Not much beats watching a happy rabbit. If you have never witnessed a joyful binky (a happy rabbit will jump spontaneously, often twisting or kicking his back legs up) or a relaxed flop to one side, then you ought to make it your mission to observe your rabbit engage in happy activities. My rabbits also grind their teeth quickly and close their eyes when I rub their cheeks if they are happy. All rabbits show happiness differently but most of them exhibit the behaviours above.
Today, I will give you 5 simple steps you can take to make your rabbit happy. Also check out my other post on how to bond with your rabbits.
Step 1: providing safety from predators
You will need to understand that rabbits are prey animals which means they can be scared of anything. A new noise or unexpected action like something falling off a table can scare or startle your rabbit so much, he runs off frightened.
Reducing fear and providing security can give way to happiness. Rabbits work out beforehand where they can hide if a predator appears. If they know they are within easy running range of a safe place, they will be more relaxed. A rabbit that feels safe will perform more happy actions like flopping.
What you can do: Provide places for your rabbit to hide. Cardboard boxes with two exit holes or long tunnels work well. Rabbits like to know they won’t be cornered so by giving them two exit holes, they can always escape. If you have a house rabbit, have a hiding place in every room. If you have an outdoor rabbit, ensure there is enough places for your rabbit to bolt to when scared.
Here’s a list of hideouts that rabbits love (click on the picture to see more info):
| Item | Picture | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Tree Stump Hideout |   |
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| Giant Igloo Hideout |   |
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| Pet Tunnel |   |
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| Naturals Carrot Cottage Rabbit House |   |
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| Rabbit Shack House |   |
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| Rabbit Den |   |
Step 2: providing exercise
Ever heard of the ‘a hutch is not enough’ campaign? Rabbits confined to hutches and cages for long hours will grow bored, obese and frustrated. I’m not saying that obese rabbits won’t have fun, they can but being locked up all day doesn’t allow for much fun and being obese shortens life span, causes more disease and ultimately shortens happiness. Wild rabbits do a lot of running and jumping every day so it follows that domesticated rabbits need exercise to keep happy. A happy rabbit will binky like no tomorrow. In a hutch, there is little room for binkying. To witness that happy behaviour, you will need to let your rabbit out to exercise and have fun.
What you can do: Easy, let them out! Outdoor rabbits can have a run. If you are busy often and want to let your rabbit have room to roam, you can attach a run to your hutch. With some careful DIY, you can make it a safe place for happy rabbits to have fun. House rabbits can be allowed out to exercise around the house when you are at home to make sure not too much trouble occurs.
Otherwise, you can use play pens to make an area for your rabbit to live, which is large enough to provide exercise room for when you are not at home. My garden isn’t fully rabbit proofed so my solution is to use a play pen instead (the play pen is designed for dogs but it also works well with rabbits as long as you get the tallest one). My two rabbits would run and jump around the minute we put them inside the pen. It is a good exercise for them and they definitely love it. I have listed below two play pens that I use for my two rabbits and I highly recommend them.
(click on the picture to see more info)
| Item | Picture | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Soft Pet Playpen |   |
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| Exercise Pen |   |
Also, check out my article on indoor rabbit housing. Throw in some toys, rotate them often and voila! Rabbit fun will ensue.
Step 3: Feeding the right food
Rabbits are grazers. Happy rabbits get to graze all day. This might sound weird but rabbits combat boredom by eating. Sometimes I do that too. Providing good quality timothy or meadow hay is a good way to prevent boredom and increase happiness. A decent amount of veggies also puts a hop in your bunny’s step. Whenever I walk in with a bowl of veg, both my boys binky and run around me. They do that too when I measure out their pellets which is why this step is called feeding the ‘right’ food. Pellets make rabbits happy but too much can lead to obesity and like I said earlier, that can reduce happiness in the long run. Same goes for sugary treats or fruit.
What you can do: Unlimited hay for grazing fun. Clean and safe vegetables should be given every day, look at my article on what rabbits eat to see what veg you can feed your rabbit. Reduce pellets to a reasonable amount and resist the urge to feed more when your bunny begs for it. Offer fruit and sugary treats in moderation for that little boost in happiness. Fruits are a better choice to store bought snacks. No grain treats, that is a rabbit you have, not a hamster!
Step 4: Company
Safety in numbers and the more the merrier! Living alone can be sad, especially if your owner is out all day. Rabbits can even fall in love. That is one of the best things about having rabbits. Even if your love life seems hopeless at the moment, you can at least give your rabbit the chance of finding love! Rabbits can keep each other company, groom each other and binky together.
What you can do: While rabbits like company, they can be picky about who they get. To improve your chances of finding the right match, why not give a rescue centre a go and give a rabbit a new home? Most centres allow you to bring your rabbit over and help you find a pair to match him/her to. When you see your rabbit flopped on the floor next to his or her new friend, you will feel just as happy as they do. Just make sure you follow the next step!
