Every social animal has an innate urge to get along with others around. Us humans are the biggest example of that. We show affection through ways of food, physical touch, gifts, and apologies when we are wrong. Sounds familiar? That is because your bunny is not too different from you socially.
You must have noticed your cute bun rubbing its head against your hand, giving you a nose bump, or bringing you a treat. Rabbits are social animals just like us, and that is their way of showing love. However, what happens when your rabbit offends you? How do rabbits apologize?
You must have noticed your bunny rabbit being extra lovey with you after an intense moment of disagreement or unapproved behavior it did. That is your rabbit’s way of saying it is sorry. Bunnies use different methods to apologize to their fellow furry friends and their owners.
Bunnies can hold grudges for a few hours to days at times. However, if your bunny notices that it has offended someone it loves, it will try to make amends. It may take your bunny a few hours or days, but it will come to a realization. You will observe your furry baby making cute attempts to make it up to you. Keep reading to know more!
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How Often Do Rabbits Apologize?
All furry pets are forgiving creatures, including bunnies. If you have upset your furry friend by denying it their favorite treat or did not extend its playtime, your bunny will hold a grudge.
However, as emotional beings, your bunny will take you back with open arms as soon as you show that you are apologetic. If your bunny is intelligent enough to forgive you, it is smart enough to know when to ask for forgiveness.
Your bunny will apologize to you as soon as there is a drift between your bond. It will assess the situation, realize that it was your bunny’s mistake and come running to make amends.
Bunnies also apologize to each other. As humans, we might not interpret their behavior as an apology, but you can still get a hint from the sudden change in mood of your bunnies after a fight.
How Do Bunnies Apologize To A Fellow Bunny?
Rabbits are relationship-focused animals. They loved bonding with other bunnies. It is rare for bonded bunnies to have a fallout, but it is not impossible.
When your bunnies have had a fight or bunny disagreement, they will ignore each other. They will hold a grudge for a few hours or a couple of days. After some time, you will notice one of the bunnies trying to make things better. A bunny does the following as an apology to its fellow rabbit:
Touching Heads
One of the gestures considered an apology in bunny terms is head touching. After a kerfuffle, you might notice one of your bunnies approaching the other with its head bowing down. It is a way of your bunny showing the white flag to the other.
It will slowly approach the other bunny and rub its head against theirs. Your rabbits will then pull away and wait for the other bunny’s reactions. If the apology is accepted, the other bunny will do a grooming act to show forgiveness.
Nose Rubs
Another act that falls under the acceptable apologies category is nose rubbing. Your bunny will reach out to the other rabbit and rub its nose against theirs.
It will show the other bunny that there is no hostility involved and that your little bunny wants to make things right. The other bunny can rub its nose back as forgiveness or groom your bunny.
Grooming
There is a chance that after a few hours or days of your bunnies ignoring each other, you notice them grooming the other. Grooming is another form of apology in the bunny language.
The dominant bunny usually expects the submissive bunny to groom it as an apology. If you think about sass, bunnies are not too far from cats, are they? Once the dominant bunny receives grooming from the submissive rabbit, it will groom it back to show its forgiveness.
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How Do Rabbits Apologize To Their Humans?
There are many ways your precious furry friend will say it is sorry for what happened. Once your rabbit realizes that it has offended its lovely owner, it will two tactics to get your forgiveness:
- Physical affection
- Attention seeking
Through these behaviors, your furry guy will melt your heart, and you will have no choice but to give it all the love you have.
Your Bunny Using Physical Affection As An Apology
When you fight with your loved ones, take some time away and cool down. After some time, whoever is at fault, might give you a big hug or a pack of chocolates. It is their way of showing you how much you mean to them.
Rabbits are the same way. As soon as they cool down and notice their relationship with you is bad at the moment, they start showering you with physical affection. Your bunny will do the following to shower its love:
Nibbling
Your bunny will most likely nibble you to make things right. As we have skin and no fur, rabbit nibble might seem to you like a tiny bite, but it is not. It will be a grooming session from your bunny to pamper you after hurting your feelings.
Nudging
You may notice your furry baby nudging your hand or leg to show it wants to have an intimate moment with you. Rubbing its head on your leg or arm can be a bonus act.
Licking
Your furry friend will lick you while doing the things mentioned previously. It is a way for your bunny to show that it cares for you and is apologetic for its behavior.
Attention Seeking As An “I Am Sorry.”
Rabbits are attention seekers with a little love for an alone time from day to day. If after quarreling you notice your bunny being clingy and demanding your attention, consider it an apology. Our furry friends do the following cute things to get our attention:
Running In Circles
Your bunny might get the zoomies to cheer you up. By being in an upbeat mood, it believes yours will change too.
Jumping
Your precious furry fellow will hop around you to get your attention. It is also an attempt to liven up your mood.
Relaxing
A rabbit’s way of apology could be showing you how it is comfortable with you. It may hop in your lap or lay next to you just breathing.
Tooth-clicking
Rabbits are anxious creatures. They will take your anger to heart and show distress by clicking their teeth loudly. If your bunny is teeth-clicking loudly more than usual, it needs attention as it is under stress. It is not a clear apology but a way of showing you that your disapproval means something.
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How Can You Forgive Your Furry Fellow?
Once your bunny starts apologizing to you, do not just take it. You should actively show your bunny that you have forgiven your furry baby. There are ways you can do that:
Rub Your Head With Theirs
If your bunny’s apology is to rub their head against yours, let them. Rub your head with theirs. So they know everything is okay now.
Extra Playtime Or Hugs
You can show your forgiveness by playing a little extra with them. You can introduce a new playing routine. You can also have a snuggle session with it to ensure your bunny that you still love it.
Give Your Bunny A Treat
The best kind of forgiveness is a gift! Give your bunny a treat after it has apologized to you. You can give your rabbit its favorite flower, fruit, or green. It will make your bunny realize that it has not lost value in your eyes.
Final Words
Your bunny needs to know about apology and forgiveness. Rabbits love bonding with their owners and other bunnies because they are social animals. They want to be loved by all. It makes them emotionally intelligent creatures.
When your bunny apologizes to you, it will make it loud and clear. You can enjoy it because you earned it. However, in return, your bunny deserves your forgiveness. Do not drag the apology.
Accept it immediately so your bunny can calm down. You do not want to make your sensitive friend suffer. Plus, how can you stay angry at such a cute face? Give it a treat and let bygones be bygones.