If you own a pet rabbit, you have probably seen her do some rather questionable things. These are very unique creatures that have some equally unique traits, albeit incredibly cute.
If you have ever seen your rabbit jump into the air and twist her body in a very strange fashion, you’ve just seen a rabbit binky; but what is a rabbit binky and why on earth do bunnies do this?
A binky is when a rabbit jumps excitedly into the air and twists its bottom end out to the side. This can look alarming but rest assured, it’s totally normal. In fact, a rabbit will only binky when she is feeling incredibly happy so if you see this regularly, you can rest assured that your pet is content.
While a lot of owners want their rabbit to binky and so try to train it to do so, this isn’t possible since this action is inherent and cannot be taught.
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Why Do Rabbits Binky?
You can try with all the will in the world to make your rabbit binky but you probably won’t have much success. Spending time with your bun will improve the likelihood that you will encounter a binky but other than making sure that your pet is healthy and happy, there’s nothing more you can do except wait.
Typically, a rabbit will binky when he is feeling excited or happy. It’s almost like a natural reaction or reflex caused by happiness. You might compare this to the way that humans display excitement by shaking or quickly stamping their feet.
There are many reasons that might cause a rabbit to binky including spending time with its own, the chance to run free and exercise, or when the bunny is excited about food.
You’ll probably see your rabbit binky more frequently if he has a cage mate. Rabbits are incredibly social animals and will be much happier when kept in pairs.
Do Rabbits Binky Out Of Fear?
When a rabbit does a binky, it might look as though something has just frightened the living daylights out of them but the truth is that a binky is the last thing a rabbit will do when it is scared.
When rabbits are frightened, their natural instinct is to remain as still as possible. In the wild, rabbits are prey animals and they will try to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
If they feel that a threat is too close, they will turn and run in the opposite direction.
The trouble is that rabbits are naturally timid animals and even when kept in a domestic situation, this instinct will stay with them.
For this reason, if you want your rabbit to binky, it is essential to provide him with a safe, calm and non-threatening environment where he feels that he can be free. This will make him feel much happier and will likely result in more binkies.
How To Spot A Binky
When you see a rabbit binky, you’ll know that you’ve seen it. This action is unlike anything else that a bun does and at first, can be surprising.
A full binky involves the rabbit suddenly and quickly jumping into the air while twisting its body in a seemingly impossible manner. The bum will go out to one side while the head goes in the other. It might look scary, but it doesn’t hurt your bunny at all.
Rabbits may also do a half binky where only the head flicks but if this happens regularly, it may be less of a happy sign and more an indication that something is wrong.
You see, a half binky can often be confused with head tilt which is a bunny behaviour showing that there is a health problem and is most commonly associated with things like ear infections, brain tumours, and strokes.
Do Rabbits Binky A Lot?
Rabbits will only do a binky when they are feeling entirely happy and full of joy. The frequency of this will depend on the rabbit’s quality of life.
If your pet is not given enough exercise, food, affection or comfort, it won’t be terrible happy and binkies may not be seen as often.
Conversely, a rabbit whose owner dedicates a lot of time and effort to his care will be rewarded with lots of binkies and lots of affection in return.
Do Wild Rabbits Binky?
Getting close enough to properly observe the behavior of a wild rabbit can be pretty difficult since these animals are on such high alert all of the time.
If you’ve ever walked through a meadow and seen some rabbits in the distance, they will have shot off well before you can get close to them.
So, this leaves a lot of bunny lovers wondering whether binkying is something that wild rabbits do or whether it is only their domestic cousins that indulge in this excitable behavior.
In the wild, rabbits do binky but they don’t do it out of joy like a pet bunny would. Instead, this is a survival tactic that helps it to evade a predator, making them much more difficult to grab.
Many owners will play chasing games with the pets and this is OK if your rabbit is comfortable with it. But if your bun shows any sign of stress at these kinds of games, you should stop immediately or risk scaring the rabbit.
Is It Only Baby Rabbits That Binky?
As your rabbit gets older, her level of activity may slow down a bit. Just like humans, old age can take its toll and may leave a rabbit feeling much less energetic.
But, provided that your rabbit is in good health, you will still see a lot of binkies in its later years. This is because the bunny will have had much more time to get to know her owner and will likely display her affection and joy at seeing you with a binky.
Conclusion
A rabbit binky is a sudden jump into the air where the bunny twists its body and head. While it might look a little alarming at first, this is, in fact, your rabbit’s way of showing that he is happy and excited.
Rabbits who are well looked after and have a good quality of life will likely binky regularly; and you won’t believe how cute it is!
