Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Licking Everything!

Viewing 21 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • MStewart87
      Participant
      41 posts Send Private Message

        Normally in the morning when I wake up (if I do not have anything pressing) I take Scooby out of his crate at night and bring him into the bed with my while my boyfriend gets ready and I watch tv in the bed. He loves it….hops around and plays in the pillows and stuff.

        Recently Scooby has been hoping around for a few minutes then starts to obsess about licking every inch of the bedsheets. He starts witht he pillows and then moves to the sheets. This "ritual" can take some time…20 or 30 minutes on occasion. This is something that has started within the last few weeks.

        My guess was maybe after it comes out of the washer and dryer the detergent tastes good or salty or something. I know my horse likes to lick me but thats usually the salt on my skin. Scooby licks me too on occasion when my body is blocking the next spot he needs to lick (or I have just put on sented chap stick).

        I was wondering if Scooby is alone in this infactuation or is it normal? Thanks!

         

         


      • Sarita
        Participant
        18851 posts Send Private Message

          Hmmm…I don’t have an answer to that question. I have a rabbit that licks himself when I scratch around his tail or scratch his back. I’ve been lucky enough to have a few rabbits lick and groom on me (that’s not too often though). But I cannot think of any compulsive lickers for anything else. I bet that is fun to watch though.


        • MStewart87
          Participant
          41 posts Send Private Message

            Maybe he just has an OCD I have no idea. It is pretty entertaining and it doesn’t hurt anything It is just strange haha. I would love to hear more opinions on this random topic.


          • Deleted User
            Participant
            22064 posts Send Private Message

              Maybe it is because they smell like you and he says you belong to him? LOL


            • poopy
              Participant
              684 posts Send Private Message

                Sounds like it could be something in the detergent. Try using an unscented


              • MStewart87
                Participant
                41 posts Send Private Message

                  I use Dreft (no baby, I just have sensitive skin lol) so it is pretty delicate and not really scented. Like I said it isn’t hurting anything it isn’t like he chews the stuff, just strange.


                • Deleted User
                  Participant
                  22064 posts Send Private Message

                    HE HE!  Kinda funny…  Luey will lick and groom the furry cushions and blankets but he will only do that for 5 minutes. 

                    Scooby has an obsession … oh well least it keeps him and you entertained and if the tv program is boring you can watch him instead.  LOL.

                    Dawn xx


                  • Scarlet_Rose
                    Participant
                    4293 posts Send Private Message

                      Hey I use Dreft too for the same reason! Love it!


                    • MStewart87
                      Participant
                      41 posts Send Private Message

                        Haha I wonder if Scooby needs to go see a pet therapist about his OCD, cause it’s looking like he is the only one with this problem.

                        About the Dreft…I had a horse that if anything that touched her was washed in detergent with bleach alternative she would break out in hives any place the fabric touched her. I really liked it after a while.


                      • Floppy
                        Participant
                        490 posts Send Private Message

                          hahah that is too funny and cute, I bet it’s also amusing to watch!


                        • Gravehearted
                          Participant
                          2428 posts Send Private Message

                            hmm, my first thought is that maybe Scooby would enjoy having a friend to groom!


                          • MStewart87
                            Participant
                            41 posts Send Private Message

                              When I go to my mom’s house Scooby LOVES the kitties, but they are actually scared of him. He follows my mom’s dogs around too. It is pretty funny if he isn’t following the dog then the dog is following him. It is kinda nice because when you are looking for him it is a lot easier to spot the dog and then just look two feet in front of the dog and there Scooby is! I am not sure I have the space for a companion, as I live in an apartment right now.


                            • poopy
                              Participant
                              684 posts Send Private Message

                                Does Scooby have a friend? If he is licking the furry furniture that may be a sign that he wants a friend…..I know my rabbit was licking a stuffed animal when she wanted a friend. Basically when they groom things that COULD look like another animal, it could be a sign that they may do very well with a companion.


