Rabbits are by nature very inquisitive, or some would say nosey, and are interested in everything that is going on around them. You will often find that if you are doing something, your rabbit will be nearby watching what you are doing. If you leave the room, your rabbit may follow you, at least to the door to see where you are going.
Follow Me
When a rabbit is trying to get you or another rabbit to follow, it will go a short distance, then stop and look over its shoulder at you, then set off again. If your rabbit does this, it is polite to follow. You can also try this – if you want your rabbit to follow, walk away a little distance and then stop, look over your shoulder to make sure the rabbit is watching you, then carry on another short distance. Keep repeating this, and your rabbit might follow you to catch up each time you stop.
Because of their natural nosiness, rabbits won’t usually let you walk away like this without finding out where you are going. They don’t want to miss out on anything interesting!
Nosey Nose
Rabbit’s noses show they we are being nosey. Rabbits don’t have to twitch their noses to breath or even to smell. The twitching shows how interested they are in whatever is going on. The faster the nose is twitching, the more interested they are.
Try lying on the floor in front of your rabbit, and when it is watching you, twitch your nose at the same speed as the rabbit is doing – you will have to emphasise the movement as much as you can. Then try speeding up or slowing down, and your rabbits nose will probably do the same, to say “I’m as interested in you as you are in me”.
Sticking Its Nose In
Whenever anything is happening that interests your rabbit, you will probably see its nose moving up and down. If the rabbit decides whatever is happening is interesting enough (and they usually do), it will hop over to have a look.
This can be a good way to get your rabbit to come to you – pick up something and play with it and more often than not, your rabbit will be over to see what you are doing.
my bunny keeps thumping its back legs and making wierd noises. What should i do?
Hi Jasmin,
This usually means that the rabbit is frightened or nervous. Try to stroke him and calm him down.
If there is something new or noisy happening, this may be why.
Richard
My bunny is now making humming noises ( sounds like a bee ) when around my dog. is this normal?
Rabbits can sometimes make a humming or grunting noise when they are being territorial, so it may be that your rabbit is trying to be dominant with the dog. Rabbits that are feeling aggressive can also sometimes make grunting noises.
Male rabbits also make grunting or humming noises when they want to mate with a female rabbit. If your rabbit is a male, he might be feeling amorous towards your dog!
Is your rabbit neutered? Rabbits that are not neutered usually exhibit more territorial behaviour than rabbits that have been neutered, and can become aggressive.
im actually not sure if my bunny is a boy or a girl!
In that case, I would suggest a visit to your vet for them to be able to determine this. You could also discuss neutering your rabbit with the vet. Neutering often helps reduce territorial behaviour in rabbits, as well as reducing the risk of the rabbit developing cancer.
how much does it usually cost?
The cost for neutering a rabbit varies, starting from around £50 in the UK, or around $75 in the US. Some vets, charge a lot more than this, so it would be best to contact your vet for a price and to ask about their experience with rabbits first.
hey my female rabbit keeps grunting at my boy rabbit what does this mean?? :S
also she is a bit older than him we only just got them
Hi Evie
This could be one of two things. A rabbit grunting is usually showing signs of being angry or upset, and she may be showing aggressive or dominant behaviour towards the male rabbit. A rabbit can also grunt when it is interested in mating with another rabbit, although it is more often male rabbits that do this.
Neutering rabbits usually reduces territorial, dominant and aggressive behaviour, and also prevents them from mating with each other. A male and female rabbit will mate with each other at a fairly young age, so if you don’t want more babies I would suggest visiting your vet to discuss having them neutered.
Richard
Our 7 mo neutered male makes a little mini growl that sound like pleasure sometimes, he also rushes me and butts into my hand until I stroke him (he nudges the underside of my hand). When I do stroke him on his head he makes the little crunchy sounds with his teeth, and closes his eyes a bit. I had always thought the rushing/ headbutting and little growls were affectionate but everything I read says this kind of behaviour is aggressive?