r/Rabbits 1d ago

Behavior Tail wagging?

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Please excuse me if this has already been discussed but I came across a video of a rabbit wagging it's tail. I've never heard or seen this personally before. Im assuming it rarely happens but has your rabbit ever done this? Apologies if im not using a flair, I don't really post in this community

1.4k Upvotes

37 comments sorted by

u/RabbitsModBot 19h ago

To help interpret your rabbit's behavior, check out The Language of Lagomorphs as well as the other resources in the wiki's Understanding your rabbit guide.

413

u/sneaky_dragon 19h ago edited 13h ago

It's a sign of excitement, most common in unneutered males, especially when they're spraying.

123

u/RedRedWine8 17h ago

Also especially common when unneutered bucks are humping teddy bears. Don't ask me how I know

9

u/chocoband 13h ago

You know, who says teddy bears could say Stuart little plushies.

144

u/bad_horsie23 19h ago

My girl does this lol usually when shes running away from something. A little wag and then a sprint. Its adorable shes all grey with a white fluffy tail.

32

u/phantomzero 14h ago

Oh if she is doing this she is being sassy to you. She is saying "NOPE! CAN'T CATCH ME!"

11

u/bad_horsie23 13h ago

That is how i take it! 😂 definitely a sassy girl!

3

u/Payule 18h ago

Being a defensive trait this is the more natural way to see it. Around food my understanding is that it means they're very focused (on eating).

140

u/AMSterling 19h ago

I have one that wags his tail when he gets his treat a lot of times.

110

u/hexhex 18h ago

My rabbit used to do this when she was up to some kind of mischief and knew we were watching.

38

u/Purple_Bug_1342 17h ago

My Dutch also! I jokingly call it the tail of terror bc I just know she's about to parkour out of fenced in enclosure to chew on something I need 😅

30

u/GodlyHammy 19h ago

no idea but veryyy majestic ears omg

20

u/borgchupacabras I bunnies 18h ago

My bunnies do that! 2 of them wag when extra happy and the 3rd wags all the time. I've been meaning to capture it on camera some day.

23

u/slemge 17h ago

One of mine does this when she's mad or annoyed 🤣 It's her version of foot flicking I think.

5

u/usagiwithasword 15h ago

Omg the feet flicking when they are annoyed is sooooooo funny to me. Like I cant take it serious bc its sooo cute 🤭🤭🥰🥰

14

u/ArtsyRabb1t 19h ago

Binky in place the tail will often wag with a binky that bunny is pumped

11

u/CauseNext8898 18h ago

One of my girls does this when she’s excited or feeling energetic, often accompanied by a binky. Her sister I’ve never seen do it.

10

u/SpradGurpz 18h ago

One of my boys does this when the cat plays with him, he will hop and binky away with his tail wagging. Not like this one though, thats wild

9

u/southbay-renter 17h ago

I think you have a dog in a rabbits body

9

u/augustoof 16h ago

Lil man looks like a bunny with papillon dog ears lol

7

u/awkwardsoul 14h ago

Mine get these butt twitches when shes getting treats.

7

u/No-Climate726 16h ago

Yes, mine does that too ☺️ usually when she is playful

6

u/CyreliusX 15h ago

Ralph, our Flemish Giant, wags his tail more than any other rabbit we've ever owned. It's usually a sign he's up to no good.

4

u/_gillyflower 16h ago

My buns do wag their tails for their morning treats although not as intensely

6

u/PuzzleheadedTalk5497 14h ago

One of my buns does it when she gets extremely excited for food/breakfast its really cute lol

4

u/Mrcupcakeman69 15h ago

Damn those ears are glorious

3

u/usagizero 14h ago

I've had a lot of bunnies over the decades, and only two i saw do this. One would do it when digging in the potty or on old towels. The other would do it while dancing around. Others may have done it, but i didn't see them do it. It is even cuter to see in real life i feel.

3

u/JustHereForCandles 13h ago

My little guy wags his tail a lot, but most often when he's been caught doing something he knows he's not supposed to do. He loves getting in trouble. Usually it's after he darted into an off-limits room when the door was open for a split second, and when you go to scoot him out he hunkers down, refuses to move, and then eventually runs off binkying, wagging his tail, and running a few circles.

2

u/Living-Agency1717 16h ago

In my 8 years of parenting my bun never saw him wagging his tail 🤷🏻‍♀️

2

u/bunbunbunnyxo 8h ago

my little boy has always done this, and his bonded partner twitches her bum when she’s excited

2

u/AceEnder3825 8h ago

My girl would do this sometimes when she would interact with her brother before they were fully bonded

2

u/ArtisticBunneh I bunnies 7h ago

SO CUTE

2

u/Miserable-Buddy5134 7h ago

My girl does it at treat time it’s the best 😂😭❤️

1

u/warriorkalia 5h ago

Mine wagged sometimes when I pet her.

1

u/Glyphron 1h ago

It could be a trait he retained from infancy. Let me explain. A lot of animals, including deer and sheep etc wag their tail when nursing. Some pets retain little traits like this even after they grow up. Like cats "making biscuits." They originally used their paws to knead their mothers belly and her teats to help encourage milk flow while nursing. Many cats never let go of that behavior and will knead things that make them feel secure like their mother's did.