Why do rabbits rub their chin on things

Does anybody else’s bunny rub their chin on everything? Odin will never eat treats without doing it from Rabbits

You may have noticed your bunny rubbing their chin against certain objects, even certain humans or their shoes. We have seen this in our bunny from about 4 months old, she would be walking around rubbing her chin on the stairs, tables, books, bags even in the garden with the plants.

We thought she was doing this due to her chin itching and wanting to somehow scratch her chin. I even tried rubbing her chin, in the beginning, thinking this would help with the itch. Little did I know, she was actually marking her territory.

Chin rubbing isn’t just about scratching an itch it’s a signal they give to mark their “space”.  Rabbits express themselves differently from predators like cats, dogs, and humans that it can be difficult to figure out just what they’re doing and why.

Nearly every action has some sort of meaning to a rabbit, whether it’s fear, joy, establishing dominance or pure curiosity.

What Is The Scent Gland?

The scent gland is a gland that is located under a bunnies chin and cannot be seen, nor smelled by a human. You may think because they are rubbing their scent on objects that they will begin to smell.

However, you don’t have to worry, their chin rubbing does no damage to objects, clothes, or furniture. It is a gentle rub they give and looks like they are scratching the bottom parts of their necks.

They leave this scent odor behind to mark their territory and bunnies mark everything they think they own (including you!). Some bunnies will do their chin rubbing as soon as they are in their new environment while others may take a while to warm up to their new area or home.

Every bunny is different and has their own little personality traits. This is what makes your bunny so unique and special.

Is Chin Rubbing Normal?

Bunnies have scent glands under their chin which they use to mark their scent on something to claim it as theirs. In doing so, they also let other bunnies know that they have been there.

It is also common when you have put something new in their environment such as new toys. Your bunny will also do this when they are exploring a new territory.

So for those worrying if chinning is normal, yes it is a very normal behavior and this is done by pet rabbits as well as wild rabbits to make sure other rabbits know they are there.

Why Do Bunnies Mark Their Territories?

Bunnies mark their territory to show a sense of dominance. They like to show that they were there and also that whatever they mark is now theirs.

Female bunnies can also use this tactic to locate their own bunnies or the bunnies in their “group”. If you are not a part of their group, the female bunny could become aggressive and attack especially if it’s a little bunny that is not part of her pack.

Territory marking is a normal behavior of a bunny and cannot be stopped, nor should it be. This is just the survival method that helps them know and recognise their environment.

The best way to reduce your bunny marking their environment with pee or poo is spaying or neutering. By doing this, your bunny is easier to litter train.

Should I Be Concerned When My Bunny Rubs Her Chin?

No, you shouldn’t be concerned about your bunny marking their territory. Bunnies also do this to let other bunnies know they are here and could be notifying other bunnies they can breed. All bunnies do this on a regular basis.

Body Language Of My Bunny

A bunny may seem like a silent animal, but they use a lot of body language to communicate to their fellow bunnies as well as humans they come in contact with. It is important as a bunny owner to take note of your bunny’s behaviour to make sure they are happy and feel safe.

You may notice if you have more than one bunny that one bunny will claim their territory by chinning certain objects. This is to let their fellow bunnies know what is theirs. Taking note of your bunny’s behaviours can help you understand your bunny better. By understanding your bunny better, you can make sure your bunny is happy.

What Other Ways Do Bunnies Mark Their Territories?

Some other ways bunnies mark their territory is through droppings or poops. They do these droppings to also mark territory and you will see them leave these droppings around your house or the area they play in.  They will mark their claimed territory with pee, poop as well as spray (smells way stronger & muskier than pee).

We have often seen our bunny pee in certain places of our house and she seems to go back to those exact places every time. One of those places is often our bed!

Much of this was before she got spayed. Once your bunny is spayed or neutered they become less territorial and much of their aggressive behaviour will be minimized. Litter training will also become a lot easier due to the reduction in territorial behaviour.

Bunnies will often pee and poop whenever they enter a new territory and this again is to leave their mark and for other bunnies to know that she was there.

