We love cuddling with our rabbits at our house, and my wife was doing so one night while watching television. 

When I looked over at them, it seemed like our bunny was watching the TV.

This got me thinking, so I did some research on the question: do rabbits like watching TV?

What I found was sort of what I expected but still interesting. 

Rabbits do enjoy watching TV, but not in the same way we do. The colors and sounds may stimulate them, but it will also cause fear if they see a predator on-screen or there is a wild change in volume. Most often, they associate TV time and cuddling with you, so they learn to love social time. 

The question of whether or not your rabbit should watch TV is another issue with some room for debate. 

Look ahead for more details on rabbits and TV. 

do rabbits like watching tv

Do Rabbits Like Watching TV?

While it’s unclear whether or not bunnies enjoy watching TV, no one can doubt they get some form of stimulation from the changing colors and sound. 

Rabbits are smarter, too, than many people give them credit for. 

They’ll learn to associate sounds, including theme songs, with specific situations. 

So if you watch Jeopardy at the same time every night, they may react to the theme song and approach your favorite chair to cuddle with you. 

As far as programming goes, they don’t understand what’s going on. It’s not like they enjoy Spongebob for the sense of humor. 

To them, it’s nothing more than colors. 

Another thing to keep in mind is how a rabbit’s eyes focus. 

With eyes on the side (as is typical with prey animals), they don’t look forward to showing where their focus is.

They have an almost 360-degree range of vision and constantly look at everything around them. 

What Do Rabbits Like To Watch On TV?

All this being said, there are definitely certain types of programs and show rabbits seem to prefer to watch on the old television. 

It’s not a matter of content but of display. 

Remember, rabbits (while smart) don’t comprehend what’s going on.

Cartoons – These are most rabbits’ favorite type of show. 

The colors are bright and engaging, making it easier to catch their eye and stimulate them. 

Cartoons also tend to have a lot of motion, which is good for getting a rabbit’s attention. 

Music videos – Another good option are music videos. 

Here, rabbits love the combination of sound and movement. 

They also tend to be more colorful, although not as much as cartoons.  

Sports – If you’re someone who likes sports, you may notice your bunny watching this a lot too. 

The sounds and player’s moving up and down the court or field is enough to catch their attention. 

But this one is a little dangerous to watch, especially if it’s a game you’re into. 

A lot of the time, we cheer for our team when something excited happens. 

This sudden sound can terrify our pets, sometimes going so far as to cause heart attacks in rabbits. 

Action movies – These are similar to sports. The sound and movement are often quite engaging, but you need to be careful that sudden jump scares or loud sounds (like explosions) don’t frighten your pet. 

Nature – Nature programs are perhaps the most engaging programs for rabbits. 

They do seem to recognize other animals on the TV, and they love to look at the wild and outdoor colors. 

Nature shows are also one of the most dangerous for bunnies. 

If they see a predator or hear a predator sound (like that of a bird of prey), they’ll panic. 

Even if they’ve never seen a snake, they’ll still recognize the sharp teeth instinctively and flee. 

Why Do Rabbits Like Watching TV?

We’ve touched on why rabbits do like TV a little, but let’s take a bit more of an in-depth look to make sure we understand what’s so good about it for bunnies. 

Enrichment

Rabbits need stimulation or something to do. 

This is why it’s best to keep them with another rabbit and include plenty of chew toys. 

One of our favorite chew toys is these apple chewing sticks with grass balls.

If a bunny doesn’t get stimulation, it’ll start to get bored and naughty. 

It’ll start chewing on all kinds of things, even going so far as to hurt itself. 

In some cases, the rabbit will chew and scratch the floor. 

For ways to help avoid and stop this problem, click the link to visit our article. 

TV provides some stimulation, and while it’s no substitute for activity and social interaction, it will help in lowering boredom. 

Some owners leave their TVs on during the day for their bunny friends to watch when they feel like it. 

Sound

Part of this enrichment comes in the form of sound. 

Rabbits have great ears and are tuned into changes in sound. 

If they’re kept in a quiet house all day, they’ll likely get bored. 

The different sounds from the TV are attractive to them and catch their attention. 

Colors

Rabbits don’t quite see colors the same way we do. 

The video at the bottom of this section does a good job of explaining how they see. 

They really only see shades of green and blue. 

Cartoons and colors on the screen make more sense to them than what our houses do a lot of the time. 

Bonding With You

The real reason a rabbit enjoys TV time is probably because it’s a good time to bond with you. 

If your rabbit cuddles you when you watch TV, you probably reach out and pet it nicely without thinking about it much. 

Your bunny loves this attention! 

It’ll even start to nudge or bite at you if you don’t keep petting it. 

Are Rabbits Scared By What’s On TV?

Rabbits get scared by what’s on TV at times. Most of the time, they’re frightened by loud, sudden sounds. They’ll also recognize predators and panic if they see or hear them. 

Do You Need To Limit Your Rabbit’s Screen Time?

Too much screen time isn’t good for your rabbit, but the truth is, they probably won’t engage that much with TV during the course of their day. If you notice your rabbit is sitting and watching for hours, there’s something else wrong. It’s either depressed or ill. 

Sadness usually comes from a fellow rabbit passing away or you being gone a long time. 

In this case, give your bunny some extra love, play, and attention. 

If you suspect illness, contact your vet right away for advice. 

An appointment may be needed. 

What Colors Do Rabbits See?

Rabbits don’t see colors the way we do and mostly see between shades of blue and green. This helps them better pick out predators in the wild. In comparison with our eyesight, they’d be categorized as red-green color blind. 

Can Rabbits See Phone Screens?

While technically able to see phone screens, rabbits won’t recognize anything on them. The screen size is too small to catch the attention of their wide range of eyesight, even with colorful videos playing.

If your rabbit seems to watch your phone, it’s either attracted to the sound, or it’s enjoying cuddle time with you.