Rabbit's have a unique personality and a rabbit's body language can sometimes be concerning to an owner. You know when a dog's happy by that waggy tail, understanding your rabbit takes some getting used to. It’s important to understand the difference between normal and abnormal behaviour in rabbits. Some normal rabbit behaviours may seem like an issue, but they're naturally seen in the wild and your bunny's way of living in a captive environment.

Most rabbit behaviour come from either not trusting humans or lack of environmental security and stimulation. Luckily, most problems can be dealt with over time. So for every bunny owner, here's some of the most common behaviours you might encounter as a bunny owner.

Why Do Rabbits Dig and Chew?

Digging and chewing are probably the most common behaviours that an owner will see in their pet rabbit. These behaviours are retained from their wild ancestors and are important behaviours that pet rabbits need to be able to express to lead happy lives.

Rabbits chew for lots of reasons! They chew to eat, to remove roots when they dig tunnels and out of curiosity to find out if something can be eaten. Most importantly they chew to keep their teeth worn down.
Rabbit’s teeth grow continuously, so if they don’t continually wear them down, they can become overgrown and cause problems. In the wild, rabbits mostly do this by eating lots of different types of grasses and nibbling on things like bark, saplings and crops.

It’s important that your rabbit has a constant supply of suitable objects that it can chew. The easiest way to satisfy their need to chew is to give your rabbit an unlimited supply of hay and some fresh vegetables. Small twigs and branches from fruit trees will also help keep your rabbit’s teeth healthy and your rabbit occupied and out of mischief.

But make sure the trees haven’t been sprayed with any chemicals. You can also buy toys made out of natural substances and ingredients that your rabbit will love and will keep their teeth in check too.

Wild rabbits spend lots of time digging huge burrow networks. This isn’t something a pet rabbit can do, so they find other ways to show this natural behaviour. Digging also burns calories and helps keep their claws worn down. It’s also great fun!

Large boxes filled with hay or shredded paper make a great rabbit digging box, especially if you hide some food in there. Why not join a few boxes together with holes in them and make a maze for them to investigate. Or fill a box full of sand or soil so your rabbit can dig to their heart’s content!

Reasons for Aggressive Rabbit Behaviour

Rabbits can show aggressive behaviour for various reasons, often due to a fear of being handled, territorial reasons, due to hormones or as a result of being in pain.

Not all rabbits enjoy being handled, so if they feel threatened or scared by this, they may show some aggression by trying to bite. Rabbits that are fearful of being handled will need to be re-trained in slow and patient stages, so they slowly gain their confidence again.

You’ll need to take a gentle approach to build up the trust of your rabbit and show that you aren’t a threat to them. Start handling a young rabbit at an early age. Handle them regularly so they get used to being picked up, stroked and handled, and aren’t fearful and potentially aggressive when they get older.

Rabbits are territorial, so may show aggression if they feel their territory is insecure, this can be towards other rabbits, or their owners. Neutered male-female pairs usually live together relatively harmoniously! Same-sex pairs can work if both rabbits are neutered but they should preferably be bonded as youngsters or siblings from the same litter.

If your rabbits show any aggression towards each other, they should be separated immediately. If fighting occurs, they can cause nasty injuries to each other. Your rabbit may show aggression when you try to give them food, clean them out or stroke them. This is usually because the rabbit is defending their possessions and will show aggression because they think you’re going to take something away from them.

Hormones also play a role in aggression, especially female rabbits when they reach sexual maturity. Aggression is usually seen in territorial situations or related to sexual behaviour, having your rabbit neutered can help.

Rabbits in pain can also show signs of aggression. If your rabbit suddenly starts showing signs of aggression for no apparent reason, get them checked out by your vet as they may be in discomfort.

Urine Spraying and Poor Litter Habits

Rabbits mark their territory by spraying their urine on things. It’s normally seen in entire male rabbits, but female rabbits can do it too. Rabbit urine is quite smelly! Castration and spaying usually stops this behaviour.

Sometimes house rabbits can start to go to the toilet in the wrong place and once started it can be a difficult habit to break. Confine them to a small area with food, water, toys and litter tray for a couple of days and use an enzymatic cleaner to clean any affected areas.

Once everything's been cleaned, gradually increase your rabbit’s access to the house except the affected area. Reward any good behaviour and hopefully your rabbit will soon get the idea that the litter box is the only place to go to the toilet.

Why Do Rabbits Grind their Teeth?

If you hear your rabbit grinding their teeth loudly this usually means they’re in pain or are stressed. If they are, they may also show other signs like being hunched up in a corner, lying down with their front paws pointing out, looking tense or off their food. If you notice any of these signs, you should take your rabbit to the vet as soon as possible.

If you notice your bunny gently grinding their teeth while also quivering, this means they’re a content rabbit. It’s similar to a cat purring! Gentle teeth grinding is nothing to worry about.

Why Do Rabbits Rub Their Chin on Things?

Chin rubbing is another territorial behaviour regularly seen in pet rabbits. When they rub their chin on things, they leave their scent behind for other rabbits to detect. All they're doing is rubbing their scent glands to claim that area or items as their own. This isn’t a problem, and shouldn’t cause any issues, you may just find it a little odd.

Behavioural issues in pet rabbits aren’t always ‘bad’ behaviours, simply acts that all rabbits would naturally exhibit in the wild. Alternatively, they're ways to show they're in pain or discomfort. If you’re unsure about any type of behaviour in your rabbit, speak to your vet who will be able to help you work out how to deal with them.

Everypaw Rabbit Insurance

Here at Everypaw, we want to help you keep your bunny healthy and in tip top shape. So, when it comes to your young rabbit’s care, Everypaw’s Rabbit Insurance could be just the cover to look after your little thumper.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Lapis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/lapis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.