I’m curious to know…

[Ms-Read-A-Lot]

 I’m curious to know whether or not my bunny can sense smoke/fire. The apartment building nearby caught fire last night and she alerted me before I could even smell or see smoke. She did her prairie dog like pose and started to thump. I then looked outside and saw the smoke ( more mist like than anything). We called it in and so on. I was wondering though what sense would have alerted her and is this common. Personally I sleep much better now knowing my bunny will also warn me of unexpected fires.

[Sam and Lady's Human]

I’m sure they can smell it, I’ve heard of a bunny recently saving a couple lives from a fire (unfortunately the smoke was too much on his little lungs).

[Ms-Read-A-Lot]

Oh my…the poor little bun. A little hero.

I wasn’t sure if her hearing caught sign of it or if it was smell. How much stronger is a rabbit’s olfactory senses to ours I wonder.

[Sam and Lady's Human]

We have about 5-6 million olfactory receptors, while a rabbit has 100 million

[Elrohwen]

They can absolutely smell smoke (and anything else) much better than we can. Smoke and fire are dangers for any animal, so I’m sure they’re hardwired to be upset by it (just like people are).

[bullrider76543]

They sure do know, when I use my Wood stove Mr. Hopper Stomps when I am first lighting it. but afte it is lit he will go and lay my the fence around it and cuddle on the warm tile. it’s his favorite spot.

[Ms-Read-A-Lot]

That’s amazing! Every day I learn something that makes me love rabbits more and more. They are such wonderful animals! Can’t help but love them!

[bunnyfriend]

Posted By Sam and Lady’s Human on 10/24/2011 08:13 AM
We have about 5-6 million olfactory receptors, while a rabbit has 100 million

WOW. No wonder they’re so sensitive to perfumes and other stuff, must be so overpowering. 

 

Ms-Read-A-Lot: I completly agree with you! I had no idea about how great bunnies really are before I adopted one. I just thought they were adorable but more like a guinea pig or hamster, I was so wrong.

[Sam and Lady's Human]

I know crazy right? Makes me feel guilty for waiting until *I* can smell the litterbox heh.

[bunnytowne]

I tend to leave off the perfume until I go out the door.

Cotton does not like smoke    when we fry I can tell he doesn’t like the smell.    Fouad puts vinegar as he is browning vegies n what not   Cotton doens’t like that either.

If you smoke don’t pet cotton he will shove your hand out of his face.

Lighting candles the smell you get when you blow out the match cotton goes on alert just in case danger a fire is starting.

Thats how I almost lost him at the park     Fouad was grilling the wind blew it cottons direction    That smoke oh cotton panicked and his harness like to have come off when he was turned around.   I had the harness on snugly too.

I would say yes they are senstive

[Stickerbunny]

Most animals are sensitive to smoke, since fire is dangerous. And yes recently a woman and her daughter were saved by a bun waking the mother up by digging on her chest when there was a fire, but the bun was “left behind in the confusion” and died of smoke inhalation (even though the house had only moderate fire damage). Another saved a couple in 2005 in Aus but they brought their bun with them when they evacuated and the bunny was fine, except his cage burned up so they had to buy him a new one. They will certainly let you know if there is a fire nearby, just like a cat or dog will.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Totally yes

THe best was-there was this article about a couple who were woken up by their bunny when their house caught fire. It was a cute article and someone posted it here. Then someone posted that the rabbit was all ‘HEy-I’m trying to sleep and it’s hot and smoky-get up and get it figured out!’ lol probably totally what the rabbit was actually doing. But yes definitely even documented that they can sense this

All animals are afraid of fire/smoke except perhaps dogs who were domesticated as wolves who were less afraid and hung around the fires we humans had We had a small fire out at a stable once, a halloween thing and the horses just freaked. Definitely natural.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m assuming you live quite close to me, Ms-Read-A-lot, because I think I know the apartment building you are talking about. Glad your family wasn’t involved.

[Author]

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