Little Bunny Head Buts

[Sage Cat]

Winston has been doing this for a while now and Kay just started.

When I’m sitting on the floor, cross-legged, near them – they come out to explore – they will nudged my knee with their nose – but, they are not chinning me. Sometimes I get a lick or two.

I am not blocking any thing, so I’m not sure if this is a “Get out of my way.” or “Hi, what’s up?”

What do you think?

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

Sometimes my guys come over and do the “bump” of my foot…I think it’s just a “Hey, whazzthis? Oh neat, hey!”

[RabbitPam]

I always thought it was a challenge to come and play.

[Tracy]

….I find that the girls only do it when i sit on the floor too….but when I give them head pets they both just laydown next to me…dont you just wish you could read their little brains sometimes…lol

[Scarlet_Rose]

Oh my you’re bonding so great with your new pair!!!  I am so excited and happy for you! A rabbit, when they want your attention, will give a nudge, nose bump and wow a lick – that is true bunny love!  Most likely they are asking to be pet by you, so give them some love in return.  Have you checked out “The Language of Logomorphs” yet?

[babybunsmum]

ahhh thats so sweet!  bunny kisses   i always thought the head bump / nose nudge was “hey you.  hey you there.  wanna pet me?”

[Sage Cat]

Okay, the “The Language of Logomorphs” is really great! I made sure boh J, and I read it as soon as I found it. I even made some notes – I am such a dork! 

Good to know they want attention and I’m not just in their way !

They are also learning some words really quickly:

Cookie means they are about to get a treat – they picked that up real fast!

Snuggle means “May I pet you?” They are starting to put their little head down for that one.

Coffee means I am about to turn on the coffee grinder. We Thought it would be good to teach a word for something loud is about to happen – so not to scare them too much.

Oh yea, they really hate it when I cook bacon.

[MimzMum]

I was also surprised at how quickly Mimzy would pick up, not just on human language, but on voice tone and pitch. He knows quite a few now, and even a little tap on the bars of his habitat means, “treat coming!”
Needless to say, he has a few sounds that he’s taught me to come to attention with…like litterbox banging means, ‘Get in here, NOW!’

I have a cat who cannot stand the sound of anything sizzling. (No bacon for me!) Nor does he like the broom or the sound of tinfoil. I never thought of making a noise or word that would warn my bun that a loud sound was coming. That’s a great idea! ^^

[Scarlet_Rose]

You are so not a dork!  That is just too cute and you’re both great rabbit parents!  They are learning really quickly and what you’re doing is awesome!  Language of Logomorphs is a great resource and many of us keep it in our “favorites.”  Most rabbits do not like the smell of meat cooking, my two don’t and the general cosensus here is that most do not.  Snuggle, I am going to have to try that…too darn cute!!! Oh yes the coffee grinder, my two got used to it and it doesn’t even phase them now, but it is a great idea.  I did the same thing with warning them.

[Holly]

That is too cool. We vacuumed today. I’ll have to tell Holly that one. She hid the whole time we were vacuuming. Poor gal. We had a clog, so it took us longer than usual to stop vacuuming.

[wendyzski]

I find that nose-bonks vary in meaning by context.

A bonk in passing is sort of a vague “hey”  – a brief greeting but they have other important bunny-errands to get on with.

A bonk if my limb is in the way and they are clearly going someplace is “Hey – MOVE”! I get 2 bonks, then a TUG at my clothes, and finally a nip if I’m too dense to figure it out.

A bonk can also be a specific request for attention – or so I’m told.  Pepper is too dignified to actually ASK for pettins.  She has this kind of passive-agressive thing she does where she comes into my field of view and just SITS there.  Because i should KNOW she wants pets.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Rupert came up to me while I was sitting on the floor on my laptop…His butting me with his head was very clearly…

“Slave!!…..SLAVE!!!…..SLAVE!!!!….NOSE RUB NOW!!!”

LOL

[ReeNa]

I dont mean to get off topic or ruin the thread, but how do you play with buns? I have seen some really cute videos on you tube and everything where their bunny plays fetch with them and stuff. I want to do that.

[Sage Cat]

Hey ReeNa,

That is a really good question.

So far, my bunny’s are not interested an any of the toys I got them. But, Kay figured out that the toys fit under the food bowls – so that is where she “Keeps” them.    ( As you can see from the photo, the bowls are on a stand.)

I also made them a diggy box and yesterday I made a Jelly-fish box – newspaper hanging from the roof of a box with a few doors cut into it. They have not yet used either toy.

