Owning a rabbit can be such a fun and rewarding experience. Rabbits are great pets to own with their gentle nature and adorable personalities. Like all animals, especially the ones we own, their welfare should be the highest priority and ensuring their safety is just as important.
We love our rabbits as part of the family so it is only natural to want to do the very best for them. As rabbits are prey animals, they are highly susceptible to getting stressed easily compromising the safety of themselves and us as handlers. Due to this, it is highly encouraged to learn how to be safe around our rabbits.
Even with a history of being calm without any bite or scratch incidents, accidents can happen so it is really important we do what we can to ensure the chances of this happening, is very minimal.
Take a look at the images below where we can see how body language can tell us how the rabbit is feeling.
Like all animals, rabbits show their mood through their body language. We can tell if a rabbit is happy, worried, angry through the way they hold their body.
The position of their ears, eyes and general body stance can tell us how the rabbit is feeling and if they are stressed potentially causing a unsafe moment for us. If you can see any of unhappy behaviours with your rabbit, it is crucial to give them space and avoid handling them until they calm down to keep ourselves safe from any scratches or bites that they might do when stressed.
We can see how their body can change depending on their mood. The ears can easily show these mood changes but for rabbits with lopped ears, we do need to look at other parts of the body too as they might not be able to move their ears as well as other breeds.
Other signs that can mean our rabbit is unhappy can include:
- Whale eye. This is when we can witness the white parts of their eyes which in a relaxed rabbit, would not be visible.
- Overgrooming. Rabbits are normally very clean animals. Like many animals, rabbits groom as a way to relax themselves but sometimes, they can potentially groom too much. This can cause bald spots on a rabbit showing the skin where fur once was.
- Panting. Panting is seen as a behaviour when the rabbit is very stressed and really needs some help relaxing. This can also be a signal that the rabbit is in pain.
- Over drinking and under eating. A lack of appetite but a need to drink can be indicators that our rabbit is feeling stressed and potentially unwell. As rabbits need to eat often to keep their sensitive gut moving it is crucial that we monitor their eating and drinking habits regularly.
Please note that a lot of these behaviours can also be seen by rabbits who are in pain so if these are seen, it is heavily encouraged to take the rabbit to be checked over by a vet to rule out any further concerns.
So now we know when our rabbits might be stressed, how can we keep ourselves safe when they are happy and relaxed?
As rabbits can be so nervous when being handled, ensuring we handle them in the correct way is paramount to avoid us putting our rabbits in a position where we could get hurt.
There are some places on a rabbits body where they feel sensitive which can cause them to want to react. See below a handy guide on where most rabbits like or dislike certain areas to touch. Please note that this does not apply for all rabbits as some have different preferences. As a rule of thumb, we advise to stroke in a downwards motion from the shoulders on the rabbits back as this can be where they most enjoy being petted. This is also advisable to do to any rabbit which could be new to you or perhaps one that you do not know very well.
Although rabbits have fantastic vision with their eyes on the side of their head, Inbetween their eyes is a ‘blind spot’ which means that they cannot see what is right infront of them. Many people make the mistake of going to touch their rabbits nose which can startle them causing them to bite due to not being able to see it happening. Some rabbits, when they trust you and are comfortable, might like this area between their eyes and ears being stroked.
How to safely hold a rabbit
Rabbits can bite, scratch and kick when they feel threatened, putting us at risk when handling them. Although we want to keep picking up to a minimum with these animals due to their nervous prey animal nature, sometimes this cannot be avoided.
- Pick rabbits up by gently placing one hand on their back and another hand scooping underneath their back legs. Once hands are in position, quickly but gently bring the rabbit to your body.
- Never pick a rabbit up by the scruff of their neck or by their ears. Not only will this cause pain and stress to the rabbit but it will also guarantee them to kick out, bite and/or scratch you as the handler.
- Hold the rabbit gently but firmly ensuring one hand is always supporting their back and legs at all times. If you can, make them feel even more safe and secure by holding all four of their feet when holding them.
- Minimise restraint and only do so when required. Each rabbit has a amount of handling they can tolerate and are at their happiest when only restrained to go to the vets, health checks and when being moved from one room/run to another.
- Supervise children at all times. Only adults or responsible older children should be able to pick up rabbits to ensure upmost safety.
- Avoid placing rabbits on any slippery surfaces. Rabbits do not have paw pads visible, so they are more susceptible to slipping and causing injury. Putting a towel down can help with this.
Children and rabbits
The best way to ensure we handle our rabbit in a safe way, ensuring we are also kept safe, is by allowing the rabbit to approach us and to climb onto our lap only when they want to. This is fantastic for children to interact with their pet rabbits in a safe way. We can make this a rewarding opportunity for the rabbit by having herbs, treats or even their food on our laps for them to explore.
It is important to allow the rabbit to approach in their own time. Although it might take a while for the rabbit to feel safe in our presence, patience is key. You will find after a few repetitions of this, your rabbit will start jumping onto your lap as soon as you sit down.
When it comes to children being safe around rabbits, it is important that they understand that just like us humans, all rabbits are unique and can have different personalities and might want to be alone sometimes. It is important that children understand that they must leave rabbits alone when they are using the litter tray, when in their hidden safe space and when they are sleeping. This is to avoid the rabbit becoming startled and then causing harm to the child.
Here at Cheltenham Animal Shelter we host Animal Experience Sessions for children and young people to learn about pet safety during the school holidays. During these sessons, attendees will learn more about how to safely interact with rabbits as well as other animals we have at the shelter.
If you ever need any further advice on rabbit health, safety and welfare please do get in touch with us on 01242 523521 as we will happily talk you through any queries you have!
If you are ready to introduce a new rabbit to your family please find our rabbits looking for their new home here.
