Do you ever have a moment of peace when your pet rabbit is outside its cage? Or do they follow you around, like a little puppy that’s eager for attention and just wants to be close to their fur-parent?
You may have wondered, “why does my rabbit follow me around?”
Your rabbit follows you around because they are playing with you, excited, curious, or mad at you. Your bun can also show you they love you, want something from you, or fancies you by following you around.
Let’s investigate whether all rabbits follow their owners, what it means if your bun follows you and if you can train your bunny to go where you go around your house.
Do All Rabbits Follow Their Owners?
Not all rabbits follow their owners.
For example, if you have a new bunny, they will be shy and won’t know you or trust you – yet.
So you may find that a pet rabbit in a new environment will stick to its cage or hutch until they feel more comfortable around you. That is unless you have a bunny that’s super curious.
What Does It Mean When Rabbit Follows You?
When your rabbit follows you, it means they:
- Are curious and want to investigate their world with you
- Want to know what you are doing or where you are going
- Want to be close to you
- Want more attention
Reasons Why Your Rabbits Follow You
Here are the reasons why your rabbit could be following you everywhere you go:
Playing With You
Your bun could be playing with you when they follow you. They could pretend to be scared and jump away when you approach, and then when you keep walking, follow you.
You might be heartbroken the first time you see your bunny “scared” of you – after all, you just love your bun and want the best for them. But if you see Mrs. Fluffles’ tail shaking or even her head shaking, then it’s a sure sign they’re just playing.
Also, look at your rabbit’s body language. If they are really scared, their body would be tense with their eyes and ears on high alert. With play, the whole body posture will be relaxed.
Loves You
A rabbit that follows may love you. This is normal pet behavior, and it’s typical in dogs that follow their owners because they want to be around them all the time.
So feel honored if your bun happily follows you around your house and is content to just be with you.
Want Something
If your rabbit is following you and you are carrying food or treats, then they want a bite (or many bites) of whatever it is that you have with you.
Your rabbit will beg you for a bite, and probably take their chance if they see you can be caught off guard and they can taste what you are having.
Remember to never feed your bun human food they shouldn’t be eating. If a piece of your hamburger falls on the floor and your rabbit is quicker than you are, they’ll eat it.
This piece probably won’t make them sick, but never actively feed your bun protein, high-sugar or high-calorie food, and other inappropriate bunny food.
Excitement
If your fluffy-eared bestie is excited, they’ll be following you too.
They may think you are carrying a snack or food around (and they want it), even though it could just be a Ziploc bag with glitter for your next art project.
Your bun won’t know the difference, but to them, you have something interesting or delicious and you should share. (You obviously shouldn’t share anything that isn’t rabbit-friendly with your bun.)
Curious
If your bun is very extroverted, you can bet they’d be extremely curious. Your shy bun may also be curious and want to explore, but only when they feel safe to do so.
So a bunny that’s nosey will be following you everywhere.
Mad at You
If your bun is prone to moodiness, they’ll follow you around to show you they aren’t happy with you – kind of like rubbing their frustration and anger in your face.
“Fancies” You
Your bun may fancy you if they follow you, circle your feet, and honk at you. This is similar to the mating dance rabbits do when they want to mate.
Even if you spay or neuter your rabbit, the circling and following-around behavior may not stop.
If you can, bond your rabbit with another rabbit so they have a bunny to hang with.
Can You Train Your Rabbit to Follow You?
You can train your rabbit to follow you. Rabbits, like dogs and other pets, get to know their fur parent and can come when you call them.
To start the training, bond with your rabbit so they trust you and know you won’t hurt them.
Then once your bun is more familiar with you and starts trusting you, they’ll come to you on their own. When they do, feed them a yummy treat. Hold out your arm and let your rabbit come get the treat you hold in your hand.
Next, train your rabbit to come to you when you call them. This training requires you to be patient and consistent while also using positive reinforcement.
Sit near your bun and call your bunny’s name as you give them a treat. You want your bun to associate its name (or that sound, like a clicking sound) with being rewarded. Do this 5 times a day until your bunny is used to their name.
The next step is to stand a few feet away and then hold out a treat as you call your bunny. If your rabbit doesn’t understand, give them 15 seconds, and then repeat their name. Shake the treat or bag of treats to get their attention, and then call their name.
Do this a few times every time until your rabbit gets into the habit of coming when you call.
Once they get this, move to another room. Call your bun and reward them when they come. If they don’t respond at all, move closer and repeat.
So to get your bun to follow you, you can use the same training technique.
Move a little, call and reward, move further away and then call and reward again, and so on until your rabbit follows you on its own. (They may need to be bribed with treats now and again!)
My Last Bunny Thoughts
Mostly when a rabbit follows you, it is to show affection and investigate what you are up to.
Enjoy it when your bun follows you around your home. But ensure the rooms are fully rabbit-proofed to keep your pet rabbit and belongings safe.