Understanding your rabbits basic senses: Any bunny owner that interacts with his/her rabbit constantly will tell you that they will recognize you yes! There are different ways of recognition, and different ways that rabbits handle their senses, however, and you need to keep them all in mind:
Rabbits rely on their sense of smell a lot! It you often wear different perfumes or aftershave, or just had your nails or hair done, you will smell different to your rabbits, so you will first have to set them at ease by talking to them so that they can hear your voice. Try not to use too much perfumes, do not smell of smoke or vape, or other chemical compounds, so that your rabbits can identify your smell fast and be comfortable with you. Rabbits also have much different airways from other animals, thus essence oils, air fresheners, incense and vape /cigarette and medicinal substances are inhaled much stronger, and can damage your rabbit. Be very careful of what you put in the air close to your bunny.
Rabbits see differently Rabbits cannot see directly in front of them, because their eyes are to the side. They have some 3D vision in a certain area in front of them, as well as to the back of them. Rabbits can see almost at 360 degrees, but just not in the 20-30 cm right in front of them - then they rely in their nose for eating and foraging. This also goes for hares. Rabbits also see colour a very different way to us.
Ever wondered why tigers are bright orange yet they can creep up on animals and not be seen? Because where they live naturally, their orange is seen as the same shades of green in those forests by the hares and antelopes. Why? Because mammals usually have just 2 Types of conicles for vision in their eyes. Rabbits, hares and antelopes, see the colours of green and blue; while dogs and cats see more in yellow and blue, that is the reason why objects on a dog show course are predominantly blue and yellow. Rabbits see more in green and blue and cannot see red, orange and pink as we do. Much like other mammals, they only see shades of blue and green in colour, and thus red/orange/pink will be experienced as browns, other shades of blue or greens, and grey. Bright red is seen as a near black, while orange goes towards green, and pink towards a grayish blue. When considering getting toys for your rabbits, try getting toys with more blues and greens on them. Red toys are made for humans, and often a human will buy a rabbit toy / dog toy because the red atttracts the human eye while it is not appealing at all to the animal. Rabbits can recognize colours and match them with something similar, if given the chance. And yes, that neon green shirt.... may scare your bunny; in case you were wondering! ;)
Rabbits can see well in darker conditions, but cannot see in pitch black. They do need some light to be able to see. They can see about 80% better than a human, but on a real dark night, they also do not see well; while owls can see even better - and combined with the hearing of the owl, rabbits can quickly be caught. So, your rabbit may instinctively be quieter on a dark-moon night and the few nights surrounding it. Especially ruby eyed rabbits who are more sensitive to light than normal bunnies. Blue eyed bunnies are more sensitive than hazel eyed or brown eyed bunnies. Bunnies with Heterochromatic eyes (blue and brown irises combined) sometimes have difficulty in light situations and will be more scared of moving shadows - always remember that!
Rabbits recognize your voice and can recognize their name. As said in the article on building trust, your voice is one of the most important factors to get your rabbit to trust you. When trust is established, your rabbit may run to you when you call him, and may act to certain voice tones, for example be playful when you have a certain voice tone. Never raise your voice at your rabbit, or at anyone else when close to your rabbit. Your tone of voice can break a rabbit's trust and scare him/her. Also remember that when your voice is different, maybe when you have a cold, your rabbit may need more coaxing to realize it is only you.
Rabbits see your shape. Your rabbit will learn to recognize your shape. One day you may pass carrying a clothing basket or other object, and your rabbit may freak out - you need to understand that he did not recognize your shape. Even if you maybe walk past with your arms in a different position, your rabbit may see you as a foreign person. Thus it is always important to speak with your bunny before you round that corner... In all of this, your voice is the most important part in your bond with your rabbit. What? Your rabbit is deaf? No problem! TALK to him/her! And keep talking! Rabbits catch vibrations in their whiskers. Your voice will have a certain vibration. Thus, even if your rabbit is deaf, when you talk to him, he will recognize your voice through vibrations. Whiskers can feel and hear!
No, you thus are NOT crazy for talking to your pet, and they DO understand you - it is to put them at ease. If you love your bunny, talk to him or her!
