Is your rabbit acting a little off lately? Have they become quick to hide, aggressively territorial, or obsessively chewing everything in sight? These behaviors may signal your bunny buddy is stressed out! Rabbits have unique ways of communicating anxiety through body language, habits, and vocalizations. An uneasy rabbit can thump in warning, overgroom their fur, or refuse food. Catching stress cues early allows you to make changes so your rabbit can relax and be happy again. This guide covers the top signs of a stressed rabbit, why they happen, and how to create a calmer environment. Read on to become a rabbit stress expert and keep your bunny zen!

Your rabbit’s ears are constantly up and alert

Rabbits use their ears to communicate how they are feeling. When a rabbit is relaxed, its ears will be in a neutral position – not flat against the neck or straight up. If your rabbit's ears are constantly upright and rotated towards sounds, it likely feels anxious or stressed. Rabbits evolved to have acute hearing and upright ears to detect predators. So when your rabbit's ears are erect for long periods, it is on high alert perceiving potential threats in the environment. This is a key sign your rabbit is stressed.

Some reasons your rabbit may have its ears constantly upright and alert include:

Fear of predators like dogs or cats in the home
Unfamiliar or loud noises frightening them
Pain or illness making them feel vulnerable
A new or uncomfortable environment
Lack of proper hiding spots to feel secure
Insufficient space and stimulation

If your rabbit's ears are always erect, examine its environment and routine for stressors. Try to minimize sounds and sights that seem to alarm them. Make sure they have a proper hiding enclosure where they can retreat when scared. Ensure there is sufficient space for exercise and enrichment activities to reduce boredom. Acclimate them slowly to any changes and new stimuli to avoid overwhelming them. Providing companionship from a bonded rabbit may also help shy rabbits feel more secure.

With proper adjustments to their environment and routine, your rabbit should be able to relax its ears back into a neutral position more often. But ears constantly upright and rotated forward indicate an anxious or stressed rabbit you need to assist.

Your rabbit’s posture is rigid

A rabbit's body language communicates a lot about how it is feeling. If your rabbit frequently sits very upright and still with tense muscles instead of relaxed, this suggests they are feeling scared or stressed.

Rabbits adopt a rigid, upright posture when they are alarmed and ready to either fight or flee from a perceived threat. In the wild, rabbits tense up and stand at attention to spot and assess predators. If your domestic rabbit is showing this rigid stance even when dangers aren't present, it means something in its environment is causing anxiety or fear.

Signs your rabbit has a rigid, stressed posture include:

Standing very upright and still
Front legs straight and stiff instead of loosely folded
Turned to face a potential threat instead of relaxed
Lack of laying down and flopping out at ease

Examine elements of your rabbit's environment if its posture is chronically rigid:

Is there a loud noise or device frightening them?
Are they keeping away from a particular room or object?
Is a pet or child stressing them when loose?
Is their enclosure uncomfortable or unsafe feeling?

Try to identify and remove stressors that are putting your rabbit on alert. Make sure they have hiding places to feel secure and territories that are just for them. Using positive reinforcement training can also build confidence. With changes to minimize fear and anxiety, your rabbit's posture should become appropriately relaxed and comfortable.

Your rabbit is quick to run away or hide

Prey animals like rabbits have an instinct to flee and take cover at the first sign of potential danger. So if your rabbit is very quick to run away and hide from sights, sounds and activities in their environment, this indicates they are feeling scared and stressed.

Signs your rabbit is too eager to hide itself away include:

Immediately retreating to their cage or enclosure when you approach
Fleeing to another room or concealed area when startled
Struggling when you try to pick them up or move them
Going inside furniture or boxes to hide frequently
Digging or scratching frantically to burrow under objects

Look for what may be causing your rabbit to feel so insecure and need to hide:

Is there a pet in the home harassing them?
Are children being too loud and chasing them?
Does your rabbit have enough safe spaces and hiding spots?
Does their personality cause more skittishness?
Is their cage or enclosure in an uncomfortable exposed area?

Helping your rabbit feel safe and secure in their home is important to avoid chronic hiding behavior. Providing more enclosed nesting areas, keeping scary stimuli away, and familiarizing them slowly with new sights and sounds can help minimize their stress. A very skittish or shy rabbit may always be inclined to hide, but you can accommodate this need so they do not stay frightened.

Your rabbit thumps frequently

Rabbits use foot thumping as an alarm signal to communicate danger. Your rabbit rapidly thumping its back feet against the floor means it is feeling threatened and stressed.

Frequent or excessive thumping can signal:

Your rabbit senses a predator like a dog or cat nearby
They are startled by a loud or unfamiliar noise
They see movement that alarms them
A child or other pet is intimidating them
They are fearful while being handled or lifted
Dislike of a cage or space you have put them in

Try to determine what sights, sounds, handling routines or environments are causing your rabbit's warning thumps. Protect them from perceived dangers and interactions that seem to scare them. Limit excessive noise and disruption in their space. Also ensure their enclosure provides good hiding spots and security.

