Pet bunnies are full of personality. They can be hopping around like an energetic toddler or lounging on the couch like a retiree with not a care in the world. Rabbits can detect their owner’s sadness by sensing changes in body language and tone. They often respond to emotional and physical cues and mirror their owner’s attitudes and emotions.
Therefore, sometimes, it is likely that your rabbit may become anxious when you are anxious or become sad when you are sad. Because of this reason, it is important to make sure your rabbit doesn’t absorb too many negative emotions from your side. By learning about a rabbit’s body language, we can figure out what emotions they are feeling.
1. Rabbits are happy and excited
When rabbits are happy and excited, they will usually be bouncing with energy. They’ll be racing around the room and running circles around your feet. These adorable bundles of joy will be jumping into the air as they dance around, loving life. If they are excited about treats, rabbits will sometimes make soft and adorable honking or oinking noises. And when they completely tire themselves out, rabbits will calm down while you pet them. They will softly grind their teeth to make a purring sound. This is a way that rabbits tell us they are comfortable and content.
2. Rabbits are mad
Rabbits can have really spunky personalities. They can get mad or frustrated, and they’re not afraid to show it! Rabbits can get aggressive if they want to, swiping at you with their claws, or even trying to bite. They might even growl or grunt at you, to vocalize how upset they are. But rabbits can be more subtle and standoffish to show how mad they are too. They might be mad at you for picking them up and flick you off before completely ignoring you for hours. Or they might give one thump of their strong hind legs and run off to tell you how disappointed they are in you. It can be funny to see a cute little rabbit when they’re mad, especially because we know they’ll forgive us eventually (especially if you bribe them with a yummy treat).
3. Rabbits are sleepy
Sometimes it’s really obvious that a rabbit is tired. They’ll throw themselves onto their side and go into a deep sleep. Or they’ll be sprawled out on the ground as their little heads slowly start to fall and their eyes start to droop. They’ll start to sink into the ground as they fall asleep until something startles them enough to wake them up again. Sometimes it’s a lot more difficult to tell when a rabbit is sleepy. They’ll look like they’re just sitting around with their eyes wide open, when secretly they’ve been asleep for a while. You just have to look at their nose. If it completely stops twitching, it usually means that your rabbit is sleeping.
4. Rabbits are scared
Rabbits can get scared and spooked pretty easily. Any loud or sudden noise could put them on edge, even if it’s not nearby. Since rabbits are prey animals, their first instinct is usually to run away and hide or freeze on the spot. If your rabbit is scared of something, you might notice them cowering in one of their hiding boxes, or you might see their ears alert as they try to figure out what the sound was. You may also notice that your rabbit starts thumping up a storm. This is their way of telling you that they sense danger.
5. Rabbits are affectionate
While often shy at first, rabbits have ways of showing their love for us after they learn to trust us. Rabbits can be incredibly affectionate and lovable pets if we give them the chance. They’ll come greet us at the door, or they will come and lay down next to us. Rabbits have to trust you a lot if they’re going to sprawl out on the floor next to you. Sometimes, if you are very lucky, you’ll have a rabbit who likes to lick you and groom your clothing. Rabbits that live together will show affection by grooming each other. So this is a rabbit’s way of telling you that you are part of the group now, and they are going to care for you and help keep you clean.
6. Rabbits are curious
There is no pet more curious than a rabbit. These little fluffers will get into all kinds of trouble as they make their way through your home. They’ll sniff out the latest gadget you left lying on the floor, or somehow find their way behind the TV to get at all the wires (hopefully you have those wires covered!). These adorable, curious creatures will find ways up onto high places so they can scope out the room. And they will take slow sneaky steps toward anything new that they want to check out, while their nose and ears give away their curious intentions.
7. Rabbits are sad
Rabbits can get sad and lonely too. If they don’t have much interaction with people or other rabbits, they can get depressed. They’ll stop being curious and active, and instead they’ll sit around all day. If your rabbit recently lost their bonded partner, you should look out for signs of depression and give your rabbit as much love and affection as you can. That’s also why it’s so important to bring your rabbit inside and make them a part of the family. You’ll be able to give a house rabbit much more attention on a daily basis, and make sure they are not getting too lonely.
