Last Updated on February 22, 2023 by Marjon Ramos
If your rabbits have already reached sexual maturity and are opposite in gender, jumping over each other can be a sign of what’s called “The Mating Dance.” This dance is what rabbits do to court each other.
If your rabbits are young, jumping over each other is likely just playing. Rabbits that are playing will often jump all over the place while chasing each other. It’s a sign that your rabbits are getting along and are forming a bond.
Now that I’ve given you the gist of the article, read on as I explain in more detail why rabbits jump over each other:
What are the reasons why rabbits jump over each other?
Your rabbit jumping over each other can mean different things depending on your rabbit’s age and gender. If both of your rabbits are of the same gender and they’re young, jumping over each other is a sign that your rabbits are playing and forming a bond with each other.
The same is possible if your rabbits are opposite in gender and are less than 4–7 months old. Simply put, rabbits that have not reached sexual maturity (4-7 months) that are jumping over each other are likely playing with each other.
While adult rabbits that are of opposite gender jumping over each other can be a sign of a mating ritual.
Here’s an example of a rabbit’s courtship dance or mating dance:
Here’s another video showing the mating dance of two wild rabbits:
Here is an example of two rabbits playing by jumping over each other:
As you can see, the body language of the two is completely different. Rabbits that are playing with each other are also running and jumping all over the place while the mating dance is mostly done in the same spot.
Are rabbits that are jumping over each other fighting?
Rabbits that are fighting might look like they are jumping over each other. But, rabbits that are fighting have a completely different body language.
Here’s an example of two rabbits fighting:
As you can see, rabbits that are fighting are not just jumping over each other; they are also attacking using their claws and feet.
To know for sure if your rabbit is fighting, check both rabbits for any wounds, especially in their ears, nose, and eyes.
Summary
Rabbits jumping over each other can mean different things depending on your rabbit’s age and gender. If your rabbit is young and hasn’t reached sexual maturity yet, jumping over each other is likely just playing.
If your rabbits are opposite in gender and are already 4–7 months old, it could be a mating behavior. Rabbits often do the “mating dance” when they’re courting each other.
Image credit – Ed Brey, CC BY-SA Hans Lindqvist, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
