After we’d gotten our first pet rabbit, my wife and I wanted to make sure our kids knew where our new friend liked to be petted and not.
It took some doing because of bunnies like different things than the standard dog or cat.
I wanted to make sure others knew what should and shouldn’t be done when petting these furry friends, so I wrote this article to help.
Rabbits like to be put on the head, behind the ears, cheeks, and on the top of their backs. This is similar to what rabbits do to show affection to each other in the wild. Never pet rabbits on their bellies, paws, tails, chins, or in their ears; This puts them in a threatened position, and their flee instincts kick in.
Let’s dive into more dos and don’ts for petting bunnies to make sure we keep our friends happy and relaxed.
Table of Contents
Do Rabbits Like To Be Petted?
Pet rabbits love being pet once they trust you and feel comfortable.
In the wild, bunnies groom and touch each other.
It’s a sign of affection and part of the social interaction these mammals have with one another.
As a pet, many bunnies will sit with their owners for long periods of time and just enjoy the sensation of being pet.
It does the double duty of calming your pet down and also building a bond with your pet.
When my youngest was five, he’d spend long periods of time just laying on the floor and gently petting our mini rex’s back.
Now, Oreo (that’s the bunny’s name) runs right up to him over everyone else when he gets the chance.
The bond is strong!
However, the bunny must feel calm enough to be pet and trust you enough to let you do it.
Otherwise, a nice cuddling time turns into a moment of extreme stress for your pet.
Where Do Rabbits Enjoy Being Pet?
Petting is something all rabbits owners should spend some time doing every single day.
But you need to know the right spots to pet, or your animal will end up being stressed.
Here are the four best places your bunny will likely enjoy being pet.
Head
The first and probably the best place isn’t the most obvious, and this is directly on top of their head.
In the wild, rabbits nudge each other’s heads and groom the head as signs of affection.
Even after they fight, bunnies will apologize to each other by bumping heads.
The head (between the ear and above the eyes) is a key spot in their social interactions and perfect for petting.
Bring your hand to their head slowly and from where they can see it.
Either pet by doing small scratches or going with the direction their hair lays down. Both work well for pets.
Behind The Ears
Another good spot is behind their ears.
This spot where the ears come into the head gets hot sometimes, so a good scratch and rub feel so good.
Stay away from the inside of the ears and try not to pet the ears themselves.
A lot of people start by scratching their head and then moving around to behind the ears.
Many rabbits adore this spot, especially if you add in a little neck rub.
You’ll notice they like it if they lean into it or lay down more flat on the ground.
The issue here is with trust.
If they’re not sure about you and you start to rub on or near their necks, they may start to panic.
Take your time with petting to build trust.
The general consensus is that the outside of the ears is neutral for bunnies; they don’t usually care one way or the other.
However, in my experience, our pets seem more irritated than anything when you start touching their ears.
Never touch the more sensitive inside of their ears.
Cheeks
You’d never think about it unless you learned it from somewhere, but bunnies LOVE being put on their cheeks.
It’s an odd quirk you don’t really see in most other pets.
I never had bunnies growing up, but my wife did.
When we got our first pet rabbit as adults, I watched her rub on our furry friend’s cheeks, and he enjoyed it so much.
This surprised me; I thought it would be something they’d hate.
After I did some research and asked other bunny owners, I realized this was a common thing.
Some speculate it’s because they use their cheek muscles so much for chewing all the time; these muscles feel great when rubbed.
It’s like a back rub after you’ve been gardening; it feels awesome.
At first, they may seem startled when you pet their cheeks, but with little chunks of cheek rubbing at a time, they’ll learn to trust you and seek it out.
Now, whenever I pet my bunny’s head, he moves his face into my hand until I’m rubbing his cheeks.
This great from the health side of things too. As you rub, you’ll be able to check their teeth and feel for any abscesses in their mouth and around their teeth.
Back
Back massages are great for bunnies, too; just make sure they’re well-used to you before attempting it.
Stay on the top of their back and only a little down their sides.
This position is a little more compromising as they may feel like something is attempting to grab them.
Their instincts will kick in, and they’ll run and hide.
If you spend time getting them used to this, they’ll love it too.
Start with a few strokes straight down their back, staying well away from their tail and bottom.
Then move on to a deeper scratching/rubbing.
Don’t put your whole hand around their spine and sides.
Alternate between back rubs and ear scratches to get them used to the feeling.
Where Not To Pet A Rabbit
While there are some great places to pet your furry friend, you also need to know where to avoid them.
Petting in these spots will cause problems and stress for your pet.
Keep doing this, and they’ll end up feeling upset and distrustful every time you come near.
This chronic stress is bad for their health.
Commit these spots to memory and avoid them at all costs.
In The Ears
The first place to avoid petting is in their ears.
Behind the ears is good and on the outside of their ears is often OK, but never pet inside the ears.
This area is sensitive and prone to damage if you’re not careful. You don’t want to hurt your pet.
