Do Rabbits Miss Their Owners

Introduction

It’s a very popular question on Google, do our rabbits miss us? Do they miss their owners? Do rabbits miss their owners? This was actually something I questioned myself when I first got my bunny. It’s very clear that our rabbits do love us and share a special bond with humans; after all, they’ve been domesticated. However, it isn’t quite clear whether our rabbits miss us when we’re gone for extended periods of time, and I know this is especially important for those of us who go to school, go to work, travel frequently, etc. We want to make sure our bunnies are happy, safe, and not depressed or lonely while we’re gone. So, I’m going to address all of these issues in today’s article.

So, Do Rabbits Miss Their Owners?

Well, the big fat answer to this question is, yes, they do. However, I must emphasize there is nuance to this. We must not assign or project human behaviors or feelings onto our rabbits and especially not onto other animals as well, including dogs or cats. Rabbits are a totally different species, and so yes, they definitely miss us, but not within the same definition that we as humans think of when we miss someone. You can also read “how to bond with your rabbit“

Rabbits remember things by association rather than through episodic memory. So, instead of remembering, for example, the time that you took them out somewhere, they’re not going to remember that specifically. But they’re going to remember, okay, how did that car ride make me feel? Did that car ride give me anxiety? Because if that’s the case, I don’t want to get in that car.” They’re also going to associate you with treat-giving. If you give them treats on a regular basis, they’re going to remember that. They’re going to associate you with that good feeling of receiving something that they like, as opposed to remembering that one time you gave them a treat and this happened. So, their memory works a little bit differently. They also can recognize your face, your scent, and your voice if they see and hear them frequently enough. Through all this, rabbits can very much become attached to their owners. They’re very routine-oriented, and if they have a routine with you every single day and that routine becomes disrupted, they’re absolutely going to wonder where you went and they’re going to look for you.

There haven’t been a lot of studies, unfortunately, conducted on rabbit psychology. I don’t know why, but there was one study conducted in the year 2000 called “Can Rabbits Tell Humans Apart?” When the rabbits were paired with a positive stimulus, in this case, food, they were able to correctly identify/remember later in the study which people they wanted to be with and which people were empty-handed. Now, you might think, “Oh, it just has to do with food.” It’s not just that, because you also have to remember bunnies won’t just take food from anybody, right? You’ve got to earn their trust, and you’ve also got to socialize them throughout their life to become social rabbits.

So, what does a rabbit do when they miss you?

When owners leave them for long periods of time, rabbits will often display a range of behaviors that can include;

• thumping,
• pulling at their fur,
• chewing on their pen bars,
• chewing furniture,
• being destructive,
• over-grooming themselves,
• or changes in their diet and toilet habits.

Now, if there’s a huge disruption in the rabbit’s routine and they’re very sad, depressed, or stressed, they can absolutely stop eating and using the bathroom. So, your rabbits can absolutely display separation anxiety just like dogs or cats, especially if they’re bored or lonely and they don’t have a lot going on. The nice thing, however, is rabbits are crepuscular, and they’re going to sleep generally while we’re gone throughout the day at school or at work, which is another reason why I think rabbits make the perfect pet because we don’t really have to worry about them during those nine-to-five hours typically.

How do you get your rabbit to recognize you?

If you’re still learning how to bond with your bunny or maybe you have a very skittish rabbit and you’re not sure how they feel about you, you can teach them to recognize you, remember you, and associate you with good things in the following ways:

1. Bunny Playtime:

You want to make sure that you’re allotting a certain amount of time to them every day to stimulate and enrich their lives, providing them with toys and things that are going to make them happy.

2. Bunny Treat Time:

This is going to be their favorite time, not going to lie. As long as you’re not overloading them on the sugar, they’re going to be very content with the treats, and they’re going to associate you with something that makes them feel good and safe.

3. Bunny Talk Time:

I can’t emphasize enough how important talking to your rabbit is. Rabbits recognize your voice and the tone of your voice. They can tell when you’re excited; they can tell when you’re angry. They’re very instinctual, and they can hear different pitch bends and tones. Like I said, if you talk to them, they’ll be able to get to know you a little bit better. It’s going to make them feel less lonely and stimulate them. You can also teach your rabbit commands, certain words, and you can teach them to learn their name.

4. Bunny Affection Time:

Ensure that you are giving your bunny love, pets, and affection, head rubs, all of the good stuff because, again, they’re going to associate you with that warm and fuzzy feeling, and they’re going to remember you for it.

So, how do you make your bunny more comfortable and less lonely while you’re gone?

1. Get Your Bunny a Partner:

I’ve talked about this before. Bunnies are social animals, and the nice thing about having a partner for your bunny is they understand each other’s language. They keep each other company, they groom each other, they keep each other safe, and they keep each other busy. They can play with one another. They’re going to be less destructive, and they’re going to feel less lonely.

2. Leave Them with a Piece of You:

By this, I mean something that’s going to remind them of you, like maybe a t-shirt or something that smells like you, a blanket or a stuffed animal that maybe you sleep with. This is really going to help them feel a little less alone while you’re gone. Now, this doesn’t apply so much to when you go to work and leave them at home because your home’s already going to smell like you and remind them of you. It’s more so applicable to going on a vacation and if you have to leave your bunny with a bunny sitter or at a bunny boarding place. Then it would be very appropriate to leave your bunny with something that smells like you or sounds like you, like some kind of voice recording or if you Facetime your bunny or something while you’re gone. They’re going to hear your voice; their ears are going to perk up, I promise you. You can also read “how long can you leave a rabbit alone“

3. Stick to a Routine:

Again, rabbits are very routine-oriented, and any disruptions in that routine are going to throw them off. It’s going to make them sad, depressed, or stressed. So, if you feed your bunny at 8 a.m., make sure you do that every single day, and let them get their sleep. Don’t interrupt their nap time, etc.

4. Get a Bunny Sitter or Bunny Boarder:

Make sure that they are bunny-educated. I know this is hard. We, as bunny parents, are a little bit limited in this resource because bunnies just aren’t as common as dogs or cats. But I promise you, if you immerse yourself in the bunny community, whether it’s joining Facebook groups, volunteering at your local rabbit rescue, getting on Instagram, following other bunny accounts, you’re going to meet other bunny people in your area. I can promise you that. It’s important to really expand your community and the people you know because if that means you’re going to be able to leave your bunny with a friend or someone who’s knowledgeable in that department, then that’s going to be a big help to you.

5. Leave Some Kind of Sound on for Your Bunny:

I don’t mean something overly disruptive. Maybe you want to leave the TV on, maybe you want to play some classical music. Obviously, keep it at a modest volume, nothing deafening or anything like that.

6. Get a Pet Cam:

If you’re just going to work or school for the day, this is not really for a vacation because you can’t leave your bunnies alone on a vacation. They’re not self-sufficient. But if you’re just going to work or you’re going on an outing and you want to be able to monitor your bunny, get a pet cam. Get one where you can talk to them through the microphone, and they can hear your voice. Maybe you can get one that spits out a treat at them. There are many different kinds on the market. Above all, you can make sure they’re not getting into any trouble or mischief. That always makes me feel more comfortable when I can just watch my bunny on the camera while I’m away.

Conclusion

Alright, guys, so that’s it for this article. If you liked it, please share it and let me know in the comments below: do you think your rabbit misses you? I’d like to know.