Most bunnies truly enjoy human companionship. From watching TV at your side to playing with toys, bunnies will keep you amused with their engaging personalities. Unfortunately, many rabbits don't get to show this fun-loving side of themselves to humans.
Do rabbits love their owners? Rabbits can be very affectionate pets if they are given the chance. They are very social and enjoy spending time with their human companions. Once you've gained a rabbit's trust, they'll start to show you how much they love you in their own bunny ways.
Licking: Licking is a way bunnies groom each other. If your bunny licks you, it's a sign of affection as you'll often see pairs of bunnies grooming each other this way. A bunny lick is a sign of a bond.
Rabbits typically run away from people because they are afraid or angry. The rabbit has learned from past experiences that humans will chase them, pick them up, or trap them into a small cage.
Staring is very common in rabbits. It's likely your rabbit stares at you out of love and happiness, but they could also be hungry, or confused. Rabbits also have a transparent eyelid that they use while they sleep, which may make it seem like they are staring.
Don't forget to give your rabbits plenty of space
Rabbits love nothing more than having the space to run around, play, dig and explore while enjoying a bit of 'me' time. Show your bunnies you love them by offering a secure environment where they can display these natural behaviours safely away from predators.
The signs of an unhappy rabbit
Pulling at their fur and over-grooming - or not grooming at all. A change in feeding or toilet habits. Drinking a lot more. Repeated circling or pacing up and down.
Many rabbits enjoy being kissed on the top of the head. Your rabbit will not kiss you back, but will return your affection in other ways. Licking is a key sign of affection from rabbits. You can teach a bonded rabbit to 'kiss' you with training.
3-5 Years Old
Rabbits tend to become a little less active by the time they reach this age. It is said that rabbits also become more affectionate during this period and they will start to trust you more.
It's literally a bunny's happy dance and sometimes will occur when a rabbit runs laps around the room – a behavior that many call “zoomies.” When rabbits display these behaviors, they're showing us that they are full of energy, happy and excited!
Should you avoid touching your rabbit's ears? Contrary to popular belief, most rabbits don't have very sensitive ears. While most rabbits aren't necessarily going to enjoy an ear massage, they don't mind when their ears are touched either. It's a neutral area for rabbits.
Rabbits don't have the same sleep cycles as humans. On average, a person will get 8 hours of sleep a night. Rabbits on the other hand will wake up periodically during the night and catch up on sleep during the day. They have to be awake at night in order to stay alert against attacks from predators.
Rabbits explore their environment by sniffing and nudging. It may be a greeting or their first line of investigation. But nudging can also indicate a level of bossiness. Your rabbit might be telling you, “You're in my way!” They may also be trying to get your attention because you're not petting them.
Nose Nudging: Nose nudging is another behavior that has several meanings. Rabbits might nudge, push, or toss things around as a form of play, to solicit attention from you, or as a territorial behavior meaning “mine!” or “get out of the way!”
Circling is one way that rabbits will show their affection for the people who they feel close to. It's an indication that your rabbit is excited to see you. You might even notice they are making a quiet oinking or buzzing sound while they do it (sometimes called honking too).
Move slowly and talk quietly around rabbits so as not to startle them. They're more likely to be relaxed in a quiet and calm handling environment. Picking rabbits up when you're close to ground level is less likely to scare them, and is also safer, as it helps prevent them from being dropped from a height by accident.
Bunny Sweet Spots
The nose, face, cheeks, and ears seem like safe areas to try. Under the chin might or might not be a problem area, depending on the rabbit. The back is likely safe. The belly, feet, and rear end seem like no-go areas.
They also love getting a good back scratch around the shoulders. That said, they tend not to like being touched on the ears, neck, feet, stomach or tail.
What sounds does my rabbit make when they're happy? Unlike a cat that purrs from its throat, a rabbit 'purrs' by very gently rubbing its teeth together. It's a lot quieter than a cat purr, but if you've got your rabbit on your lap and are gently stroking it, you'll hear it if they're feeling very contented.
Sit on the floor a few feet from your rabbit and roll a ball slowly back and forth between your hands. The idea is to show your rabbit that the ball rolls back and forth. When your rabbit is looking at you, try rolling the ball slowly toward your pet. This might make your rabbit move away or the ball might be ignored.
Signs of stress may include: appearing nervous (freezing, hunched up with ears flat against the body) being excessively jumpy and watchful (bulging eyes) being aggressive to people or other rabbits, particularly if the behaviour is unusual.
Because of a rabbit's rapid growth in the first year, they are considered about 12 human years when the rabbit is 4 months old. By the time the rabbit is 1 year old, they are roughly equivalent to 20 human years. After which, every rabbit year is equivalent to approximately 6 human years.
Male rabbits tend to become more involved when owners look to interact with them, so you may find them more affectionate and less bothered about being picked up — although some breeds can be friendlier than others.