Rabbit Language Explained With Trudi the Mini Rex
Who wants to have a heart-to-heart with their rabbit?
While I can’t make you Dr. Doolittle, I can give you all of the necessary tools to get you pretty darn close. Let’s start with getting your heart on the same page as your rabbit.
Or in this case, the same floor.
Preferably with some parsley involved.
No rabbit is the exact same as the next. And that is the beauty of it all, am I right, Dr. Doolittle? I’m going to talk about Trudi the mini rex today, but take this guide as a guide and not a rule book.
You can have one rabbit who needs something as scary as a vacuum to start thumping, while another rabbit will thump simply because you took the remote control away from them after they chewed off four of the buttons. They may even thump because they see you eating salad.
You never know what kind of diva you have on hand until you sit down to salad with them.
We’re covering the good times, the bad times, the laugh yourself off a bale of hay times; let’s make some memories with those buns!
Chapter 1: The Days Your Bunny Likes You (Happy Body Language)
Let’s set the stage with some rainbows and butterflies, right Trudi? The days when your bun’s legs seem to be higher than their heads and they really, really want to lick you.
The Binky
I don’t think we could start anywhere other than the binky. Every rabbit owner knows it. Probably because the first time you saw it you wondered if your rabbit was malfunctioning. Alas, you now know they simply are YOLOing all over the living room.
Imagine, Trudi sprints across the room, twists her entire body mid-air, and lands running in the opposite direction.
It looks like a little Irish jump with a heel click to the side. It’s everybody’s favorite thing. Try it out at your next party. It means everything is so good, the happiness can’t be contained.
The Dramatic Flop
One minute your bunny is hopping along and the next they throw themselves up and over in a flop that resembles a teenager throwing themselves on the bed at the end of a long day.
Your bun isn’t stressed; they’re happy and relaxed. The flop says it all: home sweet home.
Trudi's preferred flop location is directly in a doorway, where she is most dramatically inconvenient and most deeply unbothered about it.
Nose Nudge
I think this actually translates directly to, “I like you.” When Trudi runs up and nudges my hand, it means she wants me to pet her. Or she’s jealous of my salad. Actually, nudging could mean she likes my salad and not necessarily that she likes me.
But who wouldn’t like someone with salad?
Some rabbits are subtle nudgers: a gentle little boop, and they wait to see what you do. Others, like Trudi, will nudge you repeatedly with increasing urgency until you comply.
So, when your rabbit nudges you, pet them! Or give them some leafy greens.
The Slow Eye Close
After that nudge, they may settle in and hang out with their petting machine (you). This is where it gets good: slowly, their eyes begin to close. Not all the way. Just halfway. Their eyes become heavy like they're fighting sleep and losing beautifully.
That right there is pure trust.
A prey animal closing their eyes in your presence is not a small thing. In the wild, closing your eyes means you're vulnerable. It means you trust your surroundings completely. When your rabbit closes their eyes while you're petting them, they’re telling you that you’re a safe place.
You didn’t think the heart-to-heart would happen this fast, now did you?
The Periscope
This is Trudi’s stance. She is the lookout rabbit. Searching for lost ships across the living room.
The periscope is when a rabbit sits up. All the way up. Balancing on their hind legs, front paws dangling, ears fully deployed.
They look like a tiny concerned meerkat, and it’s impossible not to stop what you're doing and look for ships too.
The periscope means curiosity. Something interesting is happening in the world, and your rabbit needs a better vantage point to assess it. It’s not fear. A scared rabbit runs or freezes. This is an engaged, bright-eyed, fully committed investigation.
Trudi periscopes every time the refrigerator opens. I guess she looks for more than ships.
The Full Pancake
Unlike the dramatic flop, the pancake is less of a sudden event and more of a slow, deliberate surrender to relaxation. Your rabbit spreads out, flat. All four legs extended, chin on the floor, completely melted into the carpet.
Rabbits like to pancake in a sunny spot. It means they’re warm, safe, comfortable, and completely unbothered by the world and everything in it.
The Tooth Purr
You know that feeling when you sit down on the couch after a long day and you’re met with your favorite show and life feels like you can finally relax? Have you purred? Probably not. But you could.
If you’re ever petting your rabbit and notice a soft, subtle vibrating sensation near their jaw, they’re letting go of the day's stress and are feeling good. This happy tooth purr is a gentle, rhythmic grinding that you can sometimes feel more than hear.
This is tooth purring, and it is the rabbit equivalent of a cat's purr. It means your rabbit is content. Deeply, thoroughly, embarrassingly content. You have found the right spot.
