What the heck is she doing to Storm?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 3sd replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 2 months ago by Bam.

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- 02/03/2016 at 8:54 AM
  ArvadaLanee
  Participant
  44 posts
  I have 3 kitties, and each of them has a different sort of relationship with Happy the bunny. Our biggest cat, Stormy Moon, has been the most shy about interacting with Happy. Storm is a very independent cat, and she likes a lot of quiet time, and doesn’t like big changes. The other two kitties are very small, and much closer to Happy’s size, but Storm is a big girl, and probably weighs around double what Happy weighs. For the most part, Storm doesn’t hang out in the living room when Happy is out, or at least, not on the floor, or anywhere that Happy could reach her, but lately she has come in a few times, and when she does, Happy does this weird thing. Happy hops up under her, and it looks like she pushes her nose up at Storm’s belly. It honestly looks like Happy is trying to suckle from her! Storm seems very confused by this, and will try to step over and away from Happy, but Happy tries to stay underneath her, and tries walking where ever Storm is trying to walk. Eventually, Storm jumps up on the couch and away, and Happy, periscopes, to watch her. I have seen Happy charge the other cats when she wants them to move, or wants them out of her space, and this is nothing like that. I just can’t figure out what she’s doing. Is it an aggressive thing, and she goes underneath Storm simply because Storm is so big? Is it a curiosity thing, and she’s just giving her a good sniff on the belly? Is she trying to figure out if Storm is a lady cat? It’s such an odd behaviour. I highly doubt she’s actually trying to suckle her, but that’s really what it looks like. She even looks happy as she approaches her, as if she’s happy Storm has finally come into the living room. I would have thought Storm would be intimidating because she’s so much bigger than the other cats, but Happy doesn’t seem threatened by her, unless I am reading her body language totally wrong. Happy always has ears straight up, and forward, and face stretched forward, the way she comes to me when she wants to be petted. Any ideas about what my goofy bunny is doing to my shy, quiet kitty? Poor Storm is just very confused by the whole thing. Lol
- 02/04/2016 at 3:47 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17032 posts
  Could she be demanding pets from Storm?
  
  Demanding pets is dominant but not aggressive.
  Here’s a link to the language of lagomorphs, I don’t know if it can give you any clues as to why Happy acts like she does when Storm is around, but it’s a fun read and might give you clues about other stuff a bun does:
  
  http://language.rabbitspeak.com/
- 02/05/2016 at 8:02 AM
  ArvadaLanee
  Participant
  44 posts
  Yes, I have read that article, and I was wondering if it could be something like that. It really didn’t seem aggressive to me, but it does seem a little forceful. Maybe Happy is just trying to let Storm know that they can be friends, but Happy is top bunny around here. Poor Storm, doesn’t speak the language, so she just gets confused.
- 02/05/2016 at 8:17 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17032 posts
  Bunnies are often forcefull when they want to convey a message. It’s never “Would you please groom me a little?” it’s rather “Groom me. Now.”
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