyone does! But bunnies have thick fur that can protect them from chilly temperatures. They're fine at 30°F, but if you have outdoor rabbits, keep your hutch at about 100°F during the night.
Hay. Most rabbits will prefer to sleep on hay because it is soft and something they can play with. This type of bedding can be grown on a farm or backyard.
Rabbits enjoy being around people and can usually recognise their owners by sight and sound.
You may worry that your rabbit will be lonely. If you spend a lot of time with your rabbit, they will undoubtedly miss you when you're away, the same way you miss them. The two of you have developed a bond and friendship that your pet rabbit also understands.
The perfect sleeping area for rabbits is a place which approximates a burrow i.e. a roof over their heads and an entrance and exit route. Therefore, house rabbits tend to like sleeping behind sofas or under tables or beds.
Rabbits usually produce cecotropes at the same time each day, often at night hence they are sometimes called "night droppings", but in pet rabbits, it is dependent on their daily routine and feeding times.
Rabbits Can Thump Out of Anger/Frustration
Many owners will hear their rabbits thumping in the hutch and they might not even be nearby. Thumping when they're shut away can often be a sign that they're frustrated and potentially bored.
We recommend a good quality soft straw as the ideal bedding for warmth and comfort, particularly for outdoor rabbits. It's warm because the hollow strands trap warm air and it's also absorbent. It's important to understand the difference between hay and straw.
In my work with rabbits and other animals, it's very evident that they love to lie on the red when they lack regular contact with the outdoors. In contrast to red, blue is cooling. It calms and soothes and acts as an antidote for too much red.