Step 5: Spaying and/or neutering
Instincts can be very strong and most rabbits desire to mate and pass on their genes. These instincts can be very frustrating for both domesticated rabbit and owner. Your rabbit might take part in behaviours such as spraying of urine or leaving loads of droppings outside of the litter tray. There is also a higher risk of uterine cancer in unspayed females and testicular cancer in unneutered males. rabbits that got along fine when young might fight when the hormones kick in. Frustrated rabbits might hump things you would rather they did not. Lastly, you might get an unwanted litter of rabbits if you have a male and female housed together. Spaying and neutering can help relax your rabbits and help them lead a happier life so more time is spent binkying and less time is spent humping your shoe. In another article, I outlined the pros and cons of neutering and the risks involved. You will find more indepth information there!
What you can do: Call up a vet and book an appointment as soon as your bunny is at the right age. Sooner rather than later is safer if you have more than one rabbit living together. Rabbits that fight prior to neutering or spaying have a harder to getting back together.
There you have it. I hope these steps will help your rabbit find happiness. How does your rabbit show his or her happiness? Drop a comment in the box below and let me know, I love hearing about happy rabbits!
Hi, I have two bunnies and while they have all the things you have spoken about (and we’re renovating their run to make it bigger this morning, although it was already quite big!) they do not seem to binky very often? I saw one of them binkying about two weeks ago on the weekendd, but since then nothing, and not for long before that. I was wondering if it might be because I have school from Monday – Friday and that takes up most of my day, so maybe they binky when I’m not there! Things I could probably improve on would be to give them more hay and vegetables, though they live outside so they have plenty of grass! Also, maybe I don’t spend as much time with them as i should, but I’m hoping to change that over this holiday! Please get back to me ASAP with advice and what maybe I could do!
Mia, Peanut and Button x
hi Mia!It is possible that your bunnies may binky when you are out. Mine are house bunnies and are a bit older now, I only really see them binky when they are out in the garden. Is your run high enough to let them jump without touching the top? A low ceiling may cause them to be less likely to jump around.
Having lots of access to grass is great but the occasional veggie treat can cause a rabbit to binky in happiness.
while its nice to see your rabbits binky, not all rabbits will do this often, older rabbits or more laid back ones may prefer to flop on their sides. Like people, each rabbit has their own personality. I would not worry that your bunnies may be less happy because they aren’t binkying!
One time, I ran around the garden and maybe they thought it was a game, but they started running really fast and ended with a binky, not really sure why but maybe silly behaviour can cause them to binky?
Sounds like you really care about their happiness! I hope everything goes well!
Enmee
Well my bunnies happy I try to make then happy by feeding them right and making stuff so they won’t get bored but all they do is lay down and stuff
#1 Do not have an “outdoor” rabbit. Outdoor rabbits live in constant terror of nearby predators, including smaller birds. They often have heart attacks from fear. They cannot be watched for signs of disease; a bunny can die within 12 hours from gastric distress/blockage. They cannot be monitored for eating properly. You need to live with them to see if they are easily eating, and not having (common) dental problems. They are extremely social and active, and need constant interaction. Outdoor enclosures cannot be temperature controlled, and bunnies are exceedingly sensitive to temperature and weather, both hot and cold. Even in the house, they need climate control measures to keep them comfortable and healthy.
Please don’t promote keeping bunnies outdoors. The hutch system was developed to economically raise these poor creatures for meat. Puppy mills are modeled on rabbit hutches. Keeping rabbits outdoors is as cruel as locking a dog in a backyard cage.
Please refer to the House Rabbit Society website for humane rabbit care. There is no excuse for keeping rabbits outdoors, and nothing that can make that a viable choice. http://www.rabbit.org
I have two Lion Head males, both recently neutered. I have them I double story hutches, one each now and runs which are secure. I have spent a lot of time, money and energy on making sure these two beauties are safe, secure and well taken care of. However, they have to be apart for six weeks as they have to let their hormones settle before rebonding. However, I am thinking of getting them a partner each. Originally we thought one was a girl and for a long time showed no sign of being male as his undercarriage had not dropped and he is quite small. Thus now they have had to be separated as two bucks fighting. We know this will clam down enough for them to be reunited but might it be better if both boys had female company instead of rebonding them as a pair for company? They have also started burrowing quite a lot. Any advice on whether we should either reunite these two or find them both partners of the female kind?
Hi Sarah,
It’s been a while since you posted this comment, but I hope I can still help. If you find them both female partners then one may like the other girl better and fights can occur then. It may work though. Reuniting them will be probably be the best option, but be careful that they don’t continue to fight. Good luck with whatever you chose to do! The rabbits I have are a perfect couple and love each other so much! (and I love them so much!!!)
Sophia
Hi Raisa,
My rabbits live outside, I prove to differ. I agree that mostly having them inside is a better idea, but the setup my family has is working well for our much-loved bunnies. We have a deck, and it is safe for them to roam under-the-deck AND in the garden for most of the day. Under-the-deck is much cooler and we regularly check on them. At night, to protect them from mosquitoes, they go into a relatively big hutch, eat dinner and the hutches are covered by mosquito nets. They are let out after breakfast in the mornings.