While occasional thumping is normal, frequent thumping indicates your rabbit does not feel safe in their surroundings. Address what is stressing them so they can be more comfortable and secure.

Your rabbit is overgrooming or not grooming at all

Rabbits spend a good portion of time each day grooming themselves and keeping their coats tidy. This is an important instinctual behavior for health and wellbeing. But significant changes in your rabbit's grooming habits can signal an underlying problem – especially stress.

If your rabbit is excessively overgrooming parts of their body to the point of baldness or sores – this is usually due to anxiety. The obsessive self-grooming is like a nervous tick that gives temporary relief. Rabbits may overgroom when:

Kept alone without a bonded partner
Living in an uncomfortable small enclosure
Exposed to consistent loud noise or scary stimuli
Threatened by other pets in the home

On the other hand, if your normally fastidious rabbit is not grooming much at all and their coat becomes unkempt, it can also indicate stress. Lack of grooming is common when rabbits are:

Experiencing severe pain or illness
Very depressed due to poor environment or care
Bullied and chased excessively by predators
Going through big dietary changes or loss of appetite

If you notice abnormalities in your rabbit's grooming, assess their behavior for other signs of stress or health problems. Make adjustments to their care, social bonds, habitat and diet to help relieve anxiety and depression. Proper grooming should return as your rabbit's stress is reduced.

Your rabbit is acting aggressive

While often seen as cute and gentle animals, rabbits can bite or scratch when feeling stressed, fearful or territorial. So if your normally docile rabbit is suddenly lunging, chasing or nipping at you or other pets, this aggressive behavior points to anxiety or insecurity about their environment.

Signs of stress-induced aggression in rabbits include:

Biting or growling when you reach to pet them
Lunging at you when opening their cage
Nipping when you lift them up
Circling and chasing other pets through the house
Excessive scratching and digging at floor or walls
Biting or grabbing clothing to try and control you

Stressed rabbits may resort to aggression to create more personal space and security. It's their instinct to establish dominance and defend against perceived threats.

To curb aggressive behavior, address potential stressors like:

Lack of spay/neuter resulting in hormonal territoriality
Insufficient space leading to protectiveness
Introducing them to new environments too quickly
Trying to bond them with other rabbits too soon
Children or pets harassing them
Pain or sickness making them irritable
Changes to environment, diet or routine they don't like

With adjustments to their care, socialization and surroundings to be more calming, aggressive tendencies caused by stress should fade. Never punish them for aggressive displays – this will only exacerbate anxiety and insecurity.

Your rabbit mostly sits in one spot

Rabbits are naturally active creatures when they feel safe and comfortable. If your rabbit remains sitting, laying down or otherwise motionless in one spot for very prolonged periods, this lethargy can signal stress or depression.

Sitting frozen in place for hours on end may indicate your rabbit is:

Too scared to move around much within its environment
Exhausted from inadequate diet or illness
Depressed due to inappropriate solitary housing
Responding to extreme heat creating discomfort
In pain or discomfort from physical issues
Very bored and under-stimulated in a small enclosure

Try to determine why your rabbit is so withdrawn and sedentary. Provide more social bonding, enrichment activities, space to move around, adjustments to temperature, or veterinary attention if illness is suspected.

With improvements to their care and environment to be less stressful, your rabbit should regain interest in moving around, exploring and interacting as is natural. Lethargy and motionless sitting signals an uncomfortable or distressed rabbit in need of assistance.

Restless activity or persistent destructive behavior

Rabbits need opportunities to engage in natural hopping, digging, chewing and foraging each day. But if your rabbit is obsessively overactive or destroying objects in a compulsive manner, this indicates problematic anxiety and boredom.

Signs of possible "boredom syndrome" include:

Constantly chewing, digging or rattling cage bars
Shredding/eating inappropriate items like carpet or furniture
Tossing food bowls, litter boxes or toys about
Non-stop hopping, circling and pacing within enclosure
Escaping their cage or pen to run wildly through the house

Such restless energy and destructiveness happens when rabbits lack appropriate outlets for activity. They may not have enough space, exercise time, mental stimulation, or bunny-proofing of their environment. Stressed rabbits can develop obsessive habits to relieve feelings of frustration, fear or loneliness.

To curb problematic behaviors, ensure your rabbit has:

At least 2-3 hours of playtime in safe open areas per day
A sufficiently large habitat with hideaways and levels
Enrichment like tunnels, chew toys, treat puzzles
Another rabbit companion for social activity
"Bunny-proofing" of the home environment

With more space, interaction and engaging activities, destructive hyperactivity due to stress should subside. Seek to actively prevent boredom syndrome before these behaviors form long-term compulsions.

