Raised Tail—Ears Pointing Forward–what does this mean?

[ZooLady]

After an all out fight in my absence last night, my older rabbit keeps approaching the younger with his ears pointed forward and his tail held quite high.  (Only been around each other for a few days..) He seems curious.  I’m thinking he got the short stick in the dominance game.  Any idea what this behaviour indicates?

[Sarita]

It could be curiosity or it could be aggression as well…I’m thinking with the tail held high aggression. But I have to think caution as well – I see my rabbit use this body language when they are being cautious.

[Beka27]

When I was bonding my buns, that meant aggression. It’s hard to really say with yours tho. Are you doing the bonding sessions in neutral territory?

[ZooLady]

The bonding sessions started in the living room—which is close by the newer rabbits cage. It was an unintentional bonding session however…they hooked up in my absence, and I witnessed their calmer behaviour after what appeared to be a long fight. I’ve posted pictures of the place they met and fought (as well as pictures of their adorable little naughty selves) in the Lounge forum. The mat in the pictures is where they met.

[mrmac]

With my buns it is aggression too but like Beka said it really does depend on the buns.

[KatnipCrzy]

My buns have always been lops- but when their ears are tilted forward and they are on tippy toes and tail is way up- if there has been another bunny present- that meant aggression.  They body language says that they are paying a LOT of attention to the other bunny- and with no distraction it would usually lead to a scuffle with my buns.  I took the language of “tail up” to mean I am dominant and ready to pee/spray dominate any way I need to.

[BinkyBunny]

The tail up with the ears forward it does mean full concentration which can lead to aggression depending on the other bunny’s next move. Jack does this all the time with Vivian, but 8 out 10 times, he does not get aggressive even when Vivian gives him a nip. Vivian will show full aggression with tail up and ears back when she tells Jack to “knock it off!”.

[RabbitPam]

https://www.binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/a…fault.aspx

ZooLady, I thought I’d like to your Lounge post so we can see the pix.

[BunnyBuns7]

Hm… is he wiggling his nose really fast too? My rabbit does that when she is really really really curious about something. She still will hop slowly, like her curiousity is getting in the way of her instinct to be cautious. She’ll stretch out as far as she can toward it and then hop together. However, if you other rabbit was showing dominance, I almost wonder if your first rabbit is showing some kind of submssionor he wants to be dominant. Have you ever seen a wolf submit to the alpha male? They go up with their tale between their legs and body lowered. and they stretch a little and sniff sometimes like they’re asking. I wonder if bunnies do this in a way too. Just a thought.

[Author]

Messages