Why does my rabbit shake his coat?

[luckypenny]

So my mini rex has been doing this quite often and i can’t understand exactly why.. I’m assuming it’s because he’s excited/happy, BUT i would love to know if there’s an alternative meaning that i should be aware of.

Here are the times when he would “shake his coat” (similar to a dog shaking it’s wet fur):

– After I pet him

– When he’s getting ready to get out of his cage 

– When he’s going to play 

And sometimes when he’s just running around, he’d shake and do binky right after.

Any ideas? Thanks!  

[Mikey]

Its a lazy binky! It means he is happy and/or content My mini rex also does this more often if he is shedding, so it could also mean hes a bit itchy

[jerseygirl]

I think of it as a way to get rid of an excess of nerves, whether from excitement or other. Sort of like that shiver you get sometimes. Often referred to “someone stepping on my grave” or “that gave me the willies” or “the Heebie jeebies”.

I do like the term lazy binky. :p

@Mikey, it’s interesting you notice it more when your rex is shedding. I saw my rabbit do it today and it was after I prodded him off the bed when he started chewing and digging the sheets. This was after I had been petting him. His is shedding a bit through his torso. Maybe their skin is more sensitive at this time… I think his little shake off was from a combo of the stimulation (from petting but also scooted to jump down off the bed).

[Mikey]

I could belive that, Jerseygirl My mini rex, Blue, hates brushes when hes shedding and molting for whatever reason, but likes to be brushed when hes not in a shed/molt. It would make sense that their skin is a bit more sensitive. He really likes to be lint rollered or simply have the loose fur petted off of him instead

[GeorgieTheBunny]

My Georgie is a mini Rex and we call this “ruffling” (I love thinking about it as a lazy binky)
She’ll do a ruffle:
-after being pet
-as part of self grooming
-when she is happy and/or about to binky

She does another similar behaviour that we call a “waggle”; she will shake just her head and it will make her ears continue to shake for a few moments afterward.
She’ll do a waggle:
-when you reach to pet her and she doesn’t want it
-as part of self ear cleaning
-as a stop that! message for just about anything
-sometimes before a binky

[skysblue]

Haha my rabbit does this too! Funny.

But she also likes to wiggle her butt and tail all the time, almost like a dog if she has a longer tail?!

[Deleted User]

One of my buns also does this. He ‘wags’ his tail too ❤️

[luckypenny]

@georgiethebunny Hahah that is exactly what my Penny does too! I was playing with Penny yesterday and he’d do a waggle, move away a little bit, and then binky… does that mean he’s enjoying it? Or is that a “stop that” message? I still get confused with their body language haha..

[Author]

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