Having a pet is the most soothing reward you can give yourself. Most people prefer starting with a smaller animal, such as bunnies. They are cute, friendly, and super cuddly. However, they are not the easiest pets. Bunnies require a lot of attention, observation, and care.
The most commonly misunderstood bunny gesture is its tail behavior. Dogs are famous for wagging their tails when excited, but bunnies? Not so much. So, why do rabbits wiggle their tails?
Rabbits wiggle their tail for three main reasons: irritation, disapproval, and out of spite. If your bunny is wiggling its tail in the presence of another bunny, it is an act of rudeness. If it is wagging its tail at you, you have annoyed your precious pet.
Unlike other pets, rabbits do little things that have deeper meanings. To keep your bunny healthy, you need to learn its behavioral patterns. Psychology applies to every living thing.
Your bunny feels fear, anger, happiness, grief, love, irritability, insecurity, etc. It is your job, as its caretaker, to understand its emotional needs and meet them. Keep reading to learn about your bunny’s care!
Also Check Out: New Zealand Rabbits for Sale
How Do You Know What The Wiggle Means at That Moment?
Like a mother reflecting on the moment before her child starts crying, you must do the same. While observing your bunny’s tail, think of what just happened. Did you just bring him back in after playtime? Are you pushing him a little too much to jump through that hoop? Did he make a new bunny friend?
Every activity that you do with your rabbit affects his emotions. As a bunny cannot make many sounds like his other furry friends, it shows emotions through its tail. There are many possibilities, but the most common could be
- Your bunny wants more food.
- It does not want to learn whatever trick you are teaching it.
- The bunny would like to be outside more than the time allotted.
- It is a show of superiority to another bunny.
- It wants some alone time.
What Can You Do to Ease Your Bunny?

Bunnies are very similar to babies. They can’t talk much, but they know how to create a racket in many other ways. Mostly, your bunny could be upset over something healthy for it.
In that case, we advise you to ignore its wiggling tail and give it some alone time. However, before doing that, observe, observe, and observe. Let’s talk about what to do with the most common reasons for tail wagging.
Your Bunny Wants More Food
Rabbits are grazing animals, which means their eating pattern is to munch as much as possible. However, you will see an increase in their hunger if it’s shedding season. Your bunny may also eat accessively during the mating season.
Nonetheless, always eating is unhealthy for your bunny. If after analyzing the possible reasons for the hunger, you feel the rabbit is just being naughty, stay on the diet plan of a healthy amount.
Your Bunny is Showing Defiance
As we talked about earlier, rabbits have a wide range of emotions. Your furry little friend could be showing disapproval by wagging its tail at you. Notice the moment that brought it on. It could be an end to its playtime, or it wants to hop around in the room and not go in its pen, etc.
Once you have pinned down the reason, you should ignore it for a little while. As a fussy child, your bunny is likely throwing a tantrum with its cute little scut (a term used for a rabbit’s tail). If it continues to wiggle, you can give it a little attention by stroking its head to calm its anger.
Also Check Out: Best Continental Giant Rabbit Breeders
Your Furry Friend is Irritated

A rabbit is most likely to wiggle its tail when the furry baby is annoyed. There can be many reasons why your rabbit is annoyed. Maybe it is done learning that one trick you force it to practice every day, or it needs some alone time.
Rabbits like to spend time with themselves occasionally. In moments like these, they might want to play with their favorite toy or just sit in the thoughts of the universe. Whichever the case, out of respect, you should fulfill your bunny’s wish of alone time and maybe go easy on the tricks for a few days.
Your Rabbit is Showing Rudeness
As cute as they may seem, bunnies have a dark side. They like being rude to other fellow rabbits. Rabbits are mischievous creatures that enjoy showing dominance to other rabbits. If your rabbit is wiggling its tail at a playdate, chances are it is trying to dominate and mark its place.
There is not much to do as it is harmless. However, keep an eye out for a brawl breaking out. The safety of your bunny is the top priority!
Also Check Out: Lionhead Rabbits for Sale
Final Take Away
Bunnies are delicate little things. Most furry pets require physical attention in terms of worms and lice. However, bunnies require emotional attention. All these cute little creatures ask for is observation and love. Once you learn their behavioral patterns, your bunny will be least likely to wiggle its tail at you!