Do Rabbits Know Their Owners?

Do rabbits know their owners? How will you know that your bunny recognizes you? Yes, your pet knows you. These creatures have an excellent memory. Also, they can smell well and know their owners from the smell. They can distinguish between strangers and known persons. Also, they can differentiate you from your family.

do rabbits know their owners

The best part is that they can remember you for a long time. Even if you meet them after several years, they will recognise you. Also, it is not about recognising you. They can sense a lot of other things. For example, if you are sad, your tiny friend can realise it. If you are happy, your pet will be showing positive emotions.

Some study reports have revealed that rabbits can recognise humans and their behaviours after spending a long time with them. It is worth mentioning that your pet will take time to adjust to a new setting. Therefore, you should not expect any immediate benefit. However, once the bunny recognises you, it will not forget you for a long. You will be there in its memory always. This unique ability makes rabbits one of the best pets.

How Do Rabbits Know Their Owners?

As revealed in study reports, rabbits have excellent smell ability. They can recognise things from the smell. Apart from your body odour, they remember facial features. If you are a rabbit parent, you might have realised that your pet comes to you without hearing your voice. It happens because your rabbit can recognise you from your face. Sometimes, your pet will run to you even if you are outside.

The bunny can sense your presence from your smell. However, if you have changed your perfume, your non-human friend might be a bit confused and can take longer to recognise you. If it happens, you will have to say something to enable your pet to know you from your voice. Yes, your bunny can know you from your voice tone.

Is it surprising? Yes, rabbits can know their owners from face features, smell, and even from your voice. These creatures can be great friends. They remember you for a long time, even without seeing your face for years.

How Long Will It Take My Rabbit to Know Its Owner

You should not expect that your pet will recognise you within a couple of days. Also, the bunny might not know you after spending a lot of time in your home. You will have to give your effort. Without your attention and effort, you cannot leave the mark in the mind of your tiny friend. First, you will have to win the trust of the bunny.

You will have to build trust, interest, and respect. Spend some quality time with your pet and take your hand toward its nose, and allow your pet to feel you. If you build trust, the bunny will come close to you. The pet can play with you and eat with your hands.

Rabbits get scared fast, and they need more care and attention to build trust. Therefore, you will have to make sure that you are friendly and not scary and irritating. Allow your pet to spend some time with you. It is a must if you want your pet to know you. While spending time with you, the bunny might remember your smell and facial features. If you spend more time, your pet will recognise you fast and will create some sweet memories.

However, if you show some negative behaviours, the bunny will lose interest. You will have to try hard again to rebuild that trust. Therefore, make sure that you are always friendly and cooperative towards your pet. With constant effort, you can win the trust and create positive memories.

Will My Rabbit Miss Its Previous Owner?

Yes, your pet rabbit will miss its former owner dearly. Rabbits know their owners and don’t forget their parents. They keep searching for them. Also, they will miss more if the owner took more interest in them. You might need more effort to erase the memory of the former parent.

You do not need to try to achieve anything overnight. Instead, you will have to try every day. Also, you will have to keep one thing in your mind. You should avoid doing anything that displeases your pet. With a friendly approach, your pet will start recognising you within a few weeks.

How Will I Know My Rabbit Recognises Me?

It is simple, and you will have to observe the behavior of your bunny. The rabbit will show positive expressions and will not feel scared in your presence. Your bunny will like to eat from your hand. Here are some signs that prove your pet knows you. All the following signs are indications that your tiny friend has started recognising you.

do rabbits know their owners study
  • Your pet is super excited and content in your presence. You might notice that the tiny creature is jumping inside the cage. The bunny expresses all these emotions by sensing you around. When you enter the room, you might see the bunny happy and excited. That means the pet realised your presence from the smell before your appearance.
  • If you find your pet next to you most of the time, it might be a sign that the rabbit knows you and wants to sit with you. Your pet will be there with you always.
  • When your pet recognises you, the bunny will come to eat from your hand. Once you hold the bunny, you can see the excitement and happiness on its face. The rabbit will be playing and jumping around you.
  • The bunny might start licking your hands and feet to express its happiness. It is a way of expressing love, and when your pet does this, you should know that now your tiny friend knows you. However, licking is not natural in rabbits.
  • Sometimes, your pet can bite you to show its expression. But the bite will be gentle and will not hurt you. You might enjoy the painless, small, and affectionate bites.
  • Your bunny might urinate on you if it feels attached to you. It is an ultimate indication that the new addition to your family has found his friend and parent in you. The pet will look and feel confident when you will be around.