A change in litter box habits

Like cats, rabbits can be quite fastidious about their litter box habits. If your house-trained rabbit is suddenly urinating or defecating in areas outside of its litter box, this loss of good bathroom etiquette is a red flag for stress.

Possible causes of inappropriate litter box behavior include:

A health problem like a urinary tract infection
Disliking the litter material, box type or location
Distress from environmental change or disruption
Feeling threatened by a person or animal nearby
Marking territory due to stress or hormonal urges

Try to determine what prompted the change in potty training. Switching to a different style of litter box or material may help, especially if mosaic virus is not an issue. Keep their box very clean and appealing. Add extra boxes if needed. Restrict punishment, as this causes more stress.

If health and preferences are not the issue, examine their environment. Look for changes to their enclosure, household, social bonds or care routine that occurred before the problem arose. Reverse changes that may be causing insecurity. With stress reduced, litter box habits should improve again.

A change in eating habits

Monitoring your rabbit’s appetite offers important clues to their health and feelings of comfort. If your rabbit is suddenly eating a lot less or ignoring favorite foods, this decreased appetite often links to stress.

Signs of a stressed rabbit's poor eating include:

Disinterest in tasty treats or favorites
Not finishing typical ration of hay and pellets
Long lapses between meals
Loss of ideal weight

Likewise, stressed rabbits may engage in emotional overeating. Signs include:

Voracious consumption of larger quantities
Aggressive guarding of food dish
Angry biting if foods are removed

Think about what in your rabbit's environment may have recently changed that could be affecting their desire to eat normally. Common stressors include:

Disruption from house guests or holiday activities
New pet introductions
Children startling them when loose
Illness or dental problems causing discomfort
Hot temperatures diminishing appetite
A messy cage making them avoid food and water dish

Address anything in their surroundings causing possible anxiety or depression. Make dietary adjustments incrementally. Monitor intake and weight closely. Appetite and eating pace should stabilize once stress is lowered.

Heavy or rapid breathing

When relaxed, rabbits take frequent small breaths through their nose. Fast panting or deep, heavy breathing through their mouth are potential signs of pain, distress or fear.

Rapid breathing in your rabbit may indicate:

Heat stroke from warm conditions or exercise
Respiratory infection making breathing uncomfortable
Presence of predators or alarming sights and sounds
Unfamiliar handling causing anxiety
Getaway attempts when trying to trim nails or clean grease gland

Try to pinpoint the catalyst making your rabbit inhale and exhale quickly. Alleviate heat and exercise exhaustion appropriately. Have a vet inspect bothersome respiratory symptoms. Avoid wildlife predators. Introduce handling gradually using positive reinforcement.

Moderate any stimuli that appear to frighten your rabbit and trigger hurried breathing. Supply hiding spots for them to feel sheltered. With lower stress levels, their respiration rate should decrease to a healthy resting pace.

Steps you can take to help reduce stress for your rabbit

There are many proactive steps you can take to make your rabbit's environment and routine more comfortable and secure to minimize anxiety:

Provide an adequately sized habitat and exercise pen – make sure your rabbit has enough room to move around and multiple levels, hiding spots, ramps and perches. The minimum recommended is 8 square feet.
Bunny-proof any areas your rabbit has access to – block off unsafe spots, remove exposed wires, hide loose items they may chew.
Give your rabbit at least 2-3 hours of daily playtime. Rabbits need lots of out-of-cage activity and social interaction.
Offer enrichment toys like tunnels, treat balls, dig boxes, willow balls, etc – these provide mental stimulation and curb boredom. Rotate different options.
Adjust lighting appropriately – rabbits should have 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. Avoid bright lights at night.
Introduce any changes gradually – take at least 2 weeks to slowly accustom them to new cages, spaces, foods, bonding partners, etc.
Provide a compatible rabbit companion – bonded rabbits provide comfort, play together, and groom each other. Spay/neuter to facilitate pairing.
Give them set routines – rabbits feel secure when feedings, playtime, handling etc occur consistently.
Use handling techniques that make them feel safe – support their feet properly, avoid chasing them, reward cooperation with treats.
Give them places to hide – boxes, tunnels, tents, etc allow shy rabbits to retreat when scared. But don't neglect them.
Limit exposure to stressful stimuli like loud noises, dogs, small children chasing them, etc.
Visit an exotics vet for checkups – ensure they have a clean bill of health, proper diet, and have no pain or illness.
Consider calming remedies – try calming treats, pheromone diffusers or a snuggly stuffed animal for anxious rabbits.
Be patient and go at their pace – forcing interactions or restricting freedom creates more stress. Let them warm up to new experiences slowly.

By making your rabbit's needs a top priority and structuring their care to maximize comfort and reduce fear, they can live a happier, low-stress life! Monitor their body language closely for signals of anxiety, and make adjustments as needed. With time and effort, you can have a very content bunny.

How to Know if Your Rabbit is Stressed Out