why do rabbits cry?

Question
we have 2 pet bunnies at home. we've had them for over a year now. their cage used to be in our garage so we get to play with them a lot. 5 months ago they had to be moved somewhere else. since then we spent less and less time with them. we'd just feed them, refill their water bottle and clean their cage. apart from that, we don't play with them anymore. we also got a puppy so all the attention was focused on it. about 2 days ago, as my dad was about to feed them, he saw a tear in one of the bunnies' eyes. he patted him and played with him for a while. the following day he didn't cry. now today, my mom saw the fur under his eye was wet again. we don't know what to do except to go to them every now and then to play with them. do you think he's sad about the lack of attention? or could he be sick? please tell me what to do. i'd appreciate your help.

Answer
Dear Cheska,

Rabbits are highly intellignent and social, and it's cruel to leave them alone all the time with no playing and no exercise.  If you really can't provide them with quality time and more care, then you might want to find someone who can give them more attention, though it's not easy to find a safe home for a rabbit.

Don't treat your bunnies in any way that you wouldn't treat your dog.  Rabbits are just as deserving of love, care, and attention as the puppy or anyone else in your family.

Instead of finding another home, I hope you will start to pay as much attention to your rabbits as you do to your puppy.  Rabbits are at least as intelligent and interactive as dogs, though they "speak" a different language.  Please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/firstrabbit.html

Rabbits do not cry from emotion.  They can have teary eyes due to dental problems that are left untreated.  These can become very serious, so your bunnies should be seen by a good rabbit vet.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

and read more about dental problems (with pictures) here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

Hope that helps.

Dana