Rabbits may have been farmed for many centuries but domestication only started about 1500 years ago. This process has enhanced many behaviours, but as selective breeding has been over a relatively short period of time, rabbits do retain a lot of their ‘wild’ behaviour patterns. Understanding this is crucial when looking at pet rabbits.
First and foremost rabbits are a prey animal. They are constantly on the alert and looking for danger — and are well adapted for this with wide-spaced eyes giving them near all-round vision (Bourne, 2011). Once startled, given a choice they freeze and, if necessary, run.
Rabbits live in collections of small social groups (just a male and female or a harem of two or three males and four or five females) which together form a colony of potentially over a 100 individuals. This colony will have a warren consisting of interconnecting burrows with lots of escape routes, and although they share a common home range, each group will defend its own territory within the warren (Magnus, 2006). Rabbits rarely leave a group once they have had the chance to breed and the females usually stay in their birth group for life. The males have a hierarchy so the juveniles tend to migrate, which is actively encouraged by the adults. The females live in a state of mutual acceptance outside the breeding season. During this time though, they are more aggressive than the males.
Rabbits do not use an awful lot of vocalisation to communicate as this could attract the attention of predators. Instead they rely heavily on olfactory communication. The boundaries of a territory will be clearly marked and patrolled. They use faeces, urine and chin rubbing to scent mark around their patch and on novel items within it (Mykytowycz, 1965, 1966a,b). Furthermore they leave large piles of hard dry faeces in communal latrines which act as a visual and chemical cue to other rabbits that the territory is occupied. These markers may also increase the confidence of the residents by surrounding themselves with their own aroma. They also ‘anoint’ each other with urine to develop a common smell and male rabbits may use spraying behaviour to develop and then reinforce a pecking order. Likewise they will spray females during courtship (Mykytowycz, 1973; Mykytowycz and Fullagar, 1973).
They start breeding from around 10 weeks of age and in a single year a female can have up to 30 young. She will dig a sloping tunnel with a single entrance and then line a room at the end with dry grass and fur. Once the young are born she blocks the entrance and only visits them for around 5 minutes a day. This type of parenting is unique to rabbits and is called absentee care.
Rabbits can exhibit a range of ‘aggressive’ display behaviours as a threat prior to any actual physical conflict. They rarely fight as the cost is too great. If they do, they will kick as well as bite.
Understanding the time budget of a wild rabbit helps us to appreciate the needs of their domestic cousins. About 70% of the time a rabbit spends above ground will be devoted to grazing. Grooming occupies about 16% of their day and this includes grooming each other (allogrooming). This strengthens their bond (McBride, 2000, 2014). Finally, a rabbit will spend about half of its day inactive but remember it is a prey animal — when above ground it has to be on the alert; therefore it will tend to rest below ground.
Common behavioural problems
An understanding of the natural lifestyle of rabbits makes it easy to see why the traditional way of keeping rabbits impacts on their welfare. What an owner considers to be a behaviour problem may actually be a rabbit expressing itself ‘naturally’ within the confines of a pet life.
Some common behaviour problems that may be seen in practice include: aggression to people; aggression to other rabbits; toileting problems; destructive behaviours; and sexual behaviours.
Aggression to people
Undoubtedly the main reason for this behaviour is fear (Crowell-Davis, 2007). Given the chance, rabbits will naturally freeze and if necessary run and hide (McBride, 2017). However, if this strategy does not work — because they have been chased or cornered to catch them, or hands have been put into their ‘burrows’—they might feel they have no choice but to attack. After all, a wild rabbit's feet will only come off the floor when it is caught by a predator! It is likely, therefore, that being picked up is an innately stressful experience (Oxley et al, 2019). A rabbit may then learn to use aggression as a way of preventing an owner from picking it up (i.e. attack is the best form of defence). Studies have shown that a rabbit's early experiences impacts on its future behaviour (Der Weduwen and McBride, 1999). Rabbits that have not been socialised and introduced to handling at an early age (starting at 10–20 days old) may be very nervous (Magnus, 2005). So a lack of socialising may predispose a rabbit to aggression, but equally it can stem from later inappropriate interactions or punishment.
Aggression can also be motivated by the need to control a resource (such as food or immediate environment), but this is still likely to be based on fear.
Hormones can lead to aggressive behaviour such as higher levels of testosterone in entire males, plus some females become more territorial and therefore aggressive to their owners during the breading season.
