Do Rabbits Cry? Do Pet Rabbits Cry Tears And Why

sad rabbit

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As pet owners, we loathe to see our beloved pets cry. It’s absolutely heart-breaking, seeing your baby crying and not being able to do anything about it.

Rabbit owners out there may be wondering, do rabbits cry?

Rabbits cry, but not usually in a way that we humans see it. They are capable of crying real tears, but unlike humans, they need to be in an extreme state of anguish and despair in order to let the tears out.

This article will explore how rabbits cry, what else they do when they’re in an emotional state, and how you can keep your rabbit from getting to that point.

Do rabbits cry?

When we think of crying, usually think of a sad facial expression, hiccupping or sobbing sounds, and wet tears falling down one’s face.

In the rabbit world, however, crying is a bit more different. It begins with a whimpering sound, and as it gets worse, the rabbits’ tear ducts will activate so that tears will fall down.

Why do rabbits cry?

There are many reasons why a rabbit could be crying. Here are some of the most common:

  • Illness. This is one of the first things you have to consider if you pet rabbit is crying. Perhaps he’s not feeling well or there’s something wrong in his body. Sadly, you really wouldn’t know unless you take him to the vet, and many vets are not too well-versed with rabbit health.
  • Pain. Speaking of which, pain is another reason why a rabbit could be crying. Usually, it’s because of an injury. The issue could be as simple as something that dropped on your rabbit’s paw or as complicated as something happening within his body.
  • Fear. Fearful rabbits sometimes cry when the threat is too much for them to bear. Just goes to show that they’re a lot more complex creatures than we think!
  • Anguish. Even rabbits can experience anguish or despair. These emotions can show themselves in the form of crying or whimpering. For milder emotions, whimpering is more common, but greater negative emotions can also induce crying.
sad brown rabbit

How do rabbits show negative emotions?

Rabbits show emotions, negative or otherwise, in the form of sounds and body language, just like most animals.

This could range from a multitude of things such as screaming, thumping, grunting, hissing, teeth grinding, and whimpering in addition to crying during extreme despair.

Each sound or action usually has a specific meaning to it, depending on the situation.

If you want to know what’s the matter with your bunny, you have to assess the situation and see how your pet is responding to it.

Why do rabbits thump?

Rabbits thump for many different reasons, and anxiety is one of them. If your pet rabbit is feeling upset or anxious about something, it could show that emotion in the form of thumping.

The good thing is that you don’t have to worry about your thumping rabbit. Rabbits thump their foot or even their feet all the time, since it’s a way of communication for them.

Rarely is it because of something legitimately worrisome or concerning.

You can check out this article if you want to read about rabbit thumping in more detail.

Do Rabbits Cry? Do Pet Rabbits Cry Tears And Why 1
If your Pet rabbit is feeling upset or anxious about something they often thump their feet.

Why do rabbits whimper?

Whimpering is a bit less severe way for rabbits to express their negative emotions.

Most of the time, the reason why they do this is nothing concerning at all. Whimpering is very common in rabbits. Maybe you picked up your rabbit and he didn’t want to get picked up.

Maybe there’s a new rabbit in his enclosure and he feels threatened. Maybe he’s feeling wary of his surroundings.

Sometimes, rabbits may also whimper out of discomfort or pain. It doesn’t have to be anything legitimately worrying, but it’s worth checking out at least.

Then again, some rabbits are just naturally smart – they realise that whimpering can get your attention, so they do it just because they want to.

Why do rabbits scream?

If you’ve never heard a rabbit screaming, then you’re lucky. Rabbit screaming can be one of the scariest sounds to hear as a pet owner. There’s no surprise that it’s definitely something that will worry many people.

If you hear your rabbit scream, you have to be quite attentive, as rabbits don’t typically do this unless it’s something major.

For instance, many rabbits tend to scream only because of three reasons: it feels extremely threatened, it’s detecting danger in its surroundings, or, the saddest of them all, it’s about to pass away.

That said, there are some rabbits who can be trained to scream on command or on cue.

If you didn’t train your rabbit and it starts screaming out of nowhere, however, majority of the time it’s a huge sign that there’s something very wrong with your bunny.

brown rabbit
Pet Rabbits often make some strange noises.

How to prevent rabbits from crying?

As with all other emotions, you don’t really need to prevent your rabbits from crying.

Saying that you want to prevent him from crying is like saying that you want to prevent your 11-month-old baby from crying as well.

Rabbits don’t have the same language that we do, which is why it’s important that we know how to understand what they want to say in the only way they know how.

Nevertheless, there are some ways that you can help your rabbit to avoid having to resort to crying.

  • Make sure your place is safe for your rabbit. When a rabbit is feeling endangered, it could let out a cry to warn others of the danger or simply because it’s already in a panic.
  • Keep your rabbit healthy and well-nourished. Rabbits could cry due to sickness too, so always keep him healthy and happy by providing nutritious foods and clean water.
  • Always make your rabbit feel loved and cared for. Rabbits in extreme despair or sadness would cry to express their feelings, so don’t let your rabbit feel too sad!
  • Give your rabbit plenty of exercise. Exercising gives life to your rabbits, since they’re very active creatures in the wild, after all. Make sure that he always gets sufficient exercise every day.

Conclusion: Do rabbits cry?

Rabbits do cry, but it’s less common than other rabbit sounds and actions. Also, real crying usually only happens during extreme situations.

If your rabbit is crying seemingly out of nowhere, it could point to a deeper reason.

Always pay attention to your rabbit and if anything feels remotely out of the ordinary, don’t be scared to consult a vet immediately!

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