about rabbit

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A rabbit's sense of smell far exceeds human capabilities and is used to monitor the environment for any whiff of predators. When a rabbit smells or hears something alarming, s/he will sit very still with ears arranged to catch sound from all directions and nose no longer twitching. S/he is deciding whether or not an escape effort should be executed.

All this constant scanning of the environment for danger and living on heightened alert makes rabbits easily over-stressed. To minimize stress, it is important to approach your rabbit in a calm, confident manner. Anxiety is particularly contagious to prey animals and if you communicate that you are anxious, your rabbit will respond accordingly.

To ease your rabbit's stress, speak to your rabbit as you approach so that s/he can identify you by the sound of your voice. Speak soothingly and in low tones. Place your hands where your rabbit can see what you are doing. Be careful about picking your rabbit up, making sure to support his/her hindquarters. Being picked up is frightening to most rabbits and many resist. In the wild if they are being picked up, most likely they are about to be eaten.