Rabbits make little noise. This has an anatomical explanation: they do not have well-developed vocal cords. But especially their character plays a role. Rabbits are naturally prey animals. They have an interest in nature to stand out as little as possible and to make no noise. Still, there are a few rabbit noises. In this way the animals communicate with their peers and their owners. They can growl, grind their teeth, screech, growl and even stomp their hind legs. Every sound has its meaning. Do you want to know if your rabbit is happy or rather angry? Listening carefully to the sounds and body language of your rabbit is the message. This way you will find out what your rabbit wants to tell you.
- Rabbit sounds: listen carefully!
- Grunting or blowing softly
- Growling, growling or buzzing
- Teeth grinding
- Stomp with the hind legs
- Squeak
- Grumble
- Scream or screech
Rabbit sounds: listen carefully!
Most owners hardly think about it, but a rabbit has a completely different character than a dog or cat. Dogs and cats are predators in origin. Our house cat is closely related to the tiger. The dog is descended from the wolf.
Rabbits, however, are prey animals in nature. So they do not hunt themselves but are hunted by other species. It is therefore very important for prey to behave quietly and unobtrusively. After all, that way you don’t attract the attention of enemies who see you as a tasty snack or lunch. That is why rabbits make little noise. Our house rabbits still have the same character and instinctively make little noise.
Still, there are some typical rabbit noises. Some of these are difficult to hear. So you have to listen carefully to receive them. As an owner it is of course nice to know what your rabbit means exactly.
Grunting or blowing softly
If your rabbit grunts or blows softly, this indicates dissatisfaction. The sound is soft and usually difficult to hear. The animal is aggressive and may even attack or bite. Your rabbit’s anger can have several causes. Figure out what made your animal feel threatening.
Growling, growling or buzzing
Rattles (male rabbits) sometimes dare to growl. Slight buzzing also occurs. Usually at that moment your rabbit will exhibit additional behaviors such as climbing objects or walking around your feet.
In nature, males make this sound shortly after mating or when courting a female. Pets also do it when they are sexually frustrated.
There are many good reasons to have your rabbit spayed or neutered. Especially the avoidance of aggressive behavior and sexual frustration is an important advantage. The first few times you may still like it when your rabbit chases you ?? or keep trying to climb your foot, but after a while the fun is gone. There is little you can do as long as you do not allow your rabbit to be operated on.
Yet neutered males and sterilized females can still growl, circle or growl around your feet. They do this out of excitement, for example because you are about to feed them or when they are chasing each other. Some rabbits also do this to get their owner’s attention. They sit at your feet and growl.
Teeth grinding
Teeth grinding can be both harmless and a sign of pain in rabbits. The difference is not always easy to hear, especially for inexperienced owners. It mainly depends on the volume of the teeth grinding: is it loud or rather quiet?
Soft
Gently grinding teeth or making grinding noises is very normal for a rabbit: it feels good and good. When you pet or stroke the animal, it is not uncommon to hear a soft grinding of teeth. Your rabbit likes it. ‘Do carry on,’ is the message.
Hard
Hard teeth grinding indicates pain, possibly caused by a dental problem in the rabbit, but another cause such as gas in the abdomen is also possible. Often it is so loud that you can even hear it from across the room. Take your rabbit to the vet as soon as possible. In this case you often also notice other symptoms of illness such as lethargy or a blurred vision.
Stomp with the hind legs
Stomping on the ground with the hind legs is typical rabbit behavior. In nature, rabbits do this to warn each other of danger. It creates vibrations that other rabbits perceive from a great distance. If your pet does this, it means that he sees danger in something. However, a rabbit can also stamp its hind legs out of dissatisfaction or frustration.
Warn of danger
If the rabbit stamps hard with both hind legs on the ground at the same time, it is frightened. The animal instinctively wants to warn other rabbits, even if the rabbit lives alone. Usually the eyes are also wide at that moment. Sometimes another sound similar to knocking causes this behavior. Your animal then thinks, “Someone wants to warn me!”
Dissatisfied
Does your rabbit stamp less hard, with one hind leg or a few times in quick succession? Rather, this indicates dissatisfaction or frustration. Your rabbit is displeased because it cannot release its energy. This often also occurs in unneutered males and is an expression of sexual frustration. Preventing frustration is one of many good reasons to neuter (males) or neuter (females) your rabbit. Some rabbits also do this to express their dissatisfaction with noise, such as from a vacuum cleaner.
Squeak
A rabbit normally never makes a squeaky sound. Still, there are situations where you can hear a rabbit squeak. It sounds a bit like a frightened plaintive sound. Young rabbits do this when they are cold or hungry. The animal can also squeak when the breeder removes them from the warm nest during the first check. It also sometimes happens that a young ends up outside the nest during farrowing, with frightening squeaking as a result.
Grumble
Yes, even a rabbit can grumble. It then makes short and sharp consecutive sounds. Your animal protests with this, for example when you catch it or put it back in the cage against its will.
Scream or screech
You would rather never hear this sound. Normally, a rabbit will never scream or scream. If he does, he is in agony of something or in terrible pain. It sounds like the loud scream of a frightened child. In nature, a rabbit will do this when it has been caught by a predator. Sometimes you can also observe this in small rabbits when they are first picked up.
Another situation in which rabbits scream loudly is when they die a painful death, as is often the case with rabbits infected with RHD (VHS). This contagious rabbit disease often leads to rapid but horrific death.