There are almost thirty species of rabbit, each carrying its own distinctive set of characteristics. Although they look like very cuddly creatures, they may not like how we want to cuddle them.
Rabbits, naturally prey, have a very different definition of cuddling. Besides, not all rabbits are social and friendly. Some can be very protective of their boundaries and personal space, so they may not allow you near them.
So the question is, do all rabbits like cuddling? And how should you approach them if you want little hugs and nudges? Read along to find some useful tips and restrictions that can help you.
Do All Rabbits Like Being Cuddled?
Honestly, no. Certain breeds don’t like physical contact and are very protective of their boundaries. Besides, most rabbits are scared of human contact as they are prey and assume anyone other than rabbits is a predator.
Also, most rabbits are scared of getting picked up or hugged. If you have picked your pet up or wanted to keep it on your lap, you may have noticed how scared it got or how fast its heart started to pound.
However, if your pet wants cuddles and snuggles from you, you’ll have some clear signs of it. Let’s see what they are.
How Can You Tell That Your Rabbit Wants Cuddles?
Whenever your rabbit craves cuddles, you’ll see some clear signs. Remember that it’ll only do so when it feels comfortable around you and trusts you enough.
Here are some signs your bunny will display when it wants cuddles from you:
- It’ll start roaming around you.
- They’ll begin nudging on your legs or your hands.
- It’ll hop on you or on your furniture to get your attention.
- Will lean against you or fall on your feet and look up to you with weepy eyes.
- It may even start licking your hands.
- Sometimes, it’ll touch your hand to let you know that it wants cuddles.
Is Cuddling a Sign of Affection for Them?
Rabbits are very affectionate creatures; you can say that they live for love! While there are many other ways they show and want affection, cuddling is one of the things they want from their owners only if they trust these people enough.
You have to be careful, of course; you can’t cuddle rabbits the way you would do to dogs and cats. Rabbits are delicate animals meaning you need to handle them with care. Only then, they’ll want you to hug them more often. Besides, they’ll stay emotionally healthy!
How Can You Cuddle Without Scaring Them?
Because they’re prey by nature, they get startled by sudden movements. Even if you approach it with no intention to harm, picking it up abruptly or trying to cuddle it forcefully will send your bunny into shock.
You have to be very patient if you want your rabbit to let you cuddle. With patience, you’ll create a strong bond with your pet and cuddle with it nicely. There are ways you can build up your affection for your pet so that you can cuddle it ultimately. Here’s how:
1. Give It a Small Treat
Food is the way to get any animal’s attention, and as for rabbits. This is why you can build your intimacy with your pet by giving it special treats in small amounts.
The rabbit may be too afraid of picking it up from your hands, so it’s better if you leave it on a clean surface. Once it picks up the hint that you’re laying the treats, it’ll start approaching you slowly.
2. Allow It to Get Comfortable Around You
It can be very tempting to start petting this delicate animal as soon as it comes near you. But you need to hold a lot of patience. You need to allow the rabbit to feel comfortable in your presence, which means you need to keep your hands under control for some time.
Let the rabbit come near you, feel you, sniff you, look at you, and do whatever it needs to do to know that you’re nothing but safe. You can voice out something, but be very careful with the tone. Speak very softly and lovingly so that your pet doesn’t get scared.
3. Lie Down Next to Your Bunny
Once you know that the rabbit is completely comfortable with your presence, you can slowly lie down or sit near it. Make it slow and be careful not to make sudden movements, otherwise, your bunny will either freeze in place or leave you out of fear, making your entire attempt to cuddle it futile.
Lying down beside your rabbit will allow you to make eye contact on its level, allowing you to deepen trust. And if you’re patient enough, who knows, your pet will even come boop your nose with its nose!
4. Pet It on the Floor
That boop is a signal that the rabbit will allow you to touch it. However, be very gentle with it. Start petting your rabbit’s head very gently, preferably with your first two fingers.
Once you know that it’s comfortable with you petting its head, you can start petting its back very gently. You can even call it cute names in a gentle tone so that it can associate your voice with the gentle petting to know that it’s all from affection.
5. Let It Snuggle on You
When your rabbit gets cozy with you, it’ll snuggle with you to find warmth and feel protected, no matter how conservative they are. Let it do so in its own way. No matter how cute you find those little snuggles, you have to be patient and try not to force cuddles on these little babies.
A rabbit’s definition of cuddling is much different than our ways of cuddling, so it’s important that you learn their language. This way, your bunny will feel comfortable with you.
6. Allow Your Bunny to Hop on Your Lap
Not all breeds of rabbits will allow you to touch them, no matter how much they trust you. There are breeds that aren’t much affectionate and would rather stay inside their territories.
