Improving the quality of your rabbit's living areas so they have greater choices of activity and some control over their spatial/social environment. Improving your rabbit's physical and psychological well being. Giving your rabbit social companionship with people or other rabbits. Giving your rabbit toys.
Signs that your rabbit might be bored
Rabbits might start chewing things that they shouldn't, destroying their pen, or trying to dig out. They might also start to over-groom themselves to give them something to do.
Anything longer than 24 hours is too long – and even that is pushing the solitude limits of rabbits. Rabbits are social creatures and require about as much, if not more, interaction and maintenance as dogs do and more than some cats need. Considering rabbits to be low-maintenance pets does them a grave disservice.
Because rabbits are social animals, they will often get depressed if they are left alone for too long. A rabbit who is treated like a cage animal and left alone inside their enclosure day in and day out is very likely to become lonely and depressed. Instead, it's best to treat rabbits as companion animals.
It's important to remember that rabbits are prey animals. Prey animals interact with their environment very differently than predators like cats and dogs. In general, rabbits do not like to be picked up.
Bunnies are super-soft, and many will love cuddling with you as much as you love cuddling with them. Once a bunny is comfortable in their new home, they may claim you as their own by rubbing their chin on you to mark their territory. They might even groom you with little bunny licks to show you love!
Expect your rabbit to be lonely.
In the wild, it would be with other rabbits 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you only have one rabbit, you can give it some companionship, but it will still be lonely at night or when you are away at work. Sometimes a female rabbit will be fine on its own.
Rabbits enjoy being around people and can usually recognise their owners by sight and sound.
If a rabbit comes up and nudges you or hand and puts their head down to be pet, that's a sign that they love you and enjoy the way you interact with them. If a rabbit is willing to come up to you whenever they want and ask to be pet, then that is a clear sign that your rabbit loves and trusts you.
Grunting: Grunting noises are angry reactions towards another rabbit or a person and should be heeded as a warning to back off; otherwise the rabbit might escalate by scratching or biting. Rabbits grunt when they feel threatened or territorial. Thumping: Thumping is an attention getting behavior.
Most rabbits are afraid of being held, so if you pick them up every time you interact with them, they'll start to associate your hands with that feeling of fear. You'll want to temporarily stop holding your rabbit until they start to trust you more.
A typical rabbit day
They spend this time eating, grooming, digging, foraging and playing. They may investigate a new toy or digging box, follow you around to see what you are doing, or race around burning off energy.