All these are the signs that the bunny knows you. Your pet will miss you a lot in your absence. Also, you can feel the excitement and happiness when you will be there with your tiny friend.

How to Know Your Pet Rabbit Does Not Recognise You

If the bunny does not show any of the above signs, you should realise that you need more effort to win the trust of your new friend. You might have noticed that your pet does not feel your presence. It will not run to you when you approach the room. Also, the bunny would not like to lie down near you. The pet might sense some threat from you and might try to stay away from you. Also, the rabbit might turn its back on you. In all these conditions, you will have to try every day to build trust.

Will My Rabbit Respond to My Call?

Yes, your pets will respond to your call. You can call by their names, and they will run to you quickly. However, you might train them a little. First, you can choose a name for your pet rabbit and get some treats for them. You can have some fruits, and then, you can call the rabbit by its name.

Also, you can offer treats to your bunny, and then you can ask for coming. The rabbit will reach you to have the rewards, and you will have to practice it several times. If you do so, the bunny will be familiar with the name and respond to you whenever you call your pet using that name.

What To Do If My Rabbit Does Not Recognise Me Again

It might happen if you change your behavior towards the bunny. Your pet will not ignore you if you do not show any negative emotion. However, if you hurt the bunny, the pet will not feel comfortable with you. Also, if you have changed your perfume, the pet might take time to know you. The same is about new clothes.

If the reason is perfume or clothes, it might not take long to regain the trust. However, if it is about your behavior, then you will have to correct it. Regaining trust is not easy. Also, if you take time to be friendlier, your pet will be more disappointed, and again, you will have to spend more time and effort.

Start showering your love and act with patience. Talk to your non-human friend and hug and massage it. Also, offer some treats and take the pet out whenever possible. After a few days, your bunny will forgive you and will start recognising you again.

Will My Pet Rabbit Remember Me?

As stated earlier, rabbits have strong memories. He or she will not forget you and will remember you when you are not around. They will miss you dearly if you spend time with them. They create some long-term memories with love and attention. Also, they will forget you immediately if you show any aggressive behavior. If you find something wrong, you can give them hugs and treats to regain their trust quickly. Otherwise, you will have to work hard.

Also, bunnies feel attached to their parents. If you have a strong bond with your pet, you might have noticed that the bunny following you all the time. The rabbit will be confident in your presence and would love to take risks and do whatever it wants. When it comes to attachment, the bunny would love to spend maximum time with you.

Your pet would like to sleep on your bed or even in your arms. The bunny might want to share your pillow and will keep its head against yours. All these expressions are signs of recognition, complete trust, and a sense of love and belonging.

Can My Rabbit Sense My Mental Distress?

Yes, your non-human friend can sense your mental condition. However, it will mostly depend on the bond that you have with your friend. As stated earlier, rabbits can recognise and know their owners from their facial features. Once they become familiar with the face, they go further to recognise different emotions from facial expressions. As expected, your pet will see your happy and sad face.

The rabbit can notice the difference, and it can sense when you are in pain. You might be feeling happy since your pet can understand your emotions. However, this is going to trouble the tiny creatures. After a few days, your pet will behave like you. Therefore, you should not involve the bunny in your mental sufferings. When your pet is around, try to be happy and positive.

Also, rabbits notice your body language. Your tiny friend will learn your body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. Whenever you see the rabbit doing all these expressions, rethink, and you will know that these are only your expressions! Therefore, you will have to be careful while dealing with your pet.

Why Has My Rabbit Suddenly Changed Its Behavior

Yes, it can happen, and your pet can behave strangely. You will feel that the bunny is not recognising you anymore without any reason. You can experience this problem with a male rabbit when it is not sterilised. The dominant male character and the hormone might be behind this behavior.

Your bunny might feel that you belong to second-class rabbits, and you should serve your master! Is it strange? Yes, you might find it a bit weird, but you have a solution to this problem. You will have to sterilise your pet. If you do not want this, you will have to try to win the trust again. You can follow all the tricks mentioned above. Your pet will start to re-recognise you slowly.

So as stated, rabbits do know their owners and will recognise and appreciate your presence with care and attention. Whenever you notice some negative behavior, try to be friendlier and more caring to rebuild the trust.