Pet bunny hopping or dancing Hopping or dancing is a sign of pure joy and happiness. The bunny's “dancing” can include leaping, doing a binky (jumping straight up and spinning in the air) and racing around.
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!
All rabbits are individual, however if your rabbit's behaviour changes suddenly, please consult your vet for advice. A rabbit's behaviour can vary based on their age, personality or past experiences, however it's common to see rabbits who are frightened or in pain develop habits such as aggression or hiding.
“Binkying” or “Boinking”:
As many bunny owners call it, a boink, is a sign of excitement. Also called a binky, the rabbit sometimes gets a running start into their sudden burst.
It's easy to tell if a rabbit is nervous or scared. They sit with their ears held back, tend to sit scrunched up like a big ball or always underneath something and startle at the smallest sound.
Rabbits typically run away from people because they are afraid or angry. The rabbit has learned from past experiences that humans will chase them, pick them up, or trap them into a small cage. Naturally, their instincts will see people as dangerous predators that need to be avoided.
Abnormal rabbit behaviour
Signs to look out for include biting the bars of their hutch, nipping at you, fur pulling or reduced grooming, changes in eating, drinking or toilet patterns, aggression, circling their run, sitting hunched up and hiding more than normal.
Signs of pain include: > grinding teeth > rapid and shallow breathing > pulling hair > decreased grooming > hunched posture > lethargy > increased thirst and urination > a reluctance to move > bulging, strained, staring, or unfocused eyes.
Those weird twisty jumps are nothing to worry about, and are actually a sign of a happy rabbit. When a rabbit does a weird twist and jump in the air, it's called a binky. Rabbits do this when they have so much happy energy that they just can't contain it.
One social behavior that is common in rabbits is circling. This is where a rabbit runs in circles, usually around another rabbit or your feet. Circling is usually a form of courtship behavior, indicating that your rabbit wants to mate. It may be accompanied by honking noises.
Signs of stress may include: appearing nervous (freezing, hunched up with ears flat against the body) being excessively jumpy and watchful (bulging eyes) being aggressive to people or other rabbits, particularly if the behaviour is unusual.
As far as digestive upsets are concerned, the commonest killer of rabbits under 12 weeks of age is mucoid enteritis or associated digestive conditions like bloat, and gut stasis.
In the wild, rabbits would spend their time digging, running, jumping, rearing up, hiding, eating, socialising with other rabbits (and being alone sometimes too). To allow your pet rabbits to carry out their natural behaviours they need to be given plenty to do.
Kicking and thumping
Think of rabbits out in the wild: they are prey animals, always on the alert for danger, yet unable to communicate verbally. That's where stamping or thumping comes in: they use this body language to tell others they are feeling threatened.
Can rabbits have anxiety? Anxiety can be a common problem among pet rabbits. Their ancestors in the wild they had to constantly be on the alert for predators and dangerous situations. Pet rabbits still have these wild instincts and can become chronically anxious even when they live in a safe environment.
The best way to gain your rabbits' trust is by simply spending lots of time being near them, while allowing your bunnies to approach you in their own time. By sitting quietly with them in a safe enclosure, you'll show your rabbits that you aren't to be feared and that you can be trusted.
Tonic Immobility, often referred to as “Trancing” or “Hypnotising”, is a technique for handling rabbits that has been around for many years. It takes advantage of the rabbits' tendency, as a prey species, to “play dead” and stay immobile when placed in a vulnerable position, on its back.
Unfortunately many baby rabbits miss out on this socialisation before they go to their new home, or they may have bad experiences later on that make them fear being picked up. When a rabbit kicks out and tries to stop you picking him up, it's because he is frightened.
Most of the time rabbits won't come out to play because they are scared or shy and need time to learn to trust you. However, other reasons your rabbit might not be coming out include boredom, depression, illness, old age, and even sleepiness.
Lunging and swatting
Often times with rabbits, lunging is a warning. They don't want to hurt you, but they are letting you know they could if you don't back off. This behavior is almost always accompanied by a growl.