How do rabbits choose their favorite person? Just as with humans, rabbits have preferences when maintaining social relationships. Technically, your rabbit can prefer more than one person, especially if you live in a multi-person household. But what about the people they’re indifferent to, or why would they rather spend more time with one person over another?
It’s true that a rabbit will always have that special someone they gravitate toward. In this article, we will discuss how a rabbit chooses their favorite person and what you can do to become just that. Please subscribe to be notified every time we upload.
Handling
Let’s begin with handling. Rabbits don’t typically enjoy being picked up or held. It will often take repetitious conditioning for them to feel comfortable and trusting of being handled. Rabbits will avoid people who are loud, distressing, or intimidating. Small children will often fall into this category, as they are typically unpredictable, loud, and make sudden moves. In other words, the more predictable you become, the more your rabbit will trust you.
Early socialization is key.
Not everyone acquires their bunny at a young age, but those who do will find this is a critical period in a rabbit’s life when they are most impressionable. At this stage, your rabbit will have their first interactions with people, places, and things, and develop their personalities accordingly. Bunnies form long-term bonds with their owners during this time, and often the first person introduced will be viewed as their mother. However, this doesn’t mean your rabbit can’t learn new habits at a later stage in life. Many adopted rabbits are adults and can also form strong bonds with their owners if given the proper attention.
Similar personalities play a role.
You know how they say dogs can often resemble their owners both mentally and physically? Well, it’s no different with bunnies. After all, they say like attracts like. It’s all about exuding the same vibe. If your rabbit is more playful, it’s likely that you yourself are a more energetic and outgoing person. Or if you’re a bit sassy, it’s likely that your rabbit is a bit sassy too. Rabbits are heavily influenced by their owners, and vice versa.
Quality time matters.
A rabbit’s favorite human is likely to be the person who puts in the most effort into spending time with them. Remember, maintaining familiarity is key. Play together, cuddle, and just be present. Because rabbits have an associative memory, you have to provide them with good and positive experiences so that they can associate you with positivity.
Respecting their personal space
Respecting their personal space is essential. Social interaction is important, but rabbits also need alone time. If your bunny wanders off to hide or nap, give them a bit of time to decompress. Trying to hover over them, chase them down, or force them to cuddle will only annoy them and push them away further. It’s best to let your rabbit come to you on their terms. You’ll find those interactions to be the most genuine. Nothing kills a bond faster than force.
Understanding is key.
A rabbit will gravitate toward the person that speaks their language the most. Why would they interact with someone who doesn’t grasp their social cues? This is why it’s so important to learn rabbit language and behavior so that you can communicate with your rabbit. They may be trying to tell you something or maybe seeking your attention, and responding accordingly will only breed the utmost respect and affection for you.
Grooming
Grooming is crucial. Rabbits operate on a hierarchical system, which can often be divided into two categories: dominance and subordinates. Every bun likes to feel special, and if you play the game right, you’ll be grooming them endlessly. A rabbit appreciates an owner that caresses them, gives them head rubs, belly rubs, and all-around expresses their love via physical touch. If your rabbit is nudging you or bowing down to you, it’s time for a good old grooming session. Remember that grooming, in rabbit language, signifies the utmost respect and also shows them that you care.
Food is a motivator
As we know, rabbits are very food motivated, and they will show affection to people who handle their food. You will be deemed highly valuable if you are in charge of your rabbit’s feeding times. Rabbits are creatures of habits, so it’s vital to keep them on schedule. A study on whether rabbits can tell humans apart or not found that when rabbits were paired with a positive stimulus (in this case, food), the rabbits were able to correctly identify and remember later on which people they wanted to be with and which people were empty-handed.
Your voice matters.
It’s no secret your rabbit can recognize your voice, and don’t be fooled, they know exactly when you’re talking to them, even if they act aloof. Rabbits respond to this stimuli quite positively, especially if you talk to them sweetly. Through conditioning, they can learn commands and even their own name. Studies have shown that rabbits live longer when they’re talked to. Rabbits will absolutely avoid someone who yells at them or, even worse, doesn’t speak to them at all.
Smell and appearance are important.
As previously mentioned, rabbits have more of an associative memory than an episodic one. They can remember the shape of a person’s body or face, and their scent will also generate familiarity. For example, if you came home after spending time with a dog, which are predators to bunnies, your rabbit would probably run away from you. Always make sure you wash your hands before interacting with your rabbit in instances like this. Another example is sometimes a person might wear a new article of clothing that would appear intimidating or unrecognizable to a rabbit, like an oversized coat or loud high heels. Again, this would change your appearance to your rabbit, prompting them to be unsure about you.
Reciprocity is key.
Bunnies will hold you in high esteem if there is an equal exchange of love, affection, and attention. Not just you grooming them, but also allowing yourself to be groomed. If your rabbit prioritizes you, they expect you to prioritize them in return. Otherwise, it’s just unrequited love, and nobody likes that. Reciprocity is ultimately what builds the bond between you and your rabbit. They’ll know they can always count on you through thick and thin.
Alright, guys, so that’s it for today. I hope you learned quite a bit today. Our question of the day is, are you your rabbit’s favorite person? If not, who in your family is? Comment down below.