Sometimes a rabbit nips an owner affectionately which is really a manifestation of allogrooming but can be misconstrued as aggression.
Rabbits often use behaviours that their owners think of as aggression in order to get their attention. They very quickly learn how to get what they want and if their owners unintentionally reward these behaviours their rabbit will repeat them. For example an owner may ignore their rabbit because they are busy so it nips their feet. They are very likely to react and give the rabbit some form of attention or even a treat to distract it. Now it is quite obvious what the rabbit will do next time it is ignored!
Finally it is important to remember that aggression may be a sign of pain and this should be investigated by the veterinary professional. A full history can be taken by the veterinary nurse prior to referral to the veterinary surgeon.
Aggression — other rabbits
Some level of aggression could be perceived as normal in rabbit populations, given that aggression becomes more evident in both males and females as they mature. However, overt fighting becomes rare once relationships are established (DiVincenti and Rehrig, 2016). Aggression towards other rabbits is particularly high in same sex unneutered pairings. Two males can normally only live together if they have grown up with each other and were castrated young. Females may start to fight later in life (around 2 to 3 years) and particularly through the breeding season. In mixed pairs it is common for just the male to be neutered but then over time it is not unusual for the entire female to have a false pregnancy which can lead to hostility. If just the female is neutered, the male may mount her which can also lead to a fight.
Resource-related aggression can occur when one rabbit has access to something good and wants to keep it (Crowell-Davis, 2007b)! Conflicts are rare in wild rabbits because they can demonstrate pre-fighting rituals and territory marking both of which help to diffuse a situation. In the domestic environment the limitation of space and resources means fighting is more likely to occur.
Again pain can alter the dynamics of a pairing — even minor ailments can make a rabbit more prone to aggressive episodes.
Toileting problems
Rabbits use urine and faeces to mark their territory and to over mark threatening smells. For example if an owner brings in a smell on their cloths their rabbit may need to mark them. They use their scent to increase their confidence so any changes in their environment, such as new furniture, are likely to be sprayed with urine. Entire rabbits, especially the males, can also mark due to hormonal influences, but in domestic rabbits both sexes will spray.
Sometimes a rabbit will urinate on an item that smells strongly of their owner. It is thought that associating their smell with the owners may offer some sort of reassurance (Mykytowycz, 1973).
They may also be reluctant to use their litter trays if they feel unsafe or if owners are too fastidious with their cleaning or they change the litter type. This is because toilet training relies on the animal making an association between the act of toileting and the substrate and location.
Destructive behaviours
Destructive behaviour is often a sign of boredom. It is an expression of their natural behaviour — rabbits will naturally dig, and spend a lot of time chewing — however in pet rabbits, and particularly in indoor rabbits, this can cause probelms, e.g. cables look a lot like roots, chair legs like trunks and carpets are an inappropriate substitute for soil. In the wild it is mainly the females that dig but in domestic rabbits both sexes do.
Repetitive behaviours
A lack of stimulation can lead to behaviours such as digging in corners, chewing at bars or obsessive licking. These are all examples of repetitive behaviours that possibly provide an internal reward, which means an animal will keep performing them.
Although most repetitive behaviours are a sign of boredom, it is not always the case. For example, bar chewing can be due to the anticipation of food or cuddles arriving so it can be used as an attention seeking behaviour. Wild rabbits will very rarely show repetitive behaviours — they are too busy surviving!
Sexual behaviours
Unneutered males may circle their owners' legs and spray them with urine in an imitation of courtship. They may also hump objects or owners. Females may circle and grunt at an owner in lieu of a mate.
General behavioural advice
What could you be checking for in general practice before referring a client on for professional behavioural advice? It is important to spend some time talking to the rabbit's owner in order to get a full picture of their rabbit's lifestyle, as this will directly impact on its behaviour.
Rabbits need company
Rabbits suffer from stress and loneliness if they do not have company. Observations in one study showed that in a near natural environment, 90% of a domesticated rabbit's resting period was spent in body contact with one or more other rabbits (Stauffacher, 1986; Stapleton, 2016). An ideal pairing would be two neutered individuals of opposite sexes (Figure 1). Introducing a new friend can be tricky. It is this difficulty that has led to the traditional view that rabbits are not social. When first introducing two ‘strangers’, owners need to give them plenty of time and space. Problems occur if the procedure is not undertaken properly and the rabbits fight — they will learn from this making the whole process less likely to succeed and sometimes it is not possible to try the introduction a scond time. Therefore an owner may want to seek further advice.
