Tail-wagging If you notice your rabbit wagging her little tail, she's not showing you she's happy, she's doing this as a sign of defiance. If you're putting her back inside her run after a fun garden roaming session and she wags her tail, she's back-talking you: 'I don't want to go in yet! '.
When your rabbits are happy, you might notice them do a little 'binky'. This is when they hop in the air, twist a little bit, then land back on the ground. Nose twitching. Happy and content rabbits will be constantly wiggling and twitching their noses, whether they're bouncing about or relaxing.
People unfamiliar to pet rabbits may not know that bunnies have a very dramatic way of expressing excitement and joy. They dance! Leaping in the air, contorting and twisting their bodies, and kicking their feet out, binkying rabbits are quite the spectacle.
Nudging, head butting or rubbing against you is rabbit body language for loving attention. 'Give them a stroke or cuddle, or what you know they enjoy', says Rosie. 'Rubbing their faces against you is a way of sharing their scent profile, and showing that you really are friends.
Stop petting them and place your hand on either side of their head, near their nose. If the rabbit softly nudges your hand or does nothing and just sits there expectantly, then you know your rabbit is enjoying being pet and wants more.
Because rabbits are social animals, they will often get depressed if they are left alone for too long. A rabbit who is treated like a cage animal and left alone inside their enclosure day in and day out is very likely to become lonely and depressed. Instead, it's best to treat rabbits as companion animals.
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!
Grooming can be a self-comforting behavior for rabbits. If they are stressed, anxious, bored, or even a little sick, a rabbit might try to feel better by self-grooming more often.
Like lots of pets, bunnies need plenty of exercise and stimulation. While it's often necessary to cage your rabbit when you're gone or sleeping, confining it to a cage all day is detrimental to its well-being; it denies your rabbit vital exercise, prohibits socialization, and increases boredom and lethargy.
Rabbits love being stroked on their foreheads and backs. Always stroke in the direction of the hair, never against the hair (unless you are checking for skin problems). Most also like being stroked behind the ears.
Hold rabbits gently but firmly - ensure one hand supports their back and hindquarters at all times. Help them feel secure by holding all four feet against your body. Never pick rabbits up by their ears - this would be extremely stressful and is highly likely to injure them.
Pet rabbits can be kept alone if they are given daily attention and socialization from their human companions. It's best if single rabbits are kept as house pets so you can spend ample amounts of time petting and playing with them.
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.
Grunting: Grunting noises are angry reactions towards another rabbit or a person and should be heeded as a warning to back off; otherwise the rabbit might escalate by scratching or biting. Rabbits grunt when they feel threatened or territorial. Thumping: Thumping is an attention getting behavior.
Rabbits enjoy being around people and can usually recognise their owners by sight and sound.
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!
They also love getting a good back scratch around the shoulders. That said, they tend not to like being touched on the ears, neck, feet, stomach or tail.
Rabbits like to play and need plenty of exercise to stay healthy and happy. Ideally you want to provide them with up to 4 hours daily of supervised time out of their cage. Rabbits are subject to depression and poor health if they're not provided with daily interaction and mental stimulation.
Rabbits love grass or hay
Rabbits' food should be as close as possible to their natural diet, of mostly grass or hay. In fact, rabbits could live on hay and water alone, but we recommend fresh leafy vegetables and a little commercial feed.
When a bunny circles a person's feet or legs, this behavior usually indicates sexual or mating behavior (even when your rabbit is neutered). It basically means “I love you.”