My rabbit doesn’t thump to the sound of my voice, but she thumps if she hears the dogs whimpering or barking. I can understand the barking being nerve wracking for rabbits (luckily, they don’t do it too often), but I guess the whimpering must be slightly distressing too.

She also thumps before she approaches me or the other animals. I think it’s her way of saying “I’m coming over to say hi, but you better behave yourself!” Maybe…?

-Alika

How interesting! I wonder if it’s tone or some sort or vibe you or Ken put out? She’ll keep you in a positive frame of mind so not a bad thing.
I’m often surprised that my rabbits don’t react to sound effects from the tv. Sometimes there’s something I’m sure will set them off but they seem to distinguish the source. Other times something mysterious can set them off and I have no idea. Something I don’t pick up on but they’ve tuned in.

Jersey – I’m always surprised too that the TV noise doesn’t bother my bunnies when they come out of the bunny room to visit. It’s just background noise to them, but it’s strange to me that they have figured it out. I guess I should give them more “smarts” credits.

When I first got Jack, he would thump at the sound of keys. It took him a long while to not let that freak him out. Not sure what happened in his past that made him fearful of keys. Now he thumps after his nail trims or his Sub-q fluids.

He also has this really funny habit of thumping right before he goes up to the window seat to hang out with Vivian. That is my fault because during the times he was harassing Viv so much, Viv found refuge up in the window seat (because Jack was afraid to go up there at the time). Well he started getting braver and I didn’t want him to go up there (so she could just get away from him if she wanted), so every time he would jump up just to the level that was right before the ramp up to the window seat, i would say “No Jack” and then he’d just stop there, and then go back down, but after a while he would show his displeasure of me saying No by thumping.

 I ended up letting him go up there once his manners improved. Now, sometimes if I am the room and he jumps up, he’ll look at me, and then thump at the bottom of the ramp, then he’d wait  and look at me again as if to say…”Waddya say to that? Nothing? Yep, that’s what I thought….because I am King here and don’t forget it!” and then he’ll continue up the ramp.

I’ll try to get video of it. He doesn’t do it every single time I am in the bunny room anymore, only if I am hanging out  in the bunny room for a longer while.

Oh – Rumball will thump his disapproval too! And Jersey often foot flicks when she goes into their cardboard cubby. Ungrateful sods!

Are we absolutely positive it’s disapproval?
I’m thinking that they don’t make noise vocally (much), but may be using it for other reasons. Like Jack might be announcing his presence and intentions.
And Lucy’s might be joining in the conversation.

Thump once for Democrat, twice for Republican.

Hey  I thought I responded to this post.  Drat I didn’t

Well Cottlon was about 4 or 5 months when my son came to stay with us a short time.  Everytime he would speak Cotton would thump.   lol.   Even now Cotton doesn’t like men too much.  Guess it was the voice he didn’t like.  A man voice. Silly Boo

Hatter has never really thumped at me (except when we first got him, and when I had to put him in the bathroom that one time). He does thump though if my husband looks at him but doesn’t say anything. For instance, if my husband walks into the livingroom to put on his shoes in the morning but doesn’t say HI to Hatter, he will thump. Also, if my husband is doing things around the house that involve tools he will thump. Last night my husband was working on a new book shelf and every time he hammered the nail, Hatter added his own “hammering.” I can understand this though because of the noise