It is strongly recommended that all pet rabbits are neutered, and for good reason as it means they can live together. In most situations this will reduce any marking behaviour and aggression but it comes with a caveat. If the aggressive behaviour is hormonal, castration should help, but if it is fear based, it could increase the problem and the cause of the behaviour needs addressing first.
Rabbits need space
Rabbits are often kept in hutches that are far too small, with no space for them to stretch, let alone leap and run for the sheer fun of it (Figure 2). According to the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF), the minimum acceptable size for a hutch is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft with an attached exercise area of 8ft x 4ft by 2ft. Obviously larger breeds will require more. It is not uncommon for owners to have a run which is not attached to the hutch. Rabbits do not like large open areas. When feeding in the wild they will always stay close to the safety of a burrow in order to avoid becoming prey. Therefore it is essential that they have somewhere safe to hide. If their hutch cannot be physically attached to the run it is a good idea to incorporate a runaround system (Bourne, 2011). Also they need plenty of hiding places within the open space. These need to be long enough for a rabbit to stretch out and large enough to snuggle up together for them to feel secure.
In many cases, house rabbits have a more enriched environment with space to explore, but the same issues apply if they are not let out of their cages. Owners often start with good intentions to let their rabbits roam, but after a few torn up carpets, chewed cables and ‘accidents’ the novelty soon wears off and the rabbit can be confined more and more. The veterinary nurse with an understanding of rabbit behaviour and the relevant experience is well placed to discuss these essential housing issues.
Rabbits need an appropriate diet
Rabbits originated from areas with hot summers and low rainfall so they needed to extract as much goodness as possible from low quality grazing. Therefore they have evolved to eat high fibre low energy food and to spend a lot of time doing it. Uninformed owners often feed their rabbits on pellets only, or worse, a muesli mix. Many are unaware of the need for high fibre low calorie diets. They do not appreciate the importance of hay and grass not only from a nutritional perspective, but also to encourage natural grazing behaviours (Lidfors, 1997). Rabbits should have access to unlimited hay and grass which should constitute at least 80% of their diet. They can also be offered a wide variety of leafy greens and vegetables making up another 15% and a maximum of 5% should be extruded pellets, just to check that they are eating normally.
Rabbits need to be free of fear
Due to their keen senses rabbits can quickly make fearful associations to something new (McBride, 2014). This means they may appear to ‘overreact’ to certain things such as sudden movements, new smells, sounds, light etc. It is also important that they never feel threatened by their owner invading their space or grabbing at them inappropriately.
There is a process called tonic immobility. If a rabbit is caught by a predator it will ‘play dead’ in the hope that it may relax its grip. It is a time of extreme stress and the same emotional response occurs when an owner ‘trances’ a domestic rabbit (when it is laid on its back and does not move) to groom or trim claws etc. Obviously this practice is totally unacceptable.
Rabbits need mental stimulation
Enriching a rabbit's environment will help to mimic its natural behaviour repertoire and therefore reduce the time it has to spend on less appropriate behaviours. Hay can be placed in willow balls or a strong box with holes that a rabbit can fit through. Their pellets can be put in either treat dispensing toys (which can be hidden in the hay box) or puzzle feeders to increase the length of time they spend foraging. Vegetables and greens might be scatter fed or hung up. If a rabbit has no access to grazing, then an owner can plant grass and herb trays. Some individuals enjoy throwing objects so toys can be used, but they must be exciting enough to hold the rabbit's interest and rotated to maintain their novelty value. A digging box is great for those with no access to soil, while wood from fruit, hazel or willow trees provide something to gnaw on. Hanging bundles of sticks would encourage them to stretch The complexity of their environment can be increased by providing things to hide under and climb on like ledges, logs and upturned boxes. Encourage owners to think of their rabbits' environment as a 3D space.
Conclusion
It is imperative that owners have an understanding of their rabbit's natural behaviour. Encouraging them to satisfy their pets' essential needs has the potential to avoid or reduce a number of unpleasant behaviour problems — which has to be a win-win for all concerned whether two legged or four!
KEY POINTS
- It is important to understand wild rabbit behaviour in order to address the needs of pet rabbits.
- Behaviour issues can often be linked to inappropriate husbandry and handling.
- Rabbits need space and environmental enrichment.
- Rabbits need company — ideally two neutered individuals of the opposite sex.
- Rabbits need an appropriate diet.