You’ve probably seen a rabbit standing up on its back legs with its ears pricked and staying very still. This is a rabbit’s way of checking out sounds but one thing that is unclear to rabbit owners is how well a rabbit can hear.
As prey animals, rabbits have excellent hearing and heightened senses which help them to stay safe in the wild. Rabbits can detect sound coming from a distance of nearly 2 miles.
How Good Is A Rabbit’s Hearing?
You could be forgiven for thinking that your rabbit doesn’t have very good hearing at all. After all, many bunny parents are familiar with the frustration of calling their rabbit only to be massively ignored. But this isn’t because your rabbit can’t hear you, it is simply being stubborn and getting on with what it wants to do rather than coming when you ask it to!
In the wild, rabbits are prey animals and have a significant number of predators. They are also very timid animals, as you will have probably noticed when you first brought your rabbit home. Both of these reasons mean that bunnies need a practical way of defending themselves, and as they say prevention is better than cure. So, a rabbit uses its hearing to detect a threat long before it arrives.
Humans have a hearing range of between 64 and 23,000 hertz and this serves us well. But to pick up on the small sounds that an incoming threat may make, a rabbit can hear all the way up to 49,000 hertz! In addition to this, a rabbit can pick up on sounds that are coming from as far as 1.8 miles away!
But it is not only this excellent range that benefits a rabbit’s ability to hear sounds that we could only dream about picking up on. The ears of a rabbit are also adapted to move in all directions. This means that they can hear from all directions without having to change the position of their entire body. When they are in a frozen position trying to hear something, this is extremely beneficial.
The ears can move independently of one another which gives the rabbit an even bigger hearing boost and potentially save their lives! The funneled design and large shape are excellent for ensuring that sounds are filtered down into the inner ear. But much more than this, the rabbit’s ears are also used as a way to cool them down!
Rabbits do quite well in colder temperatures, but they don’t take so kindly to hot weather. Having all that fur means that it isn’t difficult for a rabbit to overheat so they need an effective way to cool down. The ears play an important role in this. They contain a huge number of blood vessels which allows the bun to release heat when it is feeling a little hot under the collar!
Can Rabbits Hear You?
Rabbits can hear you and one of the best things about this is that it is entirely possible to train a rabbit using vocal cues. Many owners successfully teach their rabbit its name and as a result of this, the rabbit may come on demand. Although, as we mentioned earlier, these are stubborn animals and if your pet is engrossed in something, he will come when he is ready!
Furthermore, rabbit owners are often able to teach their rabbits a variety of vocal commands such as ‘bed’ ‘come here’ and ‘no.’ However, it is important to remember that the rabbit will not understand the words for their meaning but will associate the sound that they make with the desired action.
While rabbits can hear you and can be trained, owners should also keep in mind that training a rabbit does require patience. Where dogs may respond to training relatively quickly, a rabbit, being shy and suspicious may take some time to warm to you and this can affect the length of time they take to train.
How Do Rabbits Respond To Fireworks?
Rabbits are always on their guard and when they are exposed to loud noises such as fireworks, this can cause a significant amount of stress. However, fireworks are widely used around the world and that is unlikely to change. But there are things you can do to reduce your rabbit’s stress when the celebrations begin.
Since rabbits have such sensitive hearing, the loud bangs and pops of the fireworks may be much more intense to them. One of the best ways to help with this is to provide plenty of additional bedding. They will be able to burrow down into this and muffle out a lot of the noise.
If it is possible, bringing the rabbit indoors along with their cage and lots of bedding will give them even greater protection from the noise. On days where you know there will be fireworks, it can be a good idea to bring the animal indoors in preparation for this. Placing them in a quiet room where they won’t be disturbed is the best option.
However, if this isn’t possible, turning the cage to face a wall will help to block out much of the noise, especially if you have packed in more bedding.
Finally, spending time with your rabbit and reassuring them while the fireworks continue is a great way to reduce stress. Rabbits are very social creatures and will appreciate the company in a time that is difficult for them.
Is It OK To Pick A Bunny Up By Its Ears?
It can take a lot to get a rabbit to trust you. When you first adopt one, you will likely notice that to begin with, the animal is very wary of you. However, a bond can be built with time and attention. But this bond can also be very quickly broken, especially if you do not handle the rabbit correctly.
Picking a bunny up by its ears is never going to end well. This action would cause a lot of stress to your pet and would likely hurt it. Once it has been exposed to this rough handling, any trust that the rabbit had in you would quickly disappear. Furthermore, stress is never good for a bunny and could result in all kinds of health problems.
Small children who may be unaware of the dangers of mishandling a rabbit may do so unintentionally so it is important to always supervise them when interacting with the bun.
The best way to handle a rabbit is by picking it up firmly and securely, but without causing any unnecessary pressure. You should keep its feet close to your body so that it feels supported and always ensure that you have a grip on its backside so that it is supported from underneath. Many rabbits also enjoy the feeling of a hand on the back as this makes them feel more secure.
