Licking

[Anis]

Hi there!

My bunny is starting to lick a few items such as clothes, pillows, stuffed animals that are laying on the floor (messy siblings!)

I read somewhere online that licking items is a sign of bonding, but when it comes to me, she won’t lick anything with my scent on it! I’m the one that is usually with the bunny the longest and spend time with her on the floor long period of times to bond with her. She’ll come up to me and nudge me to pet her.

Does she feel a stronger bond with the people whose things is is licking? If so, how can I continue to build the bond between her and me?

Thanks!

[HipHopBunny]

Hi @Anis

I don’t think that this means she doesn’t have a bond with you. They lick items they find because it is a new and exotic taste, with interesting smells. She probably isn’t licking the items with your scent on it because she already knows you, and has tasted your scent, so it isn’t new and exotic. She most likely has a very good bond with you. One activity I really enjoy doing is playing some soft piano, which is a kind of music rabbits like, and meditating beside my bun.

[Bam]

Is your bunny licking stuff when you are in the same room? In my experience, licking objects is a proxy to licking the actual human. The scent on the objects matter less than who is in the room. My buns have all but one started by licking objects (pillows, clothes, wooden furniture) before they proceeded to lick, first my clothes, then my actual skin.

Licking is a form of grooming and it is a social behaviour. If it is triggered by your presence, you may regard it as your bun’s way of grooming you from a distance. It is a very friendly behavior.

Playing soft music is good. I have also read aloud to my buns. It gets the bun used to your voice. When a rabbit chooses to hang out in a room with you, not hiding in a box or under the bed etc, the rabbit is socializing with you. It means you are a trusted party, someone who it is good to be around.

With rabbits you may need more patience than you thought you had, you gain their trust slowly, not rarely very slowly.

[prince dorian the bun]

Dorian is a licky bun, and he likes licking fuzzy things a lot… so I could see clothing and especially stuffed animals falling into that category. Maybe your bunny just likes the textures too? I think it reminds them a bit of fur.

[LBJ10]

I agree with Bam. Grooming other objects is a proxy to licking you. It doesn’t necessarily need to smell like you. The grooming behavior was triggered (probably by your presence) and then she proceeded to lick whatever was closest to her. Have you tried sneaking your hand in there? LOL

[Author]

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