                              • MooBunnay
                                Participant
                                3087 posts Send Private Message

                                  I have heard that licking things that smell like you is one way that a bunny can show affection without grooming you directly. I think he might just be trying to show that he loves you BUT still thinking that he is the dominant one he does not want to “submit” by grooming you so he has decided to lick your sheets instead to show appreciation!


                                • MStewart87
                                  Participant
                                  41 posts Send Private Message

                                    Scooby does not have a friend. He doesn’t lick furry things like a stuffed animal or a shaggy peice of furniture or rug. It is the bed sheets only really. Well he does lick his towel in his crate before he lies down , as if he has to ‘get it just so’ before he lays down. What MooBunnay said about him not wanting to submit sounds like that could be it…..he would never not want to show that he isn’t the bad a** that he seems 😉


                                  • wendyzski
                                    Participant
                                    1312 posts Send Private Message

                                      I’ve been sleeping on the couch a couple of nights a week recently.  I’m traveling a lot and Pepper was sulking, but she became more comfy when she could hop up and ‘visit’ me during the night.

                                      Well, last week she started licking my pillows and blankets that stay on the couch.  I figured it was some kind of "grooming by proxy" since she’s not terribly affectionate, so I took it as a compliment.  Pepper is terribly dominant (read the story of my attempts to bond her with poor Frisco last spring) so the idea of it being a way to show affection without submitting makes a lot of sense.

                                      Poor bunbun.  Only a week or so more and I’ll be home a LOT more for the rest of the year.


                                    • MooBunnay
                                      Participant
                                      3087 posts Send Private Message

                                        I read on the “Language of the Lagamorphs” that it is definitely a sign of affection when bunnies groom things near you, or things that smell like you, so – Good Job!! You have gotten your dominant bunny to semi-submit to grooming you Juli does this sometimes, its super cute because I’ll be outside her cage, and talking to her and she’ll look at me and lick the bars, she’s not a very submissive little girl so I think thats the closest I’ll ever get to being groomed.


                                      • BinkyBunny
                                        Moderator
                                        8776 posts Send Private Message

                                          Awe, well it’s true what MooBunnay said, some bunnies will lick things around you or things with your scent as a sign of affection. Some bunnies may not like our salty skin, so your sheets, that smell like you, seem to be the next best thing. He may be grooming you in his own way.
                                          It’s also possible he likes the detergent too. You could put it to the test and next time you do a wash, give him a couple of pillow cases to sniff before you sleep on them and see if he’ll start lickin.


                                        • MStewart87
                                          Participant
                                          41 posts Send Private Message

                                            Again this morning…I watched the clock. He licked the pillows and sheets for 17 minutes and then started scratching at my head and biting my hair. Now I know my hair isn’t dirty because I washed it last night lol. Maybe he is getting brave enough to start trying to groom me. It was either that or my head was in the way of his next licking spot.


                                          • DoobieTheRabbit
                                            Participant
                                            2 posts Send Private Message

                                              My 6 month old dwarf obsessively licks my blankets and my stuffed animals for about 5-30 minutes straight, and i don’t know why either, but your rabbit is definitely not alone 


                                            • Kat
                                              Participant
                                              1 posts Send Private Message

                                                My rabbit Oreo does the same thing. It is a sign of possession. She was really mad when my cousin stayed the night and used my comforter that she had just claimed as hers. She circled my cousin the whole night thumping due to unhappiness and when I put it back on my bed the next night she was back at it claiming it as hers.


                                              • Sarita
                                                Participant
                                                18851 posts Send Private Message

                                                  Hi Katrina, welcome, this thread is from 2007 – very very old – we ask that members do not reply to old threads – it confuses other members who will reply to the initial poster and after this many years the poster may not even be on the site any longer….going to lock this thread.

                                              Viewing 21 reply threads
                                              • The topic ‘Licking Everything!’ is closed to new replies.

                                              Forum BEHAVIOR Licking Everything!