Belly
This is the most common petting mistake I see rabbit owners make.
Don’t pet your bunny’s belly!
I understand why you may try this.
Dogs and cats love being pet on their stomach.
My dog, in particular, freaks out when he gets his stomach pet; he loves it so much.
But you have to understand a key idea:
Rabbits are prey animals. Dogs and cats are predators.
Predators don’t fear exposing their bellies.
For a prey animal to have its belly exposed is dangerous.
Their instincts fight against this.
If you start to scratch their stomach, don’t be surprised if they instantly freak out, run, scratch, and bite against you no matter how much you’ve bonded with them.
Little will cause more stress than flipping a bunny over and touching their stomach.
This is also why we don’t advise rubbing their sides too much, as we talked about in the “backrub” section above.
Paws
Some bunnies are quite active and hop, run, or walk around all the time.
Check out why your rabbit may walk instead of run.
When I move around all day, my feet get tired, and I use a little wooden massager to help them feel better at night.
It’s a logical extension to think your pet may also like their paws rubbed.
They don’t.
Similar to the belly idea, they feel trapped.
When something grabs their feet, it traps them.
This prey animal’s primary form of defense is running and hiding.
They can bite and scratch, but it’s not usually effective.
To grab their paws at all is to take away this defense.
It’s not fair to them and, again, stresses them out big time.
This is also why they usually hate having their nails trimmed.
(But it’s necessary!)
Tail And Bottom
Another place to avoid is the tail and bottom of the rabbit.
Some dogs and cats like it, but many don’t.
Almost all rabbits hate it.
The joint of the tail is a sensitive area, but it’s also the feeling of someone sneaking up behind them they hate so much.
This is stressful to them, so just avoid it.
Chin
Another place they don’t like is petting on the chin.
It’s not natural to them and may trigger their fighting instincts.
Bunnies do have some dominant and submissive structure in their family units, so you don’t want them to feel like you’re forcing them to be submissive.
It’s unnecessary.
How To Pet A Pet Rabbit The Right Way
When it comes to petting your rabbit, here are a few big steps you need to follow on top of where you should pet them.
#1 Let Them See You First
Always let your pet see you’re coming in to pet them first.
Make sure they make eye contact with your hand.
If you surprise them, they’ll jump, no matter where you put them at.
On a side, make sure they track your hand with their head and eyes.
Bunnies do sleep with their eyes open, so don’t assume open eyes are a sign of wakefulness.
You may also enjoy our article on if rabbits need beds.
#2 Approach Them Slowly From The Front
Always move slowly around rabbits, or you may trigger their running instinct.
Along the same lines, don’t come at them from behind if you can help it.
We’ve had our bunnies at our house for quite a while at this point, but they’ll still jump when pet from behind.
It just startles them!
#3 Do A Bit At A Time
At first, rabbits may not want to be petted a lot.
After all, we are large predators (our forward-facing eyes give us away); it’s not normal for prey to be pet and loved by predators.
We need to get them used to us.
When you pet them, start with only five or so minutes at a time.
Then extend it gradually until they learn to love it!
#4 Watch For Signs Of Stress
Always be on the lookout for signs of stress.
Sometimes people just want some space, and the same is true for your pets.
They may be in a mood.
Look for these signs your furry friend is done with the petting and wants to be left alone:
- Hunched up body
- Eyes bugging out
- Jumping, scratching
- Quivering
- Flat ears against their body
- Nose and face still
- Thumping
- Showing front teeth
- Front paws up
- Vocalizing/Screaming
Other Ways To Bond With Your Rabbit
Petting isn’t the only way to bond and build trust with your pet. Here are some other common things to do with your pet.
- Sit With Your Rabbit
- Spend Time Around Them While They Explore
- Stick To A Daily Routine
- Feed Them From Your Hand
- Talk To Them
- Give Them Treats
- Copy Rabbit Behaviors
- Give Them Toys And Play With Them
FAQ
How do I know if my bunny likes being a pet? – Look for signs of trust and happiness in your pet to tell if it likes being pet, including:
- Laying out
- Ears up
- Moving into the pet
- Eyes closing
- Nose twitching
Is rabbit poop toxic for humans? – While not directly harmful to humans, rabbit droppings shouldn’t be directly ingested.
However, it makes a decent fertilizer for your garden.
Do rabbits recognize their owners? – In time, rabbits learn to recognize their owners by voice and on sight.
Many of them will run to the edges of their hutch to interact with their humans when they see or sense they’re around.
It’s quite cute!
Can I kiss my rabbits? – If rabbits trust you, it’s fine to give them a cuddle and kiss.
Most of the time, putting your mouth on them may invoke a prey instinct, so watch for signs they may not like it.
Can humans get infections from rabbits? – While it’s theoretically possible for salmonella, listeria, and pseudotuberculosis to be passed from bunnies to humans, the chances are quite low as to be non-existent.
Still, we recommend washing hands with antibacterial soap before and handling your pet to protect them and you.