Understand rabbit behaviour
As intelligent and playful animals, pet rabbits need to comfortably carry out their natural behaviours in order to live happily and healthily.
On this page you’ll learn how to better understand your rabbit’s behaviour and body language, signs of happiness, stress and poor welfare, the dangers of tonic immobility and what to do if you notice behavioural changes.
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Understanding rabbit behaviour and rabbit body language
Rabbits express a range of emotions, from curiosity to caution, fear to friendship. They’re constantly communicating. However, rabbits can also hide when they’re feeling discomfort or pain – as prey animals, this is a survival instinct, which prevents them from appearing ‘weak’ or vulnerable to potential predators.
Learning your rabbit’s body language can help you to better understand what they’re feeling, and spot any behavioural changes that might suggest something’s wrong. By reading your rabbit’s ears, eyes, posture and behaviours, you’ll begin to recognise what they’re communicating to you.
All rabbits are individuals and may behave differently – their behaviour can vary based on their age, personality or past experiences – so we recommend that you become familiar with your own rabbit’s behaviour. If their behaviour changes suddenly, you’ll spot it and can then ask a vet for advice.
Discover common body language cues to look out for below.
Never try to force your rabbits to exhibit certain behaviours or actions
They’ll occur naturally and organically, depending on your rabbit’s feelings.
Signs of a happy rabbit
Happy rabbits are a pleasure to witness. From joyful movements to signs of affection, other happy behaviours include:
- Ears close together, facing up and pointing out: They’re likely relaxed and happy.
- Ears resting backwards: While this can also be a sign of stress or anxiety if they’re tightly pressed, if the rest of their body is comfortable and calm, this can be a sign they’re relaxed.
- The jump for joy: The leap-twist that a rabbit does midair, with all four paws off the ground – also known as ‘the binky’ – is a sign that they’re very happy.
- Nipping (not biting!): If a rabbit gently nips you, they might be trying to groom you or get your attention.
- Licking: Whether your rabbit is licking you or their rabbit companion, this is a common sign of affection.
- Grooming: Calmly grooming themselves or a bonded rabbit is another sign of being content.
- Relaxed posture: When lying down, they may tuck their legs under their body, or extend their front paws forward and rear legs sideways, flop on their side or stretch their back legs out behind them with their front paws pointing forward. Resting next to their companion is also a sign of a close bond.
- Grinding their teeth (quietly): Contented rabbits often gently grind their teeth, making a soft sound like a cat’s purr.
- Interacting with their environment: Tossing toys, digging, foraging, chewing appropriate items, and running through tunnels can indicate that your rabbits are comfortable and feel safe in their environment.
Signs of stress, fear and anxiety
Though they often hide their discomfort, you might spot signs of stress or fear in rabbits through behavioural changes or certain body positions and movements, such as:
- Ears flat against their back: Flattened ears can also mean the rabbit is worried. Examine the rest of their body and other behaviours to tell.
- Ears stood to attention: If a rabbit’s ears are forward and they’re staring at a certain spot – sometimes on their hind legs, sometimes on all fours – they’re likely on high alert. For lop-eared rabbits, ear position can be harder to read, so look at their eyes, posture and overall body language too.
- Trademark thumping: When a rabbit thumps their hind legs, they may be alerting others to a potential threat, expressing fear or frustration, or signalling that they’re feeling unsettled.
- Hiding: Rabbits tend to find a safe spot to hide when they feel anxious or worried.
- Crouching: If your rabbit’s muscles are tense and their head is held flat to the ground, pupils dilated and ears wide apart and flattened against their back, they’re likely very worried, uncomfortable or don’t want you near them.
- Biting: A gentle nip may also be a warning they need space or feel uncomfortable, and a hard bite often means they’re feeling fear or stress and are trying to protect themselves.
- Reluctance to move: This can be a sign of stress, anxiety or pain.
- Chewing unsuitable items: Chewing things they shouldn’t, such as their enclosure bars, can mean they’re anxious, stressed or frustrated, but can also be a show of boredom. Provide your rabbits with access to hay, plenty of enrichment, and safe alternatives to chew.
- Over-grooming: Triggered by stress or anxiety, rabbits may start excessively licking themselves, causing bald patches, sore skin and irritation.
- A change in habits: Such as a difference in their feeding, drinking (i.e. over-eating and over-drinking), activity level, or toilet habits.
- Repeatedly circling their enclosure: Continuously circling the perimeter of their enclosure is a coping mechanism to help burn off nervous energy due to a source of anxiety or stress.
- Grinding their teeth (loudly): Unlike the soft purring to show happiness, when rabbits grind their teeth loudly, it can mean that they’re in pain and need to see a vet.