When Your Bunny Rubs Her Chin Against A Human, Does It Mean She Is Affectionate?

It seems like the cutest thing when our bunny comes up to me or a new human and chin them. But does it mean she is showing affection? Unfortunately this does not mean she is showing affection. Rather, your bunny is just marking you as her territory. However, you could take that as a sign of love!

Wrapping Up

Your bunny rubbing their chin all over your home isn’t because they are itchy, but rather they are marking their territory and claiming objects as theirs. No need to worry though, your items and your bunny are safe while she rubs her chin on every part of your home.

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This is a weird one, but…they’re marking you.

Once your bunny has rubbed you with their chin, you belong to them.

Sorry, I don’t make the rules.

Personally, I’d be very flattered if one of my bunnies chinned me. It’s never actually happened.

They have, however, marked stuff that was mine and then when I’ve gone to pick it up, gotten all mad about it. I can only assume that ‘i’ve chinned it so it’s mine’ is legally binding within rabbit communities.

Why do rabbits chin their own stuff?

I think they’re just reaffirming that it’s theirs.

When Daisy was really poorly with head tilt we had to keep her separate from Holly. Holly was just too boisterous and it was pretty exhausting for Daisy to be around her all the time (especially since Holly was VERY disrespectful and kept, for example, standing on her head.

So whenever we let Holly free roam (and therefore have access to Daisy) she’d head straight for Daisy’s stuff (toys, dolls, etc) and chin it all.

A lot of rabbits do it in an almost aggressive way, running around chinning everything, but Holly acted more like an old lady at a garage sale. She’d wander around looking at everything curiously, stopping every now and again to give this or that a quick chin.

From what I’ve observed, other rabbits aren’t mad about stuff being chinned. Daisy didn’t rush to reclaim everything by chinning it herself.

EXCEPT ACTUALLY

I swear that bun has been reading this website. So I was cleaning out the litter box the other day and i sat on the floor to add some fresh hay. We’d had to get some stuff from Pets at Home which is fine, but really compacted, so it takes a while to get it out and it makes a mess.

Because I knew it’d take a few minutes and I didn’t want to spread hay all over my freshly vacuumed carpet I sat down next to the litter tray with the hay on my knee. Holly had retreated under her table at this point (the vacuum is definitely out to get her), but Daisy was only a couple of feet away. She RAN over and started furiously chinning the hay bag. Weird.

Since they’ve been free roaming, Daisy is a LOT more confident. If we give Holly a treat she has to zoom away with it, otherwise Daisy (yes, tiny, disabled Daisy) will nick it from INSIDE OF HER MOUTH. Even though she has her own treat. She also likes to run in circles with the treat in her mouth. No idea why.

Why specifically chinning stuff?

If you think about it, chinning is kind of similar to a cat or dog rubbing themselves against you. Cats will often rub their head on you. We think they’re being affectionate, but actually, they’re going ‘this bitch is MINE’.

Rabbits have scent glands on their chins, so they can smell where they’ve been. Like a much nicer version of dogs peeing on stuff.

Of course, if you have an unfixed male (or occasionally a female) they will also pee on stuff to mark their territory. But that’s more about who’s land is whose. Chinning is more like claiming individual items.

Although when it comes to anything soft that you can dig in, peeing on it seems to be the standard way to claim it. Be aware of this when it comes to things like cosy bunny beds, cosy human beds, and rugs.

Why does my rabbit NOT chin things?

How much your rabbit chins varies a lot depending on…who they are.

Usually, if you have a pair, they’ll be fairly similar in their chinning habits, because if they weren’t that’s like one of them admitting they don’t have any stuff.

For every rabbit that has never chinned a thing in his life, there’s another that insists on chinning every treat that comes their way.

It may be something to do with the way they were brought up (I’ve always had rescues so I’m not sure how old rabbits are when they start chinning stuff) – for example, a rabbit that had a lot of other rabbits around may chin a lot more than a single bun.

Ooooor some rabbits like to chin. Who knows?