Kevin is purring but…

[A Lops Life]

So we have had Kevin for about 5 1/2 months.  He is 1 1/2 years old and neutered.  I have been trying to hold him everyday and he is getting better about it.  Most of the time he just hangs out on my should while I snuggle him.  Sometimes he freaks out and tries to get away.  Not as often as in the beginning.  

So to get to the question lol.  I can hear him purring every time I hold him.  If purring means he is happy, why does he try to get away?  Does he forget that he is supposed to not like being held?  I’m so confused!  He also purrs when he is laying on the floor and we pet him.  He also licks me all the time.

Also, he has always seemed to love my middle son.  Before he was neutered he would run circles around him leaving a trail of poop and spray him which I read was a sign of “love”.  Now when my son pets him and stops, he will kind of charge at him and bite him.  I think it’s more than a nip because he sometimes breaks the skin.  He doesn’t do it overtime but about half the time.

Please help! 

[Wick & Fable]

Can you describe purring? Is it an actual sound, vibration of teeth chattering…? I ask because generally rabbits don’t make noise. When Wick had an upper respiratory infection, his nasal cavities were clogged so he’d make noise all the time, especially when you pet him. He does make tiny sigh noises still, but my imagining of purring doesn’t cover that.

In terms of picking up and being pet, I encourage owners to consider the rabbits perspective. While being in the rested “pick up” stage is scary, I imagine the act of getting picked up and then getting put back down is actually the scariest since the rabbit is moving out of its control. He may settle when he’s picked up because he is more safe than he felt during the picking up process, but eventually he may snap out of it and realize he’s still in a scary position above ground.

Habituating a rabbit to being picked up is good, but keep in mind every rabbit as a ceiling. If you feel he’s reached it, I don’t think it’s necessary to try and pick him up every day, especially since you’ve been doing it for over 5 months.

Licking is a generally positive sign, but it can also be a means on communication. Wick licks my arm when he wants to be put down, not out of affection.

As for the petting, I can see two interpretations based on my experience with Wick:
1) When enjoying being pet, Wick gets into a daydream, so when I retract my hand after petting and it gets into his line of sight, it’s a sudden movement which surprises him and he lunges at it in defense. It’s like lying in bed relaxed and then suddenly you see a gross bug flying towards you.
2) Sometimes Wick tolerates my petting, but he clearly is reading it as more of a rough groom. His eyes aren’t very relaxed. When I retract my hand and it’s in his eyesight, his instinct is to lunge at it because it was something that was picking at him.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Asriel and Bombur]

Why would you keep holding him when he’s trying to get away? And keep doing it? 99% of rabbits do not enjoy being picked up and held.

[kurottabun]

Hmm, is the “purring” louder when you’re holding him compared to if he’s on the ground? Sometimes people mix up the cue of teeth grinding out of fear vs purring out of contentment. It can sound very similar but one is usually louder than the other.

[Nutmeg]

Kurottabun said exactly what I was thinking – I am in the middle of bonding my two bunnies and have to pick them both up twice a day to take them to and from their neutral bonding area – which they are NOT a fan of and make a louder “tooth purring sound” but its because they are afraid while they are in my arms.

Rupert – my boy, will grunt and growl at me when he see’s my hands coming to pick him up now (I can’t wait for them to be bonded so that I only have to pick them up for nail trims and vet visits and such – as I’m actually losing his trust by doing it so much)
but Penny wont. She will let me pick her up, but then does that tooth grinding in fear sound (not a purr) the whole time until she can get away from me.

[A Lops Life]

I understand what you are saying but he “purrs” when he is laying on the floor as well. He puts his head down to the floor and becomes a bunny puddle while I pet him and he “purrs”. He also licks my hand if I stop petting him.

[A Lops Life]

I understand what you are saying but he “purrs” when he is laying on the floor as well. He puts his head down to the floor and becomes a bunny puddle while I pet him and he “purrs”. He also licks my hand if I stop petting him.

[Nutmeg]

The sound my bunnies make when I am holding them is very similar to when they purr when I pet them on the ground. It is not them purring in happiness as they also try to get away after a few minutes after they snap out of being thrown off from being picked up.

It is hard to tell the difference between the two sounds – that’s when you have to rely on body language. Struggling to get down is not a relaxed state. Laying on the ground with his head down while you pet him is.

[A Lops Life]

Yes, I agree.  When he is in my arms he is very relaxed.  His eyes start closing and he sometimes looks like he is sleeping.  I can even sit down and move my arms and he just lays there.  Then sometimes after a while he jumps up like he remembers he isn’t supposed to like it.  A lot of the time I hold him for a little bit and then put him down and he just sits at my feet and licks me.  Then stands up like he wants me to pick him up again. 

[Nutmeg]

Hmmm – well maybe you do have one of the rare snuggly ones then – as long as you don’t have him on his back that is (which is called trancing and is bad for bunnies).

So maybe after a bit he’s just “done” with it, and as you aren’t forcing him to stay there he jumps down.
My bunnies were snuggly when they were babies and then “Grew out of it”.

As for your middle son, just have him make sure he is bringing his hand in slowly from the side (where the bunny can see it) as it sounds like he may be startling him. Another option could be – does your son smell different / around other new animals? Rabbits rely heavily on scent and I remember my bunny was quite miffed at me when I came home smelling like my friends dog one time lol

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