Quick important note: tooth purring is soft and gentle. There’s another kind of teeth grinding that is loud and sounds more like crunching. This means pain or stress and is a reason to call your vet. You'll know the difference the moment you hear both. One sounds like contentment. The other sounds like a protest.
Trudi tooth purrs when you scratch behind her ears. But I sometimes miss it when the TV is on.
Chapter 2: The Days Your Bunny Has Notes (Unhappy Body Language)
It’s not all rainbows and butterflies with Trudi. She has notes. It might be something you did that didn’t sit right, or something not sitting right in her stomach, but she will let you know when she doesn’t feel good.
Let’s talk about when things go wrong, and in Chapter 3 we will discuss how to build trust so that you can get back to your heart-to-heart as soon as possible.
The Thump
First up, the thump. This one turns heads. This is a single, powerful thud from across the room that seems too loud to have come from an animal that small.
And when you look over? You see your bunny sitting still, with a serious look on their face, radiating disapproval.
Thumping is your rabbit’s way of sounding the alarm. Head for cover, bunny friends! A thump can be the result of:
- a loud noise outside
- a suspicious smell
- the vacuum
- a pillow falling off the couch
- a stranger trying to pick them up
- you eating salad without sharing
Trudi has an indoor hutch that is her home inside our home, and she has thumped simply because I took everything out of the hutch to clean it out.
“You're stealing the hay? Let’s call in the troops to stop this human.”
Some rabbits thump once; others will continue to thump until you solve their problem.
As mentioned before, some rabbits thump in milder situations while other rabbits only thump when they’re actually scared for their life. Take it seriously either way. You never want to miss the opportunity to save your rabbit from the vacuum.
The Growl
If you didn’t know that your rabbit could growl, that’s probably a good thing. The only time Trudi has ever growled was when I put her with another rabbit that she wasn’t bonded with (yet). That was a mistake on my part. We’ve all taken notes since then, ha!
The growl is a low, rumbling warning that means back off; I mean it, I’m not playing with you right now. It usually comes with flattened ears and a tense, hunched posture or lunging.
Growling happens when your rabbit feels threatened or cornered. This is something that should be taken more seriously than the thump. Your rabbit isn't being silly here.
The correct response to a growl is to stop whatever you're doing and give them space. Or in the case of the unbonded rabbits, separate them immediately. Rabbit fights happen fast and furious, and they can be hard to break up.
The Lunge
Consider this the growl's more dramatic cousin.
If your rabbit has warned you with a growl and you haven't listened, or if something has startled or threatened them suddenly, they may lunge. A short, sharp launch forward, sometimes accompanied by a grunt, is designed to make you back up and reconsider your choices.
Again, the only time Trudi has lunged was with the other rabbit. That turned into a ball of fury. I don’t think a section on the ball of fury is necessary to add to this guide, but I did consider it.
Most rabbit lunges don't make contact. They're a warning, a punctuation mark, a very physical way of saying I said what I said.
If your rabbit is lunging frequently, something in their environment or routine is stressing them out and you need to figure out what!
The Grunt
Shorter than a growl, quicker than a lunge. The grunt is a single sharp sound that translates roughly to I beg your pardon.
You'll get a grunt when you've done something your rabbit finds mildly offensive but not quite worth a full growl. Think of it as a warning shot. A footnote. A raised eyebrow in audio form.
I think Trudi has grunted a few times when she didn’t want to be picked up.
The Freeze
It’s not always fight or flight. There’s also freeze. And for a prey animal, freeze is often the first option when something isn’t right. Have you ever seen your rabbit freeze? Every muscle locked, ears up, eyes wide, nose barely moving?
Something has been detected.
The freeze is your rabbit's prey animal instincts kicking in. When faced with something unknown or threatening, the first move is to become invisible by becoming motionless. In the wild, this is a survival strategy. In your living room, it usually means someone knocked on the door.
Give them a moment. Let them assess the situation and come to their own conclusion that everything is fine. Do not swoop in and pick them up.
Chapter 3: The Heart to Hearts
This is what we've been working toward. The reason you’re deep into this guide and the reason you're eating salad on the floor next to a rabbit who may or may not like you. You just want to hang out with your bun Dr. Doolittle style; it’s time to build trust.
Here's how you know it's working.
They Follow You Room to Room
One thing I know about Trudi is that she will probably lie under the table while we eat. I’ve never given her food from the table. But she will still lie there as if our dinner is part of her daily routine.
Rabbits will follow you around when they have decided that you are the most interesting thing in the room. They, of course, have decided you are interesting for good reasons.
