FAQs about Pet Rabbit Behavior.

Understanding rabbits’ body language helps in active communication with your pet and can also help in treating an undesirable behavior or habit, on a scale of 1 to 10, your bonding score with your bunny mate aces when your rabbit starts seeing you as one of his own species; just a little bigger though! Read more to see if your query is featured in these FAQs about Pet rabbits.
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Why does my rabbit play with and chew on the curtains in my room?

Rabbits love to hide in cozy spots and often floor length curtains offer the desired security. Also rabbits love to chew on fibrous substances that they encounter in their path as part of their natural tendency. Therefore it is only instinctual for a rabbit to nibble the floor length curtain that it meets with while running along the edges. Basically the rabbit is not wrong in doing so it is only reverting to its instincts and more so because its teeth grow throughout its lifetime for which it has to chew on things to grind and reduce the length of the teeth.

You can offer the bunny alternative things that it can chew on as the fabric of the curtains is not safe for it to eat. One safe bet is chew toys made of wood. Also place a few boxes or tunnels around the house for the rabbit to hop in and hide. Also paper towels or newspaper can be given to the rabbit to shred in bits. Toilet paper tubes can double up as rabbit toys too. Another way to save your curtains is to opt for a three-quarter length as against floor length. A shorter length of curtain/blinds will not obstruct your pet’s path!

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Why does my Rabbit growl at me?

A growling sound is like a warning from the bunny. It wants you to stop whatever action you are performing. Otherwise it may bite you. A rabbit bite is more like a nip in most cases and not something deep that tears the skin. You can’t blame the little fellow for gnawing at you, if it is uncomfortable.
It is important to allow your pet rabbit to freely move around in some parts of your home (if not all) although you may have to use some rabbit proofing hacks in your living areas.
Being gentle and loving towards the bunny will encourage it to accept you and reciprocate the affection. Also offer it a tasty treat like a chunk of carrot for bonding with you in order to reinforce the positive behavior. Perhaps the bunny will not mind a cage that is unlocked with its door open and allows it to hop in and out at free will. In fact you can train your rabbit to use the cage for hygiene purposes.

Another warning signal you must watch out for to avoid being bitten is when the rabbit leaps at you with its ears pulled backwards. This pose is especially taken by the rabbit when it is trying to be defensive. Image: pethelpful.com

Why does my rabbit poop everywhere in the house?

In order to mark its territory a rabbit will defecate around the house, and more so if you own more than one rabbit. Also a bunny may instinctually strew droppings along its path to help it find its way back. This is just a natural behavior but good news is that rabbits can be litter trained. For this purpose you have to place a few litter boxes/trays in the rooms where the bunny has free access. Usually rabbits choose one spot for pooping and peeing. So once litter trays are placed in all the corners of the room, you will notice that eventually the rabbit has picked one litter box/tray for relieving itself and pooping. Thereafter you can continue placing this one at the designated spot and remove other trays. Cover the floor of the tray with an absorbent material such as hay or environmentally friendly wood shavings. You will have to clean up the tray and change this lining once or twice a day as rabbit urine can be a bit smelly.

What is the best diet for Rabbits?
Provide a healthy diet containing good quality rabbit pellets, clean drinking water, Timothy hay, Alfalfa Hay broccoli, green beans, peas, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, celery and cucumber. Among fruits melons, mangoes and bananas are a healthy choice for rabbits and can be offered in moderation as fruits in general have high sugar content.
Rabbit poop is typically dry, round and solid, however sometimes softer feces are also discharged which is considered normal too. Rabbits defecate a lot through the day and it is a healthy sign. In case there is a lot of runny poop that sticks to the animal’s fur then you must consult a vet and you would also need to make changes in its diet.

We have attempted to address some of the main concerns faced by rabbit parents. Hope your bond with your bunny gets better & strengthens further! Please write to us at support@petsworld.in for your suggestions/comments or place your comments below.

Article Resources:
http://bunnyproof.com/how-to-rabbit-proof-your-house/how-to-stop-your-rabbit-chewing-curtains-blinds
https://pethelpful.com/rabbits/Why-Does-My-Bunny-Poop-So-Much