Why Is My Rabbit Walking Instead Of Hopping?

When we imagine rabbits moving around, we usually imagine hopping. 

But when I first adopted my cute little bunny, I noticed he walked instead of hopped. 

This was weird, and I didn’t know if I should be worried, so I did some research and figured it out, so you don’t have to. 

As a general rule, rabbits walk to move in a more timid and curious manner. If they want to move fast, they hop. If they want to explore slowly, they “walk,” which is more of a halting crawl than a proper walk. Too much walking or exclusive walking may be a sign of stress or injury. 

Let’s dig into the details and figure out when you need to be concerned. 

What Does A Rabbit Walking Mean?

There are a lot of reasons your rabbit may be walking instead of hopping. Most of them aren’t dangerous or alarming in the least. 

Read on to the later section to help you determine if you should be concerned. 

Nervous

The first one is quite common with new pet rabbits or when your rabbit is in a new space. 

At first, they’re pretty nervous, and they want to explore an area slowly for predators. 

When our pet bunny (his name’s Oreo, so cute!) came to our home, he hopped around near his cage, but when he approached our stairs, he slowed down. 

This almost looked like a walk (which I thought was odd). 

Then, as he got less nervous with space, he walked less and less and started hopping and running all the time. 

Tired

If your hare has had a particularly exhausting day, they may not want to go through the energy of hopping. 

Walking takes less energy because they’re simply moving at a much slower pace. 

At this point, your bunny may do a slow crawl or gradual “hop,” or they may walk using their front legs as little as necessary. 

It’s nothing to be concerned about if you know exhaustion is the cause. 

Give them plenty of water and food, and place them back in their hutch for security to let them rest. 

You may even get to watch them flop over, which is adorable and a sign they feel entirely safe. 

Lazy

Just like people, rabbits have lazy tendencies and personalities, too, some more than others. 

My rex is still young, 5 months old, so he’s still full of energy and doesn’t walk a ton now that he’s more comfortable. 

But a colleague of mine where I work has many bunnies and has kept them for over 20 years. She’s a pro! 

I asked her about walking, and she laughed and told me a story about one of her favorites (who’s sadly no longer with us).

This pet bunny was “the laziest little fuzzball ever did see.” These are her words, not mine, and she said it from a place of love. 

She’d watch this bunny walk almost everywhere. He’d even pull his food and water closer to where he liked to lay, so he moved as little as possible. 

Of course, this bunny still hopped on occasion, but he was just kind of lazy overall. 

Curious

Along the lines of being nervous, rabbits will also walk when they feel curious. 

If there’s something new, they’ll want to slow down to check it out. 

This may sound like nervousness, but there are some clear signs of one or the other (use the list from the following section to tell). 

If they don’t show signs of nerves, they’re probably curious about the new thing. 

My bunny has hopped around my kitchen hundreds of times at this point, but when one of my boys left a stuffed animal, Oreo stopped right there. 

He walked up to it, ears up, body extended, little nose twitching away. 

He was curious (and adorable!). 

Anxious/Uncomfortable

As with nervousness, anxiousness causes rabbits to walk more than hop. 

Being nervous and being anxious are slightly different things.

Being nervous is more like being prepared to run in a new situation as they explore. 

Anxiousness is more of a chronic nervous condition. 

If your bunny has been comfortable in a place previously and now shows signs of nerves all the time (including walking everywhere or being reluctant to leave cover), this may be a sign of severe stress. 

Signs of nerves include: 

• Ears flat against the head
• Body squished up in a ball
• Non-stop trembling
• Walking most of the time followed by quick darting
• Reluctance to leave a safe place/cover
• Rear foot thumping to warn other animals away

If you see these over and over, your animal is anxious. 

Take the time to make them feel safe by moving them to a place of cover and security as well as low traffic and quieter space. 

Remember, they’re prey animals by nature, so they want space to hide and be on their own. 

Anger/Challenge

You won’t see this as much in captivity, but walking may be a sign of anger or challenging another rabbit. 

Standing on their hind legs makes them appear taller. 

They’ll even raise their front arms and sometimes open their mouths. 

They look like little boxers. 

But as cute as this may be, it’s actually a sign of aggression. 

Injured

In some cases, an injury to their legs or feet will make hopping and running painful. 

In this case, they’ll often walk from place to place. 

Watch for tenderness or avoiding specific legs for a hint of injury. 

Check for signs of visible injury or kinks in their bones. 

If you’re concerned, we always recommend a trip to the vet. 

In rare cases, they may lose strength in these limbs due to a spinal injury.

Disclaimer: When in doubt, go to the vet. We’re not doctors and can’t see your rabbit! 

Arthritis

As bunnies age, they may get arthritis in their joints, the same as adults. 

This is either because of wearing in the joints (called osteoarthritis), but they may also have nodules or other arthritis-related diseases. 

Either way, it becomes more painful to move, so walking becomes an easier way to move when they don’t need to go fast. 

Illness

Some viruses and illnesses may cause a rabbit to talk on its hind legs more. 

This is usually because of tiredness or weakness caused by the infection. 

Look for any other signs of sickness or personality changes, and then take your pet to the vet. 

Preference

At the end of the day, some rabbits just prefer to walk! 

