involuntary licking?

[AbigailBW]

Hi all,

I wanted to post and see if a certain behavior is typical or more quirky.  Our new bunny, Charlie is a very loveable and cuddly neutered rex.  He love to lay on the floor and get back scratches and he responds with eyes closed and chin on the ground.  The funny thing is, we just figured out that he really likes his fur rubbed backwards– from tail to head.  When we rub him that way, or scratch (rather than stroke) his back, he immediately starts licking his front feet, or the floor, or your arm, face, etc….  I’m assuming he’s just grooming back, but it almost seems involuntary and only when when we rub tail to head.  He’ll lick and lick until we stop scratching him.  Is that weird or do all bunnies do that?

 

Abby

 

[Hedi]

It isnt involuntary but rather he is doing it on purpose. He is grooming and some people are lucky enough that the bunny licks them rather than themselves or the floor. Our bunny Hoopie is the same way. We love on him and he will immediately begin to groom his feet or the floor. If I stick my finger under where his tongue is I will get a few licks but he then goes back to the floor to lick. hehee
Your Charlie is showing you that you are doing a good job of grooming him and he is trying to show you that he approves and is returning the favor by grooming whatever is in front of him.

Hopefully he will begin to groom you instead.

[bunnytowne]

Some buns groom the pillow the couch your shirt everything but you.

[Elrohwen]

My bun does this alll the time 🙂 He loves to be scratched on his bum right above his tail and while you’re doing it he’ll lick everything he can. I do believe it’s some kind of involuntary grooming cue. He’s not licking me to groom me, he usually ends up licking his feet, his side, etc. Kind of like how dogs will thump their leg if you scratch them in just the right place. Haha.

[LucyTwoBunz]

When I brush/pet Lainey like that, she does the same…lick…lick…lick .  I move her so she faces Gulliver – that way he reaps the benefit and gets his eyes cleaned at the same time!  Gulliver constantly licks Lainey’s eyes but she doesn’t reciprocate as much…a little, but not much .

[Balefulregards]

I did read somewhere that there is a spot near the bum which does trigger the lick response in rabbits.
Ah yes, it is a response by Dana Krempels on the All Experts site –

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/2009/1/bun-bun-loving.htm

 

edit: I linked it for you. RP

[Hedi]

I had no idea this worked! Im glad someone knew about this.

But 3 of my buns will not even allow us to get our hands anywhere near their area above the tail. They freak out. Hoopie let me do it today and he would stick out his tongue and then lick. A few times we would just barely touch the area and his tongue would begin to dart in and out quickly like he was having a strange neurological tic or something. lol

I was thinking just licking in response to pets in general. Three of my buns it just takes a few pets on the head or shoulders and they begin to lick everything.

My Cooper actually will kiss me and my husbands feet anytime he gets near them no matter if we pet or not. lol Gotta luv cuddle buns

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By Balefulregards on 01/02/2010 02:25 PM

I did read somewhere that there is a spot near the bum which does trigger the lick response in rabbits.
Ah yes, it is a response by Dana Krempels on the All Experts site –

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/2009/1/bun-bun-loving.htm

I KNEW IT! I had checked the language of lagomorph (rabbitspeak) site but did not see that, and I kept meaning to ask my vet about that.  Jack does this when I find just that spot on his back. However, he must not be “fond of me” because like Dana said, he will lick everything else but you.

Actually, from what I’ve been told, some bunnies are not fond of the taste of your skin, so they may be fond of you and like to snuggle with you, but they don’t wanna lick ya! (at least that’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it)

[Walder]

My youngest rabbit Hazelnut (1an half years old) has the bum spot but he will lick me like there is no tomorrow!! I dont mean 5 sec soft licking i mean like up to 1 min and a half (thats the longest i did the bum scratching) of hard licking! i swear i can feel he’s all tongue up and down like sandpaper in my hand, its like hes going mad!

When i first found out (by chance) i was in doubt if that reflex would be bad for him, and im still not sure, but now when i do it, only do it for a little while so i dont excite him to much.

 

Edit* Ill try to record this tomorrow if i get the chance.

Edit2* Unfortunaly my girlfriend took the camera to work today and since tomorrow is the day i only arrive at 8 pm from university i will only be able to record it thursday or friday

[mrmac]

My rex Dexter does this. He will like for 5+ minutes if I let him. If I scratch him butt he will turn aroun d like he is going to groom himself and lick my arm/hand till I move it, then lick some more. He also does this when I rub or scratch his ears or any part of his body I guess now that I think about it?! Gotta love bunny kisses!

[dmh426]

Sophie grooms me. She’s a mini rex/rex. She’s always done this, since she was a baby and she’s going to be 5 in spring. Especially whne i scrath her butt!!!

[Walder]

Well i tried to make some videos, unfortunately its to dark to see well with my camera so i had to use gf’s camera *sigh* since it has a led light (i guess its about time i get a new cam for myself)

Hope u can see that when i start rubbing around the bum he licks even the plastic wc, he licks so hard sometimes we can hear some heavy breathing.

I dont know why my 1st uploaded movie its giving me a display error, ill try to make a better one, when i have the time.

Damn, the 1st one was the best movie -_-…

 

Edit: Here’s another one

 

[wendyzski]

Pepper licks when I rub the ends of her ears.  She never condescends to lick me, but she will lick my pillows, blankets, and other things that smell like me – so I have to be content with “grooming by proxy”

[achun]

Boba licks me whenever i’m on the floor. esp my elbows and knees. does she want salt or is she giving me bunny kisses? Odang used to lick me but I was away for a month and a half and ever since i came back, she hasn’t. do bunnies forget their owners after an extended period ever?

[wendyzski]

Awww boba LUVS hims momma!

Some bunnies are more kissy than others, and it is always a high compliment.  I got a few bunny kisses in Pepper’s first year but now it’s only pillows and blankets.

[peepi&warri]

Bunny kisses are the best. Warri loves to lick me but Peepi would rather lick everything else except me. Here’s a video I took of Warri.

[Walder]

Very nice bunny u have ^^

[Author]

Messages