RABBIT BODY LANGUAGE

RABBIT BODY LANGUAGE DESCRIPTIONS

• Confident – A confident rabbit may sit upright and calmly look around. Their nose will be twitching
  at a normal speed, and they may flop on their sides or back with their back legs extended.
• Binky – This is a jump and twist in the air that indicates happiness or excitement.
• Purr – A “purr” is produced when a rabbit gently grinds their teeth and vibrates. This indicates happiness or contentedness.
• Soft Nudge – A rabbit may invite you to pet them by softly nudging your hand while putting their head down.
• Curious – A curious rabbit will have its ears up and forward. Their nose may twitch faster and they might tiptoe slowly forward.
• Flatten – A rabbit may freeze and flatten themselves onto the ground with their body tense and their paws flat to the ground. Even the tail may be extended and down behind them. This can indicate submission, stress, or fear.
• Nipping – Nips are gentle pinches that a rabbit may give with their teeth. When a rabbit nips, it is trying to get your attention; nips are not intended to cause pain and are not aggressive.
• Alert – An alert rabbit has their ears facing forward and they will look intently in a certain direction. They may also stand on their hind legs.
• Cautious – A rabbit that is cautious is slowly tip-toeing forward with their ears forward and tails down. This indicates caution and apprehension. They are prepared to run at a moment’s notice.
• Flick Off – A rabbit that hops away while strongly flicking their feet behind them is indicating strong negative feelings or annoyance.
• Scared – A scared rabbit has their ears and tails down whilst being able to see the whites of their eyes, this can mean they are scared. They typically will start looking for a place to hide.
• Thump – A strong thump of a rabbit’s hind legs indicates irritation or warns others of danger.
• Territorial – Rabbits will pull their ears back and growl at you when they’re being territorial. This is an uncommon behavior in a home and should be looked into further to determine the cause.
• Swat – A rabbit that is scared, defensive or very upset will pull its ears back and lunge forward with their front legs extended to “swat”. They may also make a growling sound and stand up on their hind legs.
• Boxing – This is when a rabbit stands on their hind legs and raises their front paws to swat at anyone who comes close. Their ears will be up and the rabbit may be growling. This is typically the height of a rabbit’s aggression and is an uncommon occurrence in a home where a rabbit feels safe.

We are always here to help! You can find additional behavior and training resources at pasadenahumane.org/behavior.