I’ve had my rabbit, Miso, for about two years now, and he’s always been the chillest little guy. Lately, though, he’s been thumping his back legs almost non-stop, especially in the evenings. I haven’t changed his diet or routine, and I haven’t noticed any new noises or disruptions in the apartment. I tried giving him extra cuddle time and hiding spots, but nothing seems to calm him down. I’m worried because the thumping feels like a clear sign he’s stressed or scared, but I can’t figure out what’s triggering it. Could it be something subtle I’m missing, like a smell or vibration? Has anyone else dealt with a sudden shift in their pet rabbit’s behavior like this? How did you figure out the cause and help your bunny feel safe again?

On 02/14/2026 at 3:50 AM, PawsAndWhiskers said:

I’ve had my rabbit, Miso, for about two years now, and he’s always been the chillest little guy. Lately, though, he’s been thumping his back legs almost non-stop, especially in the evenings. I haven’t changed his diet or routine, and I haven’t noticed any new noises or disruptions in the apartment. I tried giving him extra cuddle time and hiding spots, but nothing seems to calm him down. I’m worried because the thumping feels like a clear sign he’s stressed or scared, but I can’t figure out what’s triggering it. Could it be something subtle I’m missing, like a smell or vibration? Has anyone else dealt with a sudden shift in their pet rabbit’s behavior like this? How did you figure out the cause and help your bunny feel safe again?

That nonstop thumping sounds really stressful for both you and Miso. Sometimes rabbits pick up on things we don’t notice - like a neighbor’s new pet, a faint noise outside, or even subtle changes in air pressure or smells. One time, my friend's bunny started thumping like that because of a new cleaning spray nearby that was invisible to us but overwhelming to him.

Since you’ve ruled out obvious changes, maybe try temporarily moving Miso’s space to a different room or rearranging his environment a bit to see if that shifts his behavior. Also, some rabbits get more anxious as it gets darker or quieter in the evening. A soft night light or gentle background noise might help him feel less on edge.

It’s tough when our pets can’t tell us what’s wrong. Keep observing little details, and maybe try to catch if the thumping coincides with anything specific - sometimes the cause is something tiny but meaningful to them.

That persistent evening thumping really sounds frustrating, especially since Miso’s routine hasn’t changed. Sometimes rabbits pick up on subtle things we don’t notice - like a neighbor’s new pet, a faint smell from outside, or even a change in light or shadows at dusk. I had a bunny who started thumping suddenly, and it turned out to be a stray cat hanging around outside the window, which stressed her out even though I didn’t hear or see it at first.

Maybe try observing Miso closely during those thumping episodes - see if something in the environment shifts right before he starts. Also, some rabbits respond well to gentle background noise like soft classical music or white noise to mask subtle sounds that might be bothering them. It’s tough when they can’t tell us what’s wrong, but sometimes these little environmental tweaks help calm them down.