There are several signs that rabbits use to show displeasure, and the signs depend on how unhappy they are, and for what reason.
Danger Danger
A rabbit that is scared or worried might have its ears back against its head but turned outwards to listen, or ears straight up and pointing forwards if its listening for danger (or for lops, ears turned forwards at the sides of the head), and may stamp its foot and run away to hide.
Rabbits can be scared by sudden loud or unexpected noises, and maybe something that the rabbit has noticed that you aren’t even aware of as they are very sensitive.
The foot stamping is a way to warn other rabbits (and that includes you) that there might be some danger. If your rabbit is doing this, don’t rush up to it or try to pick it up – you might scare it more. Approach slowly and put your hand in front of the rabbit so it knows that it’s you, and stroke its head to reassure it.
Angry Bunny
If you have done something that your rabbit doesn’t like, it will make it very obvious that it’s not impressed with you.
The signs of this start with sitting near you but looking the other way as though there is something much more interesting over there, or slightly more serious is turning its back and completely ignoring you. If you have offended that rabbit even more seriously than this, you will probably see the rabbit flicking its back feet up at you as it runs away. Some rabbits also grunt when showing signs of displeasure.
Any of these signs mean that you have some grovelling to do – sit near the rabbit and try to give it a stroke on the head – be aware that if your rabbit is very unhappy with you, it may take offence at you stroking it without being invited to, and then you will get the back of the rabbit to look at again!
Talk Rabbit
Like most of the rabbit language, you can use these signals too. If your rabbit is being naughty, stop it from doing whatever its doing and then turn your back on it and walk a few steps away. Don’t look back, and you will probably find the rabbit at your feet trying to make friends again.
If you want to try running away flicking your feet, make sure that no one is watching!
I have just bought my rabbits into their indoor cage for the winter and since then, the more dominant male seems to be very unhappy. He ignores me and is not interested in anything i’m doing, even if its new. He won’t let me anywhere near him no matter how slow or patient i am and he stamps his feet when i try to pick him up and even when i try to feed him. The other male is quite placid. They are both neutered and i give them a 2 – 3 hour run around everyday. Why may his behaviour have changed and what can i do to get back in his good books and show him im not a threat?
Hi Rachel
The first thing I would suggest is a quick visit to the vet for a general health check, as changes in a rabbit’s behaviour can sometimes indicate an underlying health issue, particularly if he is not eating or producing pellets normally.
If there is no health problem causing this, it may be that he is unhappy with the change of territory, particularly as he is the more dominant male (because you have taken him out of “his” territory. It may take some time for him to be happy with the new territory, in which case you just have to be patient with him and continue to spend time with him as normal.
Is there anything else changed apart from the location? For example, outdoor rabbit hutches are usually covered on 3 sides with a roof, and an enclosed area to hide in, but some indoor rabbit cages just have wire mesh for walls and a roof. This can cause some rabbits to feel more frightened if they are used to having a more enclosed living space.
I had two house rabbits who were sisters. one of them died and I left it a few weeks and got another rabbit. the older one is 16 months old and the new one is 12 weeks old. i have tried to put them together a few times and most of those they have been fighting, I have tried spraying the older one with water to get her to stop but doesn’t stop her for long. any suggesting of how to stop this?
Hi Mandy
Are both of the rabbits neutered? This can reduce aggressive behaviour, although it is not guaranteed to stop two rabbits that don’t like each other from fighting.
You could try having the rabbits living close to each other but separated, for example if they have cages, keep the two cages close to each other.
It may take time for these two rabbits to get used to each other and accept each other. Occasionally two rabbits never accept each other, but more often it just takes time and patience for the rabbits to accept each other. Keeping them close but separate allows for this time without the risk of an injury.
I check my rabbits food and water every morning before I leave for college. He is only 14 weeks old so I constantly top up his dry food and hay (and water).
This morning I did the same thing I always do, refill his food bowl, change his water bottle and refill his hay rack. However, this morning, as I put the hay in the rack he started grunted at me with his ears back. Everytime I touched the hay he grunted. He has never done this before in the two weeks I have had him.
Why is he starting now? Is there anything I can do?
Thanks, Paige
There are several possibilities for this behaviour.
Your rabbit may just have been in a bad mood, or something may have upset him. Was there anything different that happened this morning from any other morning? You may find that he is completely back to normal when you get back from college or tomorrow morning.
It could also be the beginning of some territorial behaviour. This can develop in rabbits around the age that your rabbit is now, as he is probably starting to hit puberty, which can change behaviour. Having him neutered when he is a little older (around 6 months) should reduce territorial behaviour.
If this continues frequently, it may also be worth taking him for a quick health check to make sure there is no other health issue, particularly if his eating habits change, or he stops producing pellets.
You’re right, he was absolutely fine when I got back from college. He let me fill his hay rack up as normal. I think he must of woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning
Thanks so much for the help
Just wondering if you can give me some advice on my house rabbit bruce who is a year and a half old. we changed his water bottle to a new one that clips to the side of the cage due to him lifting his old one up and banging it onto the side of the cage. he refused to drink from it for a day and a half and hasnt eaten much since. he ate some kale but refused any treats from us and hasnt really eaten any of his dried food. since putting his old bottle back in he has drank a lot of water and has attempted a small nibble at his dried food. he is a very stubborn rabbit when he wants to be….do u think this is his way of huffing at us or could it be something underlying?
thanks
Hi Siobhan
Some rabbits can be very stubborn and unhappy with any change, particularly if it is change to something that they see as theirs. Often, perseverance is the best way forward, however this can be dangerous if it involves the rabbit not eating or drinking.
Maybe you could have both water bottles for a while until he gets used to the new one? It may be that he likes playing with the old water bottle. Try getting him some new toys that might distract him from that.
If he continues to refuse food, I would advise taking him to the vet, as serious problems can occur when rabbits stop eating.
Richard
My house rabbit is very naughty every morning. She seems to have bundles of energy and runs around the flat like a mad thing! This isn’t the problem though. She digs at the carpet and chews everything in site. I have tried pulling her away, but she just goes back. I have also tried growling at her which usually works, but not when she is in one of these moods. Any suggestions?
Hi Karen
You didn’t say whether or not your rabbit is neutered. If not, having her neutered may reduce this behaviour, but probably the best thing to do would be to get lots of things she can chew, and leave these around your flat for her to chew on. Try something like the Happy Pet Willow Value Pack which includes willow sticks and willow balls for your rabbit to play with.
Richard