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. They like their things arranged a certain way, and can become upset when their things are moved.
Nose Bonking / Nudging
It may be a greeting or their first line of investigation. But nudging can also indicate a level of bossiness. Your rabbit might be telling you, “You're in my way!” They may also be trying to get your attention because you're not petting them.
Nudging: Rabbits nudge a person's hand, foot, or pant leg if they want attention. They may also nudge your hand away if they are done with that attention. Grooming: Rabbits are meticulous groomers and rub their paws on their faces and lick their fur to clean themselves.
5. 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.
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.
Love Bites
Rabbits may also nip a person, or nip each other affectionately. This isn't necessarily a sign of aggression. If your rabbit is calmly nibbling your fingers or toes, and it doesn't hurt or break the surface, this is an affectionate behavior, and is nothing to worry about.
Rabbit nipping or biting
Bunnies will nip to get your attention or to politely ask you to move out of their way. Rabbits usually don't bite, but if one does it generally doesn't mean they hate you. There are many reasons that might cause a rabbit to bite — for example, if you grab at a rabbit or surprise them.
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.
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.
Relaxed body language
If your rabbits are lying down or stretching out, it can indicate that they feel at ease and don't perceive any immediate dangers.
A binky is a large jump and twist. It's literally a bunny's happy dance and sometimes will occur when a rabbit runs laps around the room – a behavior that many call “zoomies.” When rabbits display these behaviors, they're showing us that they are full of energy, happy and excited!
Rabbits tend to quietly grind the front teeth when they are happy and relaxed (similar to a cat's purr), and when they wear down their front teeth (to keep them the right size and shape). This type of grinding is common when you stroke a rabbit that is extremely relaxed.
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.
If your rabbits look tucked up and quiet with their chins tucked in and noses not twitching this can be a sure sign of them feeling unhappy or stressed, as this is not a normal position for a rabbit. Moving or running away. Your rabbits may turn and move away from you (or each other) if they're unhappy.
Rabbits will remember the people that they spend a lot of time with, and this includes their owners and caretakers. As prey animals, they have neurologically developed with a strong long-term memory for places and routines. You can use these associations to help strengthen your rabbit's memory of you.
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!
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.
They put their head on the ground and close their eyes in contentment. 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. Usually, my bunnies are most receptive to petting when they're relaxing after a meal.
At a minimum, you should spend at least an hour with your rabbit every day. However, 3-5 hours (or even more) are ideal. You do not have to be giving your rabbit undivided attention during this time, but instead, make yourself available to interact with them if they want to.