Your rabbit seems to enjoy nibbling on your hair whenever it’s within reach…
And as you know, rabbits love to chew…
But you’re curious why it’s your hair that they choose to pick at.
Well, this has happened a lot of times to others…
And let me tell you why.
Keep reading to find out:
- What your rabbit thinks of your hair.
- 5 surprising reasons why rabbits eat hair.
- Whether this is harmful to you and your rabbit.
- And a lot more…
Why does my rabbit eat my hair?
Your rabbit eats your hair because it’s their way of showing affection. Your hair can also remind them of food. Sometimes, they chew on your hair because of natural rabbit instincts.
5 reasons your rabbit eats your hair
#1: Your rabbit loves you
At first, you may think that your furry friend bites you or chews on your hair because they hate you….
But don’t worry, because that’s actually not the case.
You see, this is called grooming.
Like cats, rabbits groom themselves by licking or nibbling on their fur. And this is their way of cleaning their bodies.
According to experts, rabbits groom themselves when they’re comfortable with their environment.
House Rabbit Society (HRS) also states that rabbits communicate using their body language. And a way for bunnies to show they like other bunnies is grooming.
And they can also do that with you.
If your fluffy buddy loves you, they’ll start licking and nibbling you.
So when they reach your hair, they’ll also chew on it.
Remember that it’s one of their many ways to show their love.
With that, you can let your bunny continue doing this. Moreover, you can even return the favor by brushing their fur too.
This way, they’ll know that you feel the same.
Here are more ways to see if your bunny loves you:
#2: Your hair reminds them of food
“Does my blonde hair look like hay?”
“Is my bright-colored hair reminding my bunny of veggies?”
You may have been asking these kinds of questions. Why won’t you? The hair chewing happens more and more.
However, it’s actually not about the color of your hair…
It’s about the 2 senses:
- Smell.
- Touch.
Now, research says that bunnies can’t see what’s under their noses. Rather, they use their vibrissae a.k.a whiskers, and lips to feel their food.
So when rabbits get near your hair, they think they’re touching grass or hay.
And this is also the same with the smell of your hair.
That’s because rabbits also have a sensitive sense of smell.
Well, you see them always moving their noses, right?
Fun fact: Rabbits have 100 million olfactory receptors.
Read also: 11 Cute Reasons Why Rabbits Wiggle Their Nose
So when your furry buddy smells your hair, the scent of your shampoo can affect their thinking. If the hair smells fruity, chances are, your rabbit may think, “Yum!”
With that, they’ll start munching.
“But do they really eat my hair?”
Rabbits may chew or bite off a bit of the hair strands…
But they wouldn’t eat it when they come to taste it.
And if the rabbit does accidentally eat your hair…
It’s not something to get scared about.
The only harm it’ll give you is an uneven haircut.
But what about your bunny?
Just like with grooming, a rabbit’s own hair can stick to their tongue and they might ingest it.
And when your rabbit grooms you, some of your hair can be eaten, too.
Vets say that it’s normal for rabbits to ingest hair. Moreover, the undigested hair just passes through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract…
Then comes out as waste.
Warning: If a rabbit consumes too much hair, this may cause trichobezoars. That happens when there are undigested hairballs in your rabbit’s stomach.
#3: Your rabbit has wild animal instincts
Say your rabbit was bought from a pet shop…
Or born from another domestic rabbit parent.
So, they’re considered domestic animals.
Despite that, they’re still made with the genetics of a naturally wild animal. So they have tendencies to have wild animal behaviors.
Experts explain that it’s normal for caged rabbits to show the following behaviors:
- Digging on the carpet or their cage floor.
- Urinating in corners that aren’t part of the litter box.
- Chewing on other things that they come across, even if those things aren’t food.
And when your bunny plays with you…
They might start doing burrowing-like actions on your head. Plus, they might also chew on your hair.
But as I said, these are just normal behaviors of our four-legged friends.
#4: Your rabbit loves to chew
Your bunny practically chews almost anything, including your hair.
But why do rabbits nibble on something all the time?
To answer, here are the most common reasons why they keep on moving those teeth:
- Feeling bored.
- Having sexual urges.
- Keeping their teeth short
So when your furry friend feels any of the abovementioned…
Then, they come across your hair…
They’ll surely try to take a bite out of it.
#5: Your rabbit explores things using their mouth
First, look at your rabbit’s paws…
You see, those aren’t really useful for touching and exploring things.
So, instead, bunnies use their mouth to feel and learn more about things.
If it’s the first time your rabbit has reached your hair…
They’d like to explore it.
And they’ll do so using their mouth.
That’s when you’ll feel the nuzzling, licking, and nibbling.
Pretty soon, your rabbit will realize that your hair isn’t food.
But you can be 100% sure that they’ll nibble on your hair again because your hair feels nice to play with.
Note: Just to be safe, don’t let your bunny play with your hair if you just had it dyed. The chemicals from dye may be harmful to bunnies.
#BONUS: Your rabbit is nesting
Some people have reported this:
Their rabbits will dig and tug on their hair when it’s braided or pulled up in a ponytail.
And if you’ve experienced this to…
Let me say that your bunny has no problem with your hairstyle.
Rather, they chew your hair due to their nesting instincts.
As I mentioned, rabbits can easily liken your hair to hay or grass because of its texture.
So when they spread your hair in a burrowing motion…
Your rabbit will sit on your hair afterward because it just feels so comfortable.
People also ask:
Do rabbits like human hair?
Rabbits, especially the wild ones, don’t like human hair. In fact, Some gardeners use human hair to prevent wild rabbits from invading their gardens.
However, it is different for domestic bunnies. They like nibbling on their owner’s hair because they feel safe and comfortable.
Why does my rabbit dig in my hair?
Rabbits dig in your hair as part of grooming. They can tug on your hair to remove the dirt. Your bunny is also showing their natural instincts of digging or burrowing.