New Name for Bunny

[PeachyCream]

Hello! I have a mostly-blind male bunny rabbit which I just got yesterday from a breeder. The breeder said she named him Barney, and it’s been his name for nearly 7 years… But I really don’t like that name.. I’ve taken to nicknaming him “Bright Eyes” and I think it’s a fitting enough name for him but I’m not sure how well rabbit’s recognise their names…

Is there a way so that he can recognise it as a new name? CAN rabbits recognise their names? (the breeder was a nice woman, and didn’t do any artificial breeding but she told a lot of long stories that didn’t really help a whole lot with how to care for this little guy)

[IsabellaRobyn]

Rabbit’s can become trained to their name and recognise it. Belle knows I’m talking to her when I say her name. Personally I would keep his name Barney since he is a much older rabbit and he’ll be used to that name but it’s up to you really.

[LBJ10]

Well, does he recognize his name? Does he seem to respond to it?

Hehe, when you say Bright Eyes, I just think of Planet of the Apes. =D

[tobyluv]

We adopted a rabbit last month, and changed her name. The shelter estimated her to be 2 years old. The name that I choose happened to be close in sound to her original name. She was named Luna and I renamed her Hannah. I’m not sure that all rabbits know their names. I wanted to give her a new name to go with her new life, and hoped that the name change wouldn’t be confusing to her since it was similar, in case she did respond to names. She had been at the shelter for a few months, inside a glass enclosure, and they probably didn’t use her name there. I got the feeling that they didn’t interact much with the few rabbits that they had. She seems fine with her new name.

If your bunny seems to respond to the name Barney, it might be best to keep it. Probably what’s most important to him now is that he is in a loving home. He may not care what name he has.

[PeachyCream]

I contacted the breeder who gave him to us and asked her if it was ok to change his name. She said it was fine, just to call him his new name often and make sure he knows that I’m referring to him…

@LBJ10 lol yeah I thought of that as well. I actually nicknamed him that because I was singing “Total Eclipse of the Heart” to him yesterday xD

I think I will try changing his name, hopefully it will work

[peppypoo]

There shouldn’t be any problem with changing his name…I think Bright Eyes sounds like a beautiful new name .

[LittlePuffyTail]

I like Bright Eyes too. And it starts with a B so hopefully that will lessen any confusion if he’s used to his old name. Honestly, my bunnies have so many nicknames that evolve and change, I don’t really think it matters that much.

[rinski]

i found that as long as you keep saying his new name to him over and over he will pick up on it. I did this with my bunny, when i first got him i was told it was a girl so i named him Lola, then a month later when i took him to the vet i found out he was a boy. So i changed his name from Lola to Loki, and made sure that i told everyone in my house to be sure to say his name to him a lot so he knows your talking to him and so he relearns it and he picked it up fast. But he is also 4 months old so i’m not too sure how an older bunny would do.

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