• Understand normal behavior
• Know subtle behavior changes that indicate problems
• Educate clients early to monitor for these behavioral changes
Healthy Rabbits – Understanding Normal Behavior is Imperative
• Inquisitive
• Alert and curious
• Bright eyes
• Will often eat if offered favored treats
• Timid in strange surroundings but eyes are bright and postures normal
• Will "shake off", groom, investigate and eat as becomes more calmMay lay out with rear legs stretched
Unhealthy Rabbits
• lifeless, glazed and unfocused eyes
• immobile, stop grooming
• lack curiosity about their surroundings
• isolation from bonded mates
Sensory Behaviors
• Vision - laterally placed eyes
o Scanning
• Tactile: Lips and vibrissae
o Startle if hand placed beneath their noses
• Hearing
o Sensitive to loud noises
o Thermoregulation
• Olfactory
o Scent glands
o Fecal pellets/anal gland secretions
o Latrine sites
o Scent of kits
Reproductive Behaviors
• Sexual maturity is function of size not age
o Small breeds – 4-5 months of age
o Medium breeds – 4-6 months of age
o Large breeds – 5-8 months of age
• Male Rabbits
o Courtship - chinning, enurination, muzzle, groom, tail flagging
o Mating – bites the female at nape of neck, ejaculation soon after intromission, male then falls on his back or his
side and lets out a sharp cry
• Female Rabbits
o Induced ovulators
o Receptive females exhibit restlessness, lordosis, chinning, congested vulva
o Non-receptive females will run away, bite, vocalize
o Stress d/t crowding, disease and predators may cause resorption of embryos at midterm
o Nesting is evident and occurs 1-2 days prepartum
Neutering decreases urine and fecal marking
Spaying decreases reproductive neoplasia and hormonal behaviors
False pregnancy common
Keep separated for at least 30 days after altering
