How to UNDERSTAND YOUR BUNNY

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By wildanimalmad
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UNDERSTAND YOUR BUNNY

Get inside your rabbit's mind...

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A bunny

Step 1

Rabbit's can't talk to you so they speak through body language...
A rabbit with its head lowered to the ground can mean it's enjoying being stroked, or that it surrenders and will let you pick it up!
Step 2

When your rabbit frisks about jumping really high and fast it means it is very happy and is expressing it's joy.
Step 3

Rabbits thump their hind feet to show danger. This can mean anything from cats to new people.This is their way of communicating to you that they want to be taken out of a situation.
Step 4

This is a pic of rabbits boxing in the Arctic

Rabbits stand on their hind feet to try to find out what a strange sound is, a bit like meerkats. However, they also do this to get closer to that treat you hold above them.
Step 5

Hotchocolate investigating the hutch

Grunting rabbits are trying to tell you to stand back, they're going to attack.If the rabbit is running around you while doing this it is because it loves you, not trying to start a war!
Step 6

If your rabbit rubs it's chins on stuff, it's trying to mark it with it's scent. Rabbits have scent glands under their chins and use them to mark territory and ownership.
Step 7

Thanks to www.fuzzy-bunny.com for this pic of Thumper investigating banana.

You may notice your rabbit tiptoeing around when you first get it. This is because it is not too confident of it's surroundings and is ready to run back if it's too scary.
Step 8

If your rabbbit purrs, it could mean that
a)it's happy(eyes relaxed, half-closed)
b)it is in pain(eyes wide open)in which case you should take it to the vets
Step 9

And finally... if your rabbit mounts/humps objects, people or other rabbits it means
a)if it is male it has reached sexual maturity
b)any gender is showing dominance
Step 10

Star rubbing her chin

Good luck understanding your bunny!

Comments

bunnybeekeeper said

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on 9/28/2009 Nice article, you may also want to mention that some bunnies act differantly then others. I have a rabbit that thumps to get me to feed her, but only thumps as a warning when when she dosen't have babies. I have another one show stands on her hind legs to get me to pick her up and snuggle her. Two very differant things from the norm.

jujudy said

on 5/17/2009 Very good article on understanding bunny language. My sister has two bunnies in her walled garden off of her bedroom, and these bunnies have learned how to set off the alarm that she has at the door. (It's the kind of alarm that sounds if the beam is broken.) The bunnies will go up to the door and jump high until the alarm goes off. She then comes out and feeds them. (Classical conditioning, but I'm not sure who conditioned whom, you know?) Very interesting pets! Very interesting article. 5*s