Honking is another word for the grunting noises rabbits sometimes make. Honking may sound different than you expect and may even be mistaken for wheezing or displeased noises. Honking from a rabbit doesn’t necessarily sound like the honking you’d think of, for example from a goose; instead they are more like small grunts. A rabbit will usually honk as it is breathing, creating a series of small grunts or hunks in a row.
Honking usually means that your rabbit is excited in some way. Your rabbit is trying to communicate to you that it is having a good time and wants to continue. For example, your rabbit may honk while it is playing with you or another rabbit, or may honk while it is eating its favorite treats such as fruits or vegetables. Rabbits may even honk while being petted or cuddled if they particularly enjoy it.
If your rabbit is not spayed or neutered, honking is usually a sign that your rabbit is trying to mate. If your rabbit is honking at you, it has probably confused you for an available mate and is trying to get your attention. This happens primarily with bucks but is known to happen sometimes with does. Rabbits may honk during the mating process, so if you keep an unneutered buck with an unspayed doe, expect to hear those noises at some point.
Spaying or neutering your rabbit is the only permanent way to stop honking due to mating instincts. It will take about a month after your rabbit has been spayed or neutered for its hormones to settle down completely, but at that time you should see the mating-related honking stop. However, if your rabbit is older and has been allowed to repeat this behavior for a long time, it may continue behaving this way even after being fixed. It’s important to spay and neuter your rabbit early to avoid these situations.
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