Signs of frustration
The more you get to know your rabbit’s general, everyday behaviours, the easier it’ll become to spot when certain feelings are affecting them. Behaviours that may appear aggressive are often a rabbit’s way of expressing frustration, discomfort, fear, or a desire for space. Learning to recognise these signals can help prevent stress and strengthen your bond with your rabbit.
Things to look out for include:
- Trademark thumping: As well as alerting to potential danger, this ‘grump thump’ can also express their frustration with you.
- Bunny boxing: If a rabbit is on their hind legs, ears up, lifting their front paws to bat at anything that comes close (sometimes accompanied with a growl) they might be feeling threatened or frustrated.
- Turning and moves away: If your rabbit flicks their back feet, or their ears are held against their back, they’re expressing unhappiness or that they want space.
- Standing and tense: If your rabbit’s back legs are thumping, ears pointing upwards and slightly turned outwards, facial muscles tense, tails raised and their pupils dilated, they may be feeling uncomfortable.
- Leaning their weight to the back: Another sign of feeling threatened is when they’re positioned low to the ground, their body weight shifted towards their rear end, head tilted upwards and mouth open with teeth visible. Often their ears are held back and lowered, their pupils dilated and tail raised.
Why rabbits hide and withdraw
As prey animals, it’s natural for rabbits to run and hide when they feel vulnerable or threatened. It’s also common to see rabbits who are frightened or in pain display aggressive behaviours or try to avoid interactions, changing their behaviour to reflect their discomfort. Emotional distress can also cause some rabbits to withdraw.
Providing multiple, secure hiding places allows rabbits to remove themselves from the startling situation and seek comfort and safety. Find out more about creating a suitable and safe environment for your rabbits.
Never force your rabbits to play, interact with you or perform any other behaviours unnaturally. This can cause unnecessary stress.
Pet rabbit rehoming
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Looking to rehome a rabbit or two? You don’t need to go down a rabbit hole of your own – we can find the right bunnies for you and your home.
Rabbits and tonic immobility
Tonic immobility (sometimes called ‘playing dead’) happens when rabbits are placed on their back.
Why tonic immobility happens
As prey species, rabbits have evolved various tactics to help them avoid being targeted, including tonic immobility – sometimes called 'trancing' or 'hypnotising'. If a rabbit is captured by a predator, they become motionless to appear dead, so that the predator may relax their grip. This is an involuntary fear response where a rabbit becomes temporarily still when they feel extremely frightened or are restrained.
While tonic immobility may have benefits in a survival situation, it can be a stressful and frightening experience for the rabbit when triggered by handling, such as placing them fully or partially onto their back.
Why you should never place a rabbit on their back
Rabbits show both physiological and behavioural indicators of stress and fear before, during and after being turned over. Studies have shown that rabbits flatten their ears, widen their eyes and tense their muscles when being placed in this position – which is them showing that they're worried and uncomfortable.
While on their back, rabbits remain fully alert to take advantage of any escape opportunity. Once back on their feet, they may spend more time hiding and less time exploring. They can also experience an increased heart and breathing rate and higher levels of the stress hormone corticosterone.
The more often a rabbit is laid on their back, the faster they become still. This shouldn't be mistaken for them enjoying or getting used to the process. They've actually learned to anticipate what's about to happen, and repeatedly doing it causes them to become stressed more quickly.
Due to the fear and stress rabbits feel when placed on their back, things like general interactions, routine health checking and grooming should be performed with all four of their feet on a stable surface.
However, vets needing to carry out certain procedures – such as taking X-rays or examining their teeth – may use this response if it avoids sedation or anaesthesia, which can present risks. This should only be done when necessary and by trained professionals.
When behaviour changes may indicate illness
The better you understand rabbit communication, the easier it becomes to spot signs of pain and illness. Despite often hiding or masking their discomfort, some signs and symptoms can be easier to spot. As well as the signs of stress, fear and aggressive behaviours listed above, others physical symptoms may include:
- Runny or sore eyes
- Difficulty walking
- Head tilting to one side
- Stiffness
- Sudden changes in appetite
- Teeth grinding
- Depression
- Lethargy
- Reduced interest in their surroundings
- Reduced bowel movements (or presence of dark, sticky droppings)
- Respiratory changes
These can be symptoms of a variety of illnesses. Learn more about rabbit health issues here.
If you think your rabbit is showing signs of illness, are concerned they’re suffering, or are unsure what a change in behaviour may mean, contact your vet.
Rabbits can be subtle communicators, and their behaviour can be easy to misread – or miss completely. Recognising and understanding what they’re telling us helps us give them the care and support they need.
Worried a pet rabbit is at risk?
Are you concerned that a rabbit is experiencing cruelty and neglect; showing signs of pain, fear and mistreatment? If you’re worried that a rabbit is suffering, let us know as soon as you can.
