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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 Thunder thumping

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    • CookieMo
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      1 posts Send Private Message

        Hello BB Forum!

        I adopted two bonded sisters (Cookie for cookie dough and Mo for moose tracks) early last December, they’re about 1.5-2 years old and have been spayed. They spent most of their lives at a shelter, multiple owners. During the 2 week winter break (I’m a college student) they stayed at a friend’s house whose wife is a vet. Other than that, I’ve been making adjustments at the apartment to make things comfortable for them and spoil them. I didn’t realize how much personalities bunnies can have, and it’s been a delightful & huge learning experience for me. I have many questions, but decided to create an account after a strange behavior that I don’t quite understand.

        Cookie is usually calm and curious, while Mo can be extremely shy/scared but I found out she’s absolutely crazy and nosy. I have a pen set up against the wall that gives them plenty of space. When I’m home I keep the gate open, and sometimes go up to them to interact. Earlier today, Mo was accepting pettings while Cookie kicked imaginary dirt at me and hid in her cardboard house. Usually Cookie is up for pettings. Mo was being demanding so I stayed to pet her for a while. Cookie would come up and sniff, then when I try to reach her she’d kick more dirt and hop away. She repeated this, thumped once. I gave Mo pellets for treats and went back to school work.

        Mo came out to lounge outside & asked for pellets occasionally, and Cookie stayed in the house. She came out once to eat, but then she’d run away when I held out my hand like I offended her somehow. I kept working and when Cookie came out again after some time, I thought I’d give her pellets so I entered the pen. Cookie readily came up to eat a few, then she FROZE. It really scared me because the only other time I’ve seen Mo do that, she charged at me afterwards (she was scared by a sound I was making). Cookie was frozen for literally 30 seconds at least. I tried to feed her and talk to her, but then she backed off and started thunder thumping the whole apartment shook. She continuously thumped and glared at me, so I picked her up and brought her to my bed. I rarely pick my bunnies up, but I can’t have her making that much noise at night, and they both love being on my bed and getting petted, so I thought I should try and relax her. I pet her until my hands got sweaty and she calmed down and tooth purred… But I’m wondering, why did she find my offerings offensive? Was she mad that Mo was getting attention? Or was she just unhappy with me being around? What do you guys do when your buns get upset like this? I’m sorry if this seems like a simple question in so many words, but I’m still new at being a bunny mom and trying to understand.


      • Sr. Melangell
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        1708 posts Send Private Message

          My Olly throws his litter tray before it rains, he thumps his back leg and does not want me near him, out in he wilds bunnies bang their legs to let the others know something is wrong or upsetting them, of course we can say. “I don’t like thunder.” People understand, so what a bunny is doing is telling us there is something going on, if a wild bunny bangs he’s really telling them. “Hey up lads, something is up here, I’m not happy.” Olly isn’t bothered by thunder, it soon passes here in the UK, but before it rains Olly bangs his back leg and I say. “Is it going to rain darling?” He goes back in his cage, throws his litter tray and I say.”Oh dear.” Olly is not the type of bunny that likes to be handled, so I talk to him through the cage bars, I put music on sometimes to keep him calm and when he bangs I tell him its OK and thank you for letting me know and tell him he is a good boy, every bunny is different, as for the other bunny you could put them together on your bed and stroke both of them, animals can get jealous, that is why when I have an animal I just have the one so I don’t spoil one of them, the other bunny may not have accepted your offerings because the other bunny sent out a warning about the thunder and may have just been scared, animals act like children if they are scared and might not want a cuddle if they are scared, so we talk calmly to them, if they run off and hide I see it as they are doing something that makes them feel safe to distract themselves from what is going on.

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      Forum BEHAVIOR Thunder thumping