The Rabbit (or Cat): gentle, graceful and kind
The Rabbit is the peacemaker of the Chinese zodiac: elegant, intuitive and calm. In Vietnam this sign is the Cat. Explore Rabbit personality, love, work, friends and clashes, plus every Rabbit year.
The full deep dive
The story of the Rabbit
The Rabbit could not swim, so it hopped across the river on stepping stones and floated the last stretch on a log, finishing fourth. It shows the Rabbit’s way of getting through life: not by force, but by finding the gentle, clever path.
Personality
Rabbits are tactful, refined and sensitive to atmosphere. They notice when someone is uncomfortable and quietly put things right. They love beauty, comfort and good manners, and they make wonderful friends and hosts.
In love
The Rabbit is tender and caring in love, looking for a calm, safe home and a partner who is kind. Arguments upset them deeply, so they flourish with someone who talks things through gently.
At work
Rabbits do well in design, the arts, counselling, diplomacy, hospitality and caring roles, anywhere that needs taste, tact and a steady hand.
Something to watch
The Rabbit sometimes avoids conflict so carefully that its own needs never get said. Learning that a kind disagreement can bring people closer is the Rabbit’s great lesson.
Friends, secret friend and clash
- Friend group: the Rabbit shares its slate blue colour on the wheel with the Goat and the Pig. Together they are the Diplomats, and they understand each other easily.
- Secret friend: the Dog. This quiet, loyal bond is shown by a matching jewel on the inner ring.
- Clash: the Rooster, directly opposite on the wheel. The two pull in opposite directions, which can mean friction, or real growth if both are willing to learn.
You can read more in Friend groups, secret friends and clashes.
Element and season
The Rabbit’s own fixed element is Wood, and it is a Yin sign. It belongs to spring on the wheel. Every Rabbit year also carries a year element, which changes in a ten-year cycle, so a Fire Rabbit and a Water Rabbit share the same heart but show it differently. See The five elements for how the elements work.
Lucky things
Traditionally, the Rabbit’s lucky numbers are 3, 4 and 6, its lucky colours are red, pink, purple and blue, and its lucky flowers are plantain lily and jasmine.
The Rabbit or the Cat?
In Vietnam, the fourth animal of the zodiac is the Cat rather than the Rabbit. One explanation is a quirk of language: the old word for the Rabbit sign sounds like the Vietnamese word for cat. Whichever animal you know it as, the personality and the place on the wheel are the same.
Rabbit years
Your animal changes at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January. If you were born in January or early February, check the dates below carefully: you may belong to the animal before.
| Year | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Rabbit | 2 February 1927 | 22 January 1928 |
| Earth Rabbit | 19 February 1939 | 7 February 1940 |
| Metal Rabbit | 6 February 1951 | 26 January 1952 |
| Water Rabbit | 25 January 1963 | 12 February 1964 |
| Wood Rabbit | 11 February 1975 | 30 January 1976 |
| Fire Rabbit | 29 January 1987 | 16 February 1988 |
| Earth Rabbit | 16 February 1999 | 4 February 2000 |
| Metal Rabbit | 3 February 2011 | 22 January 2012 |
| Water Rabbit | 22 January 2023 | 9 February 2024 |
Sources and perspectives
- Theodora Lau, The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes
- Derek Walters, The Complete Guide to Chinese Astrology
- Hong Kong Observatory, the Chinese calendar