When to seek behavioural support
If you notice any changes to your rabbit’s normal behaviour, or they’re showing signs of stress, fear or pain, contact your vet, who’ll provide the appropriate support. Once health issues are ruled out, or if the unusual behaviour persists, you can seek further advice from a qualified animal behaviourist.
Never shout at your rabbit, or try to punish them for ‘misbehaviour’ or unwanted behaviours, as this can often come from a place of pain or uncertainty, and shouting will only make them more nervous or afraid.
Training your rabbit
Did you know rabbits can be trained? They’re intelligent and inquisitive animals that can be taught tricks, learn new behaviours and recognise commands.
Training your rabbit is a great way to get them comfortable with being handled and getting into carriers. It also helps to create a bond between you, strengthened through positive, reward-based activities. Training is an excellent form of enrichment for rabbits.
If you’ve never trained a rabbit before, begin with some basic training, such as encouraging your rabbit to come when called, rewarding them with a healthy treat. See whether your rabbit responds well to this before trying more complex training activities, like agility courses.
Some fun things to teach your rabbit include:
- Using a litter tray
- Using a cat flap
- Coming when called
- Fetching items
- Returning to their enclosure
- Target training (touching their nose to specific object)
- Agility (creating an agility course in your garden, after consulting a vet and using suitable and safe equipment)
How to train rabbits
Never use punishment, such as shouting or physical coercion, to train a rabbit – this will only frighten them. Only use positive reward-based methods, such as clicker training.
Clicker training is a popular method used to train many different species, using a clicker to tell your rabbit they’ve done the correct thing. This is how it works:
- Click and reward: Click your clicker when the rabbit performs a behaviour you’re trying to encourage and follow it with a reward, such as a treat, which helps your rabbit associate the two.
- Repeat this over time: Eventually, when your rabbit hears the click, they’ll learn to associate this with a reward.
- Reduce the rewards: Over time, you can start to reduce how often they get a separate reward, as the click becomes a reward in itself.
- Encourage them to complete a task: Such as coming when called, or fetching an object. When they successfully do the task, click the clicker and give them a treat (this may take several attempts, so be patient and kind).
- Introduce a command: After several successful completions of the task or trick, start using a cue, such as their name, “fetch” or “come”. This will take a lot of practice over time before they start to associate the word with the action and the reward.
Why you shouldn’t use a harness on a rabbits
As a prey species, when frightened, rabbits will instinctively run and hide – being attached to a lead prevents this behaviour, leading to unnecessary stress. They may also injure themselves trying to escape from their harness or when running and hitting the end of the lead.
Rabbits need:
Take a look at what you can do for your rabbit, to give them the best chance of being happy and healthy. Your rabbits need the following.
- Access to all the things they require at all times. Think plenty of space, food, water, safe hiding places, companion rabbits, toilet areas and toys.
- Safe toys to play with or chew on. This helps them keep physically and mentally active. Chewing helps keep their teeth the right shape and size, avoiding dental problems.
- Regular opportunities to play with other friendly rabbits and/or people. Rabbits are highly social, playful and inquisitive animals who need to interact and play with other friendly rabbits. For this reason rabbits shouldn't be housed alone unless your vet advises otherwise. Many rabbits also enjoy interacting with their owners – on their own terms.
- Constant access to safe hiding places so they can escape if they feel afraid. Rabbits must be able to hide from things that scare them. They’re a prey species, so they need to be able to hide somewhere secure, away from the sight and smell of predators such as foxes, cats and dogs. They also need time away from other rabbits.
- Opportunities to exercise daily to stay fit and healthy. Rabbits are active animals needing regular, frequent exercise. Their most active periods, when they like to graze, forage and be sociable, are early morning, late afternoon and overnight. Ideally, they would have 24/7 access to a large exercise area attached to their main shelter.
- Constant access to good quality hay. This is important for their emotional wellbeing, as well as their dental and digestive health.
- Suitable materials that allow digging (e.g. a sand box or shredded paper). Rabbits live in burrows in the wild and digging is one of their natural behaviours. Not being able to dig can cause a rabbit high levels of stress.
- Areas to mark territory. Scents, such as chin secretions, urine and droppings, are important communication methods for rabbits.
- For you to be observant. If your rabbit's behaviour changes or they show signs of stress or fear, seek advice from a vet or qualified animal behaviourist as they could be distressed, bored, ill or injured. A rabbit's behaviour depends on their age, personality and past experiences. Rabbits who are frightened or in pain may change their behaviour or develop unwanted habits such as aggression or hiding.
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Kindness! Never shout at or punish rabbits. They are unlikely to understand what you mean and can become nervous or scared. If your rabbit's behaviour becomes an ongoing problem, seek advice from a vet or a qualified behavioural expert.
