How Smart Are Pet Rabbits? Smartest Breeds & FAQs

As a pet lover, you know that dogs and cats are lovable, playful, and intelligent. However, have you ever thought about the smaller, less common pets?

Pet rabbits, for instance, have a reputation for not being very intelligent and just sitting in their cages staring at nothing all day. The truth is that pet rabbits are very intelligent animals. In fact, they can learn new tricks and solve puzzles.

Rabbits make excellent companions, and they aren’t nearly as messy as some other pets can be. In this article, we’ll discuss just how smart a pet rabbit is.

Are Domestic Rabbits Intelligent?

Yes, domestic rabbits are quite a bit more intelligent than they are credited with being. People assume incorrectly that because rabbits are prey animals, they can’t be that bright. Rabbits can not only be taught tricks and how to solve puzzles, but they can also be taught to recognize simple human words.

Of course, this also means you can’t just lock your rabbit in a hutch, feed it, and forget about it. Your pet rabbit will need to have its mind challenged, and there are quite a few toys you can purchase out there to help with that. A rabbit that is just left in a cage will become depressed, bored, and possibly destructive, so if you can’t spend time with a rabbit, it’s best not to adopt one.

Self-preservation isn’t a rabbit’s strong suit, however, so you must closely monitor your rabbit. They are curious about everything they come in contact with. You could find your rabbit chewing on electrical cords or about to take a tumble down the stairs.

What Are the Smartest Rabbit Breeds?

If you’re looking for one of the smartest rabbits, there are a few to choose from.

These are considered the smartest rabbit breeds, and if you’re looking for a rabbit that can quickly learn tricks and more, these are the bunnies for you.

Are Pet Rabbits Smarter than Wild Rabbits?

Pet rabbits and wild rabbits are equally intelligent. However, they are wise in different ways. For example, some humans are “book smart,” and others are “street smart.” Rabbits are much the same.

A wild rabbit is smart because it knows how to survive in the wild and escape predators such as large birds, dogs, and cats. A pet rabbit is smart in other ways but is born into safety, so they don’t have to learn survival skills.

For this reason, pet rabbits who have escaped or been lost will not last very long in the wild. They don’t know how to look out for predators and will wander around until something attacks them, and then it’s too late.

Pet rabbits appeal to and understand humans more. They can learn tricks, solve puzzles, and react to their owner’s words and voices. If you bring home a wild rabbit, it’s going to be scared and have no idea why you’re trying to interact with it.

What Types of Toys Are There for Pet Rabbits?

Rabbits love to chew, so you’ll want to provide plenty of chew toys. However, give your rabbit a healthy mix of chew and puzzle toys to keep your pet mentally sharp.

Some perfect toys for your rabbit include chew sticks, balls that can be rolled and chewed, and balls with treats hidden inside that your pet has to work to open. You can also turn household items such as cardboard boxes and old baby toys into DIY toys for your rabbit if you’re on a budget.

Final Thoughts

Contrary to what some pet owners might think, rabbits are smart creatures and are as intelligent as dogs and cats in some respects. Pet rabbits and wild rabbits are intelligent; they are just smart in different ways.

You can purchase plenty of toys for your rabbit to chew on and others, such as puzzle games, to stimulate its brain. Rabbits like social interaction, and if you leave the rabbit to its own devices for very long, it will become depressed, bored, and destructive.

• Related read: How Much Do Continental Giant Rabbits Cost?

---

Featured Image Credit: Bunnada_S, Shutterstock