You are completely right in what you are saying, all that I am trying to convey it that there can be exceptions if thought through, and my rabbits are happy living outdoors, I very much care about their welfare.
Sophia
Hi guys
So we have recently adopted a male rabbit approx 1yr old and not yet nuetured.The family he came from said it was very funny that he grunted like a pig all of the time however when we got him I realised this was happening when we tried to touch his toy or put our hand in his cage so I researched it and now I believe he done it out of fear and stress.we have him about 4 says now on day two we took him out to the garden in his cage and opened the door but he refused to get out after about an hour I had to take him out so I could clean his cage so I left the top cage part on the grass for him with his house and food inside he wandered abit but mostly stayed in the cage. We then brought him and his newly cleaned cage (except some old poop in litter box to show him that’s where he should go as he was just looking in corner) up to his new home my daughter’s bedroom but since then he is not really active at all he spends all of his time sitting on top of his hidey house just getting down to eat and poop we leave the cage door open at times but he will not come out although if he’s by the door and we try to close it he funnily will push it back open with his paws. At the start he was very nervous when we attempted to pet him and would grunt but since yesterday he just let out a little squeak and start of a grunt then happily let me pet him and the same today. I believe he was mistreated and that’s why he seems so nervous but I’m wondering how long should I expect it to take him to relax and feel comfortable to venture out of the cage, we have a large run ordered so plan to turn under her high bed into a cage for him by next week so I’m hoping abit more space might help him settle in is there anything else I can do to help him realise he is safe and free to be himself?Thanks for reading☺
Hello:
Thank you for the well thought out article. I have a male, dwarf Hotot that I adopted 2 months ago. He was neutered right before I adopted him and is approximately 18 months old. I keep him in an 8 x 10 room with a small storeroom attached. The room has 2 big windows so he gets plenty of light. I don’t close the door but rather have a “baby gate” across the doorway. He has unlimited hay, fresh veggies twice a day, plenty of water, and just a tablespoon or so of pellets. He also has lots of boxes to hide in, a cottontail cottage, and many toys. I let him roam the entire house when I get home from work. My question is this: I have never seen him lie down. He is always sitting up whenever I come into the room. When he roams the house, he hops a little, then sits. I took him to the vet after I had him for a couple of weeks to make sure his incision from being spayed was healing. The vet said my bunny was doing great, so I don’t think he’s in any discomfort. Is he still tense or anxious? My daughter’s 2 rabbits stretch out, flop, sleep cuddled up to each other, etc. Is there anything I should be doing to make him feel more “at home”?
Hello:
Thank you for the good article on making a bunny happy. I am wondering if you could help me. Two months ago, I adopted a dwarf Hotot that had just been neutered. I keep him in a room which is 8 x 10 with a small storeroom attached. I don’t close the door but use a baby gate to keep him in the room during the day. The room has 2 large windows. He has a cottontail cottage, a carrier, several large boxes to hide in, toys, and lots of hay and water. I give him fresh veggies morning and night and 1 tablespoon of pellets each day. My question is this: I have NEVER seen my bunny lie down. I took him to the vet a couple of weeks after I got him to have his nails trimmed and to make sure the stiches from him being neutered were healing properly. The vet said he was doing great. He has great litter box habits and doesn’t chew on anything. My daughter’s bunny flops, stretches on his side, or curls up in a ball (sort of) when sleeping. Is my bunny still anxious about his surroundings? Thanks for any insight you can give me.
Hi, everyone i have a male rabbit around 3-4 no older than 4 years, but he is very very very agressive, since i got him he has bitten people, attacked them and hurt them in a way, but for the past four or five months he has being nice and chill. But I do have a few concerns for my poor baby😩.
#1: he never runs around enough that he should. He has being getting really fat because he doesn’t really run he usually gets really scared and hides with his head down, for a few months now I’ve being getting everyone who comes over to hold him because I thought maybe he just wasn’t use to people, I let him out for 6 hours a day because I only have a little bit of space for him because he use to escape a lot and it use to take me weeks to get him back into his cage.
#2 he is getting really fat i feed him once a day of pellets and twice a day with a small bowl of veggies and some fruit then 15 minutes after a feed I let him out for three or so hours then I bring him in for a drink and a bath that usually takes half hour 40 minutes then I let him out again. But I’m scared he is gonna die of obesity or something.
I’ve being thinking pf why he is so like this. I had another rabbit stella when i got him and after a few months of me having them stella has babies but they all died she has probably about six or five or so and they all died exept one well she did die but we had to put her down.anyway on my birthday a few days after stella died and since then benji has being really aggressive.
I have given him lots of toys he just doesn’t like it can u please help me??.😞😞
Hi, I was wondering… Well I feed my bunny about the same thing every day. That is romaine and rabbit pellets. Is that a bad thing? If it is, what should I feed her every single day?
Hey.I have two rabbits and they will not trust me to pick them up and everytime I try to they run away.
they will also not sit in my lap or on the sofa,which is slightly strange as my old rabbit would always lay on the sofa to let me stroke him.
I want to build a bond with my rabbit but I don’t know how to?