Rabbits don't meow, bark or speak. Well actually, they do speak. They speak their own language. A language we humans must learn in order to communicate with them proficiently – or at the very least, to understand their behavior.
Rabbits have a complex language all their own. They talk to each other and to humans using a wide variety of body positions and a few vocalizations. Your own rabbit's personality and dialect can best be learned through patient observation.
Verbal Rabbit Cues to Humans
Rabbits do have a range of verbal communications that they use around humans. Sometimes these are deliberate, and on other occasions they're involuntary. Grunting means that you are doing something that annoys your rabbit. You may hear this when you pick them up, for example.
Rabbits are smart and can understand several words; two of the words he should be able to understand are his name and the word 'No'.
Rabbits tend to be quite quiet but they can scream very loudly if they're in pain or distress. When they're happy or showing affection you may hear them make a gentle humming or light chattering, sort of like a cat's purr.
Depending on the severity of the offence, a rabbit can hold a grudge from hours to several days. Sometimes, a simple stroke on the forehead or an apologetic treat can remedy a miffed bunny, but if your rabbit is truly offended, they can sulk for quite some time!
Rabbits probably do not have emotions the way humans do. However, rabbits do show physiological and behavioral signs that they are capable of simple emotions, such as happiness, fear, sadness, and anger.
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.
1) Rabbits are very intelligent
Some breeds are even particularly trainable. You can, for example, teach them to recognise their names and come to you when called. Rabbits also have a very good memory: they don't forget negative experiences and emotions easily.
Pet rabbits do know their own names. Rabbits can learn to associate sounds with specific commands over time. This includes coming to an owner when you call its name. Rewarding a rabbit with treats, petting, or other consistent positive reinforcements will help it retain these commands in its memory.
Most rabbits love to be cuddled and stroked when approached in the right way. Few like being held or carried as being so high up from the ground makes them feel insecure, however, many will happily sit on your lap or snuggle up next to you for a cuddle.
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.
They also lose much of their depth perception at close ranges, seeing in two dimensions (instead of the three that we are used to). Their vision also isn't as sharp as humans' vision. This grainy vision is why it's so easy to startle your bunny – they might not always recognize your shape.
Welcome, and as an FYI, rabbits say “hello” by going nose to nose just like cats do. And the one that lowers its head first so that its chin touches the ground thinks they're the boss.
Like all mammals, rabbits experience of a range of emotions, both basic and complex. A domesticated pet rabbit will understand and mirror the emotions of their owner. If you're happy, you'll find your rabbit reflecting this joy. If you are withdrawn and depressed, a rabbit will express concern for your predicament.
Offer a treat
The easiest way to apologize to a rabbit is to offer them the treat. For many rabbits, this will immediately get you back into their good graces and they will no longer hold a grudge against you. However, even for rabbits who refuse the treat, the act of giving them something yummy doesn't go unnoticed.
Most rabbits love being pet. Many will calmly sit with you for long periods of time while you give them a nice massage. Petting is a great way to calm an anxious rabbit down and to bond with your pet rabbit.
Like most prey animals, rabbits need to establish trust in order to approach and befriend you. When they do, they are very loyal companions. They enjoy social interactions with people.
Evidently, they can discriminate between the wavelengths we call “green” and “blue.” Although rabbits may not perceive green and blue the way we do, they *can* tell them apart. This means they have limited color vision, probably conferred by two different categories of cone cells (blue and green).
Many rabbits enjoy being kissed on the top of the head. Your rabbit will not kiss you back, but will return your affection in other ways. Licking is a key sign of affection from rabbits. You can teach a bonded rabbit to 'kiss' you with training.
Rabbits don't have the same sleep cycles as humans. On average, a person will get 8 hours of sleep a night. Rabbits on the other hand will wake up periodically during the night and catch up on sleep during the day. They have to be awake at night in order to stay alert against attacks from predators.
Jealousy in rabbits is surprisingly common. Despite what you may believe, rabbits are highly evolved animals. They experience a wide range of simple and complex emotions. Rabbits can become jealous for many reasons.
5. They are lonely. 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.
Conventional wisdom suggests that rabbits sleep in a hutch at night. But small animals, such as rabbits, like to sleep next to their owners. They enjoy the soft bedding, warm, and companionship.