Dramatic Rabbit!?

[Pom]

Hello! I recently adopted a rabbit who happens to be very shy. She’s a two year old spayed female. I knew she was very shy when I adopted her, and I am very patient and willing to take things as slow as they need to be. However, I think I might be offending my rabbit somehow? She very often flicks her back legs at me among other things for seemingly no reason. I’ll feed her veggies from my hand, which she’ll gladly take, and then suddenly she’ll flick her back legs at me while hopping away! I’m confused because she actually seems comfortable in my presence, she’ll flop and binky and even run up to the cage bars sometimes when I’m around to see whats going on. I haven’t handled her yet or anything, I’ve just sat still around her. Is there anything that I’ve done thats offended her? She’s not aggressive and doesn’t mind my hand being in the cage when they have to be.

Also, recently I took her out for floortime which went over very well for the most part. I just opened her cage door and eventually she went out to explore (she heard a loud noise though which made her flick her back legs 3 times, but afterwards she was fine and happy and even ran around a bit) 

But then as soon as she went back in her cage she flicked her feet again? I didn’t force her or even encourage her to go back (I just left the door open so she can go in and out of her own choice, but she still flicked every time she went back in)

Today I also noticed the fur hasn’t grown back from what I assume is where they shaved it for her spay surgery (I don’t know how long ago she was spayed, because she was spayed at the shelter)

Is her foot flicking a hormone thing? Is it a sign of something I should be worried about? Is she just a bunny who’s easily offended?

 Thanks for reading and thank you if you guys give me any advice!

[Sarita]

I don’t think flicking is really an insult – sometimes you have to take the behavior in the context of the interaction, not just the behavior itself. She is probably communicating something but I doubt it’s that you insulted her. I wouldn’t worry about it – we cannot always know exactly what our rabbits are saying to us – it’s just always speculation but I don’t think she’s offended.

As for the fur from the spay area, it can take awhile for this to grow back.

[litheandgraphic]

I definitely agree with Sarita. Sometimes we may do things that bother our bunnies, or they may be bothered by something imperceptible or normal to us, and then they react that way. Theodore randomly flicked his feet at me for the first two weeks I had him. He’s not shy like your bunny, more of a snob.  But then I boarded him at the rescue for a week while I was out of town and when I came back and got him and brought him back home, he was so happy to be back he binkied around the room, became extremely social, and hasn’t flicked at me once since! (Except for the time I brought him to the vet, but hey, that’s understandable.)

Depending on how long you’ve had her, it will probably take her some time to warm up to you. Try not to take the flicks personally; like Sarita said, they may not even be “insults”, so to speak, more as just… “I’m not comfortable here.” and then she leaves. Once you’ve spent some time with her and she starts to realize that you’re the one giving her the treats, she’ll eventually start to feel more comfortable. c:

[Pom]

Ohhhh I see! Thank you for answering my questions! I’ll be sure to watch carefully whenever she flicks to see if I can figure out what it means when she does it

[Sarita]

Try not to overanalyze :~)

My rabbit Bobby sometimes will run downstairs and do a big old thump – I have no idea why but it makes me laugh. I can only guess he’s trying to let us know the bunny is here and he needs to be petted.

Sometimes in the morning he seems kind of grumpy – I don’t know exactly why, I just have to think he’s not a morning rabbit.

But I think if you just look at the overall behavior you’ll realize she’s content and that’s the most important thing.

[Deleted User]

My Henry (spoiled brat) gives me the occasional foot flick after I have given him pats while in bed having my morning cuppa, and I never once thought I offended him or that he is miffed at me – I just assumed he did it cause he could and felt like it while running across the bed to jump down.
Mmmmmm…… now you’ve got me thinking??? Lol!
Na, he’s just being the spoiled brat bunny that he is! I just think it’s a movement they can do, like how they can binky and flop.
Serious, if I offend Henry… he can pack his bag’s and move out! Wait! He can’t! He doesn’t like going outside….. Awkward! Ha ha ha ha!
Nothing for you to be worried about Pom – I bet she’s just being cheeky, cause she can! Lol!

[chellemakepeace]

I think that my buns are not only dramatic, but sometimes have a good sense of humor/sarcasm.

My sweet Abi T, she does foot flicks at times, and I think to her it can mean, “watch this”, “don’t you wish you were as pretty, fast, etc as me?” “we ARE friends, but I am the boss”

they crack me up

[JackRabbit]

Yep, have a good chuckle about the foot flicks! Whenever I have to pick my bunnies up, I get foot flicked as soon as their feet touch the ground. Marlee thumps at me if I don’t serve up evening salad fast enough. Then there’s also getting the bunny butt and the stink eye! Since they can’t talk, our bunnies have to have other ways to keep us in line and make sure we behave like good slaves!

[Pom]

Pfff oh wow! I didn’t expect that rabbits could be so silly/sarcastic like that. Thanks everyone for putting my mind at ease!

[Author]

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