There is nothing more frightening as a first-time bunny owner than coming into the room where your bunny pen is set up and seeing your rabbit lying on their side, practically unmoving, with glazed eyes. It’s even scarier if you see them fall into this position: essentially flopping to the ground in what seems like a dramatic faint.
So what does this position mean? Well, the so-called “Dead Bunny Flop” means that your rabbit is extremely happy and comfortable (not dying, in fact), and you are doing a great job as a Bunparent. Here are a few potentially misleading bunny behaviors explained to quell your fears as a new caretaker of a rabbit.
- The Loaf
Eyes open but glazed like the dead-bunny flop, tail tucked in, all four feet completely disappeared. You find your bunny looking like a very fluffy loaf of bread. The classic “loaf” position is also one of happiness and content rest. If you see your bunny “loafing,” she’s just chilling. It’s not the most relaxed position for a resting bunny, but it is the most common.
- Open eyes, all the time!
Bunnies can absolutely sleep with their eyes closed, like many other animals. However, bunnies also have the unique ability to sleep with their eyes open. As prey animals not very long domesticated into house pets (as opposed to animals like dogs that have been pets for centuries), bunnie still retain a lot of that natural fear. Sleeping with their eyes open is a way to maintain surveillance of their surroundings while taking a quick nap.
- Licking
Just like cats and dogs, bunnies will lick you! If your bunny licks you, you should feel honored— they are treating you as superior and trying to take care of you. In bunny hierarchy, typically subservient bunnies will groom dominant bunnies. It is a sign of both affection and acceptance of your authority over them if they lick you. Or maybe they just think you’re rather unkempt and are trying to help you out.
- Chinning, Chinning, Chinning
Picture this: You’re sitting in your rabbit pen, and your rabbit comes up to you. You think he wants to be pet or maybe wants some food. Instead he lifts his head at the most awkward angle and rubs his chin all over your foot. And then the book you’re reading. And then your knee. And pretty much anything else he can. This is chinning, and rabbits do it to mark their territory. Bunnies have scent glands under their chin, so when they rub that spot on any object (or person), other bunnies will be able to smell them and see that this is theirs. Whether or not you appreciate being claimed by your bunny in this way, it’s certainly better than “spraying”— when a bunny (typically male) claims his territory by sending a ludicrously large amount of urine flying in all directions. As someone who has been claimed by chinning and spraying, I can say the former is far more desirable.
- Chewing EVERYTHING
Everyone knows bunnies chew, but do you know why? Much like rodents, bunnies have long front teeth that grow and grow throughout their lives. Rabbits need to be constantly chewing on wood, hay, and other material in order to wear down those teeth and keep them effective. If you notice your bunny chewing your baseboards, furniture, or cables, try giving them more toys or pieces of wood to chew. They don’t want to ruin your house, they just want to stay safe— if they don’t grind down those teeth, they could lock together and prevent the bunny from eating. If you find your bunny is a particular rascal and chooses your chair legs and iPhone charger over the nice wood pieces and hay toys you’ve given them, take extra steps to bunny-proof those parts of your home.
If you’re curious about other rabbit behaviors, here is a basic guide to all things rabbit body language.