I think they are just not to sure about their surroundings yet.

So, if any one has “how to play with your bunny” tips – I’m all for it!

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[Kokaneeandkahlua]

LOL!! It’s different to play with bunnies then cats and dogs…But keep trying different things and being creative and you’ll figure it out!!

Mine love to dig blankies especially on a couch, they love the diggy box, and they LOVE tunnels! You can make tunnels out of cardboard or even make forts out of couch cushions and towels. One of my bunnies absolutely loves anything he can throw!

[FiveBunsMom]

That is so precious!

I found out the hard way what get out of the way meant with Thumper, after only a few days of having him… He loves to follow me around the house, but anytime we get to a narrow place, he simply must be in the lead, if I linger too long, he will attempt a nudge..and then it’s followed by a sift nip to the ankle.  It happened to me and my husband . And after reading that wonderful resource we used the screech when he bit and stepped out of the way when he is passing….no more bites. He did spend some time in the time out …now we seem to be getting the jist of this fiesty little guy. It’s amazing how quick their behavior esp bad can be modified by using the techniques.

They all love the paper. And digging. I have keep diggy boxes in thier main bunny pens downstairs and we keep rements of carpet around for them so they don’t dig on mine when they are upstairs for the romp time.

Thumper loves paper, and his mac & cheese box!  His favorite thing to do is play ‘El Torro’ Bunny!  I get a long piece of single newspaper and hold it out in front of him and he races to charge it over and over again. He gets faster and faster each time! By the time I have played with him for about 5 minutes, he flops over on his side for a breather and I am wiping my face from tears from the gut busting laughter!

 We also let them have at the old phone books! Tubes …well I have a few pics I need to put up, two bunnies in a one bunny tube must be a lot of fun! They do it often!   They don’t play with any of the store bought toys, just the home made ones…mostly paper and boxes!

[MimzMum]

Oh Fiver, I love the matador thing you’re doing, that must be hysterical to watch! ^^

Mimzy likes paper okay. It doesn’t really melt his butter. His favorite thing is to take his little plushie “Carrot” and fling it around. He actually seems distressed when I take it out of his habitat each day to tape roll the fur off of it and is not really happy till I put it back where it was.

Pip is the big cardboard muncher…breakfast, lunch and dinner…mmmm…cardboard! Yup.

Sage I love your water crock setup…where did you get that? Do the bunnies ever gnaw the metal stand?

[Sage Cat]

I got the stand with the 2 bowls several years ago at Pier One. It is just tall enough that if there are only a few morning pellets left – the bunny’s will put their paws on the edge of the bowl to be able to reach the pellets – totally cute! No they don’t gnaw on the stand.

For the last 2 days Kay and Winston have been having a great time running around the dining room.

Last night Winston was very interested in the new Jelly-Fish box. He would go half way in and then back out. Finely he let out 2 great big thumps – “Are you looking?” – “I said, ARE YOU LOOKING?” – and then he ran all the way through as fast as he could!!!!

Both Kay & Winston enjoy “installing windows” in cardboard boxes.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Oh my yoo cute! Those little stinkers! Did you move their pen to the dining room away from the stove then? It just takes a little while for them to come out of their shell. Now that they are zooming around, it’s a good time to take another look around to see that everything is bunny-proofed.

[Sage Cat]

Yesterday (Wed.) I moved them to the dining room. Neither one of them hid while I made dinner last night. Yea. This morning I got the same very enthusiastic greeting I have gotten for about a week now. More yea!

For the last 2 days they have been running around like crazy! Heck, they are even running around on the wood & linoleum, not just the carpet.

The kitchen, Mud room & dining room are well bun proofed. The living room is to – but I don’t want to introduce too much too fast – so, it is blocked off for now.
Yesterday I took a little nap – I woke up to the sound of Winston running past the bed. That room is not bun proof – it’s a bun free zone – I’m now making sure to keep the bedroom door closed!

[MooBunnay]

Sage Cat – I’m so glad to hear your buns are doing so well at adjusting It sounds like their personalities are really coming out, and that you’re doing a really good job of communicating and bonding with them. I have a couple bunnies that like to put their toys “away” too, but its generally IN the water dish.

As far as ways to play with your bunny, I do not play to many games with my bunnies, but what I like to do is let them out and just lay on the floor and watch them run around. I think that makes me sound incredibly lazy….but I find it quite relaxing!

[Author]

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