However, rabbits that are social, love being affectionate and trust you, will hop onto your lap by themselves. Don’t force them to come near you or pick them up to be on your lap. It’s going to have an adverse result.
What Other Ways Do Rabbits Show Affection?
Your rabbits won’t necessarily show their affection for you with cuddles. As said earlier, not all species are the same. Rabbits of some species rather like being left alone and don’t prefer physical contact. However, there’s still a prospect of them showing affection in other ways.
Here are some of the ways your bunny will be affectionate towards you.
1. Nips Very Gently
Ouch! Did your rabbit just bite you? Wait for a second and observe how the bite actually was. Probably that was a gentle nip on your hand or your foot, which actually is a gesture that your bunny loves you and trusts you.
However, if the nip feels tough and has hurt you, try to observe how your rabbit is acting. It may be scared of something and is trying to warn you.
2. Does Binkies
A happy rabbit will often do these little hops with small circles in the air. This is called a binky, and they don’t only do it when they’re happy. Some rabbits do binkies around their owners when they want attention and cuddling. So learn your bunny’s language well so that you can give cuddles when it does that little swirly hop!
3. Runs to You
A rabbit that loves you will come running to you, whether it’s for love or to seek protection from something that has scared them. Some rabbits come running and hop on the lap, asking for little massages on its back. Even if it’s for five minutes, it was an exhibition of how much it adores you.
4. Let You Brush Its Fur
Rabbits normally love grooming themselves, whether it’s combing their fur or filing their nails. But when it adores you or wants some affectionate touches, it’ll come to you and let you brush its fur.
Brushing its fur will massage its skin, making it feel relaxed. All you have to do is make sure that you aren’t hard with it, otherwise, your pet will get you wrong.
5. Sit Next to You
Even an extremely moody rabbit craves attention. So if your rabbit doesn’t like being touched, leave the idea of getting cuddled. When it wants some company, it’ll just sit next to you silently.
Keep in mind that they do it rarely and only with very few people. So if your moody bunny sits by you, even at a distance, then you’ll know that it adores you and wants to feel your warmth.
What Should You Avoid Doing?
No matter how affectionate your rabbit is, there are things that you should avoid doing. As aforementioned, their meaning of affection isn’t the same as ours. Here are all the things you should avoid doing:
1. Holding Your Bunny High
Do you know why rabbits get scared when you try to pick them up? Because when predators attack them, they’re picked up to a height. So whenever you’ll try to pick up your bunny, it’ll think of you as a predator. This will cause its heart to pound and palpitate, putting a lot of strain on its delicate heart.
Rabbits naturally feel safe when they’re touching the ground. They feel freer to move around, run, or hide when they face any danger. Picking them up against their wish will end you up in brutal scratches and bites!
2. Suffocating Your Bunny
The human form of cuddling is more like hugging hard to show affection and admiration, which is something you should avoid doing to rabbits at all costs. If they don’t feel any space around them, they feel suffocated, which will distance them from you.
No matter how much affection you want to show, remember to give these delicate pets their space. They always respect those who respect their personal space, so don’t make them feel trapped.
3. Squeezing
A lot of us feel like picking rabbits in one hand and squeezing them in our arms. That’s another thing you should never do! Squeezing will suffocate them and may even hurt their delicate skeletal structure. They’ll try to escape from your grasp, which may end up injuring them brutally.
For bunnies, picking up and squeezing is an action equivalent to the actions of a predator who is about to eat them. So whenever you do that, your rabbit will associate your affection with predatory action.
4. Cuddling Your Rabbit Forcefully
Just like with humans, you should respect your rabbit’s time too. Don’t cuddle your pet forcefully, and make it stay with you longer than it wants to. Anything forceful will make your bunny scared of you the next time you want to cuddle or even pet it.
Should You Allow Rabbits to Cuddle Babies?
Most of the rabbits that are social also carry some sort of empathy in them. They know when to be gentle, calm, and patient, especially with babies. However, it’s better not to allow rabbits around babies, especially for cuddles.
Babies won’t understand how hard they’re hugging their bunnies or how they need to show their affection. This can end up hurting and scaring the rabbits, distancing themselves from everyone. It may even start feeling threatened in your home.
Conclusion
Rabbits are delicate creatures, both physically and mentally. Even if you’re showing affection to them, you have to be very careful with it so that you don’t scare them away. Besides, it’s a good idea to learn your rabbit’s love language rather than forcing yours on it.
We hope you found this article informative to let you know whether all rabbits like cuddling or not. With patience and care, your bunny will give you little lovey-dovey cuddles!