They have personalities just as we do. 

My wife always tells me I have two speeds:

• Slow walk
• Mosey

I’m not fast in my movements, but I’m not lazy. I just don’t like to move quickly, but I love to get things done. 

Rabbits are the same way. 

If you think about it, their fun personalities are part of why they’re so much fun to own! 

What Does A Rabbit Hopping Mean?

By contrast, hopping is the standard mode of movement for rabbits. 

Still, there’s a wide variety of reasons why they hop instead of walk. 

Here are the most common ones. 

Energetic

When an animal is filled with energy, they need to get it out. 

My dog is the same way; he rests at home while we’re at work, and then when we get home, he runs and runs and runs outside. 

Of course, now that he’s older, the time he runs is shorter, but the example still holds. 

Rabbits work the same way. 

They spend a lot of their time relaxing, eating, and drinking in their homes. It’s natural. 

But then, when they move, they go, go, go. 

Hopping helps them move quickly and helps get their energy out. 

You’d be shocked how quickly they hop and how much they’ll do it sometimes. 

This is what a lot of us bunny parents call the “zoomies.”

Just relax and enjoy the show! 

Comfortable

Hopping around also shows they’re comfortable with their space. 

If they were nervous or new to the area, they’d probably slow down and inspect everything. 

As time goes on, your rabbit may never seem to slow down again! 

Happy

Hopping is also a sign of pure joy! 

And if they twist while they’re in the air, it’s even better! 

Twisting in the air is called a binky, and it’s so fun to watch if you’ve never seen it. 

Though, if you have a pet bunny, I’m sure you see it all the time. 

It’s the perfect combination of energy and joy. 

Spooked

Of course, hopping is also just the fastest way for rabbits to travel. 

If they get spooked, they’ll hop and run back into cover too. 

This happens when something sneaks up on them, they feel threatened, or they hear a large noise. 

All rabbits get spooked; it doesn’t mean you’re a terrible parent. 

Look for flat ears, quivering bodies, and running back to their hide or cover. 

Don’t chase after bunnies or make loud sounds around them as much as possible to avoid spooking them. 

It’s not the end of the world if they get spooked, but too much will cause severe stress and anxiety and damage their health. 

Mating

As part of the pre-mating ritual, males and females do some fun hopping to show interest and willingness to mate. 

This hopping is more about showing off and looks much different than usual, fun hopping or spooked hopping away. 

When Should You Be Worried About A Pet Rabbit Walking?

If you see your bunny walking instead of hopping, it’s most likely nothing serious, but you’ll still want to evaluate. 

Use these steps to help you determine if you need a trip to the vet: 

• Are they walking all the time?
• Do they show signs of nervousness?
• Are they favoring or avoiding specific legs?
• Is there any visible injury?
• Do they show other signs of sickness?
• Are they getting old?
• Are any legs completely immobile or weak?

If you answered yes to several of these questions, make an appointment. 

Disclaimer: This shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. When in doubt, head to the vet. 

Can You Take A Rabbit For A Walk?

Some owners like to take their pet rabbits for a walk, sort of like most people do with dogs. 

This is fine in small doses, though rabbits don’t usually like it as much as you’d think. 

When you do so, always watch for signs of stress and irritation. Walking with a leash isn’t natural. 

But it’s worth a shot; some bunnies do seem to enjoy the time to explore. 

And when you use a harness, you don’t have to worry about them bolting away or getting caught by a predator. 

We live in the country in Michigan, and there’s a hawk that sits on top of the barn across the street all the time. 

We don’t want to lose our bunny or chicken friends! 

If you do use a leash for a walk, follow these tips: 

• Use a cat harness or one made especially for rabbits
• The harness should be secure; not too loose, and not too tight
• Let your bunny get used to the harness before going for a walk
• Do a practice run at home
• Start with five-minute walks and work your way up
• Let them explore rather than direct them in a specific direction
• Pay attention to see if they start eating something they shouldn’t
• Watch out for potential predators
• Look for signs of stress and stop if they are upset

FAQ

Why do rabbits walk weird? – Keep in mind, a rabbit skeleton isn’t like ours, so walking won’t look the same. 

However, if the walking looks different than it usually does, it may be a sign of injury or illness. 

Check for signs and take a trip to the vet. 

What does bunny stomping mean? – If a bunny is stomping with its hind legs, it’s usually a sign of communication with other rabbits. 

Usually, it’s expressing irritation, anger, or fear to other rabbits in the area. 

How do rabbits say sorry? – If two rabbits fight or challenge one another, one may apologize to the other by touching heads together. 

If they rub their heads for a minute and then groom each other, this means they’ve accepted each others’ apologies and aren’t fighting anymore.  

How do you calm down a scared bunny? – Mostly, you need to leave it alone and give it a safe space. 

Use slow movements and a low and slow talking voice. 

Don’t reach for the rabbit, but let it come to your hand when it’s ready. 

You may want to consider food or treats as a distraction. 

How fast do bunnies hop? – As a general rule, rabbits reach a top speed of 25-45 mph depending on their breed. 

Most of the time, your pet bunny won’t have the space to reach this speed, and you don’t want it to. 

Bunnies only go this fast when they feel threatened.