They Groom You
If your rabbit licks you, that's love. If your rabbit licks you and then immediately bites you, that's also love.
A rabbit will groom you by licking you, just like they do to themselves or with a rabbit friend.
You have been accepted. You are family now. You are part of the warren.
They want you to groom them back. Don’t worry, you don’t need to lick your rabbit, just pet them.
They Flop Near You
You already know the dramatic flop. But there's a difference between a rabbit who flops across the room and a rabbit who flops right next to you.
A prey animal choosing to be vulnerable right next to another living creature is one of the most trusting things they can do.
You earned that flop.
They Fall Asleep Near You
Similar to the flop but even more significant. A rabbit that closes their eyes and genuinely falls asleep in your presence is a rabbit that feels completely safe with you.
In the wild, sleeping means being vulnerable. Sleeping means trusting your surroundings with your life. When your rabbit naps next to you, they’re telling you that you are their safe place.
I don’t think Trudi has fallen asleep next to me, but I know she likes me. So, don’t feel bad if your rabbit hasn’t either.
They Come to You Without a Bribe
Have you ever had a friend you were excited to hang out with even on their errands day? That’s the kind of friendship you want with your rabbit.
Trudi will come when I call, even when there are no treats. People who come to visit think she’s a little puppy. However, if your rabbit comes just to be near you, without prompting, that’s next level.
If you have a bun who sits with you when there is no salad, then you’ve made it.
How to Build Trust: The Practical Stuff
If you thought the last five behaviors sounded nice, but not something you have with your bun quite yet, then here are some ideas to build that relationship.
Get on the floor
A big looming human is intimidating. Sitting on the floor makes you much nicer to look at. Even better if you lie on the floor. Even better if you pancake into the floor.
Even if you’re busy on your phone, just laying on the ground dramatically lessens the possibility that your rabbit sees you as a threat.
Respect the Grunt
And the growl. And the thump. When your rabbit tells you they need space, no amount of sweet-talking will change that, so build trust by listening and respecting them.
Let Them Come To You
Don’t chase. Don’t reach. Don’t pick them up and force them to watch your favorite sitcom with you. Exist near them and let curiosity do its job. Rabbits are naturally nosey, and they will eventually come investigate you.
Get some toys and some parsley, and it won't be long until you have an investigator.
Be Consistent
Same feeding times. Same routines. Same gentle voice. Rabbits feel safe when they know what to expect. Predictability is love in rabbit language.
Chapter 4: Just Bunny Things
I’ve got three more good ones for you. These are the funny things. I mean bunny things.
Chinning
You bought the rabbit. You bought the hay, the pellets, the water bowl, the toys and the little wooden bridge… You pay the vet bills. You provide the housing.
But it all belongs to Trudi. I mean your rabbit.
How do they establish this? By rubbing their chin on it. Under their chin sits a scent gland invisible to you but broadcasting a very clear message to every other rabbit in the vicinity: mine.
When your rabbit chins you, do not be offended. Be honored. You have been claimed. You belong to them now.
Trudi chins my laptop. She really likes my laptop.
The Cecotropes
Do rabbits eat their poop? Yes. This is a bunny behavior that you may find odd… or gross… but I am including it here to say, this means your rabbit is healthy!
In fact, not eating their cecotropes is a sign that something is wrong.
Cecotropes: special droppings produced in a different part of the digestive system that are packed with nutrients, proteins, and good bacteria. They're softer and darker than regular droppings, and rabbits eat them directly as they're produced, usually in the early morning.
Trudi eats a lot of hay. A lot of hay. This keeps her and her poops healthy.
The Zoomies
Sometimes rabbits make plans that you don’t know about. Plans to zoom around the room so fast you barely see them.
Without warning, they begin sprinting. Full speed. Laps around the room. Under the couch. Back out. Around the coffee table. A binky mid-sprint. More laps. Another binky. Back under the couch.
Then they stop. Sit down. Begin grooming their face as absolutely nothing happened. They will not be taking questions.
This is zoomies, and it happens because rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk. Your rabbit's internal alarm clock is set to absolute chaos o'clock and there is nothing you can do about it except move your breakables.
Zooming time is fun. You’re having a boring evening and all of a sudden there’s a show that feels a little bit acrobatic.
A Note From Trudi and Me
Here's what I want you to take away from all of this: your rabbit is talking to you every single day. Every thump, every flop, every nose nudge and slow eye close is a sentence.
Trudi is currently pancaked in a sunbeam by the back door, completely unbothered by the world and everything in it. She has no further notes at this time.
Go find your rabbit. Get on the floor. Bring parsley.
Turns out you are Dr. Doolittle after all.
