Coming home from work and finding your usually happy bonded bunnies sitting with their backs to one another can be very confusing. After watching them for a while, you realize they’ve had a fallout and aren’t talking to one another. So now you’re wondering:
How do rabbits say sorry? Rabbits say sorry to one another by touching their foreheads together. They may also rub their noses together and show extra affection by grooming one another. If the apology is accepted, the rabbits will keep their foreheads together for a few seconds. If not, one rabbit will walk away.
Would you like to know more about how rabbits apologize and what forgiveness looks like for your bunnies? Then this guide will provide you with all the details you’ll need.
How Do Rabbits Forgive Each Other?
Rabbits, like humans, also have some big emotions they have to deal with. If your bunnies have had a fallout, one of them will attempt to apologize.
You’ll know if the rabbit apology was successful by the following signs:
1. If the apology has been officially accepted, the upset rabbit will display forgiveness by keeping their head or nose against the other rabbits for a couple of seconds.
2. The rabbit that’s asked for forgiveness will then attempt to groom the other rabbit. The apology has been accepted if the upset rabbit allows the bun to groom them.
3. You may notice a shift in your bun’s behavior. The bunny that did wrong will appear to make itself smaller (a sign of submission) to acknowledge its mistake and indicate that they’re the submissive in the relationship.
Top Tip: Keep a close eye on your rabbits as they may begin to fight again, even though the apology has been accepted.
Do Rabbits Apologize by Touching Their Foreheads?
If a rabbit has upset their partner, they’ll apologize by touching their heads together. Sometimes they’ll also rub their noses together and groom one another with extra loving care.
Keeping a close eye on your rabbits is essential, as aggression can sometimes be mistaken for the loving act of rubbing noses. You should watch out for certain body cues, such as if your rabbits are about to fight, they’ll kick out at one another or bite to draw blood.
Did you know:? When two rabbits are bonded, they are emotionally and physically connected. They do everything together, from playing to even having the same nap time.
How Do Rabbits Say Sorry?
Let’s take a closer look at how rabbits say sorry:
1. When your bun wants to apologize to another rabbit, they’ll approach them with their heads bowed.
2. If the upset rabbit remains still and doesn’t turn its back on them, the rabbit will crouch down to make itself seem smaller.
3. The sorry rabbit will keep their head down and rub it gently (and lovingly) against the upset rabbit’s chest and forehead.
4. The sorry rabbit will nudge the upset rabbit’s head a few times until the upset rabbit reciprocates and places their forehead against the sorry rabbit’s forehead.
5. If the apology is accepted, the two rabbits will remain like this for a few seconds.
If the upset bunny turns its back on the rabbit trying to apologize, they’re still upset and aren’t ready to accept the apology.
You should consider separating your bunnies for a few hours and allowing them to try again later.
Do Rabbits Forgive You?
Your bun will forgive you in time, depending on what you did to upset your floppy-eared friend. You will, however, have to apologize first by doing the following:
- If your bun will allow you, try petting them and giving them a nice head massage. This should relax your bun and make them feel loved.
- Try offering your bun one of their favorite treats. If they don’t take it from you, this indicates they’re still upset with you. Instead, leave the treat somewhere they’ll find it. Once they’ve eaten it, this shows they’ve forgiven you.
If both of these suggestions haven’t worked, you need to give your floppy-eared friend some time to cool down. In this situation, the best thing to do is to leave them alone until they’re ready to approach you.
Here are a few signs that your bun has forgiven you:
- They groom, nudge, and lick you to show affection.
- They run around your legs in circles and binky (jump in the air and twirl their bodies), which signifies happiness.
- They allow you to pet them and start purring (clicking their teeth together).
- They will flop down next to you and sleep (a sign of absolute trust and love).
Do Pet Rabbits Hold Grudges?
Rabbits are highly intelligent animals and sometimes an apology just isn’t enough.
Although rabbits tend to get over their anger in a few minutes, sometimes a cross rabbit can hold a grudge for a few hours to a few days.
Here’s a list of a few obvious signs that your bun is holding a grudge against you or another rabbit:
- Your bun will turn its back on you when you enter the room, but they’ll make sure you see them doing this.
- When you talk to your rabbit, they keep its ears flat against its head and ignore you. This indicates a very bad mood.
- Your bun will glance your way, look at the floor, and refuse to acknowledge your presence.
- When you try to pet your bunny, it’ll hop out of your reach and give you the cold shoulder.
- One of the most obvious signs is when your bun hops away from you and flicks its back heels at you. This is a sign that your bun is very irritated with you, and the gesture is similar to “flipping you off.”
- Your bun will refuse any treats that come from you.
If you notice one rabbit has a grudge against the other, it’s best to separate the two until the situation calms down. Unfortunately, if one rabbit continues to pester the other, there most certainly will be a fight.
My Last Bunny Thoughts
Saying sorry and asking for forgiveness can be very hard, even in the bunny world. There’s always the chance that the apology won’t be accepted.
Rabbits are very sensitive and emotionally intelligent animals, and they don’t like it when they realize they’ve upset their partner or mate.
If you have the time, make a point of sitting down and watching your rabbits interact. You’ll quickly pick up if there has been a row by their body language. Watching them make up for it is one of the sweetest and gentlest things you can witness.
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