The Pets City » Pet Behavior http://www.thepetscity.com Quick Tips and Information on Pets' Health, Grooming, Training, Nutrition, Supplies... Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:08:47 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Rabbit’s Body Language: What Does It Means? – Part 2 http://www.thepetscity.com/rabbits/rabbits-body-language-what-does-it-means-part-2/ http://www.thepetscity.com/rabbits/rabbits-body-language-what-does-it-means-part-2/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:54:08 +0000 Andrea http://www.thepetscity.com/?p=125 RabbitsIn previous post on rabbit’s body language, we saw that rabbits communicate a lot through body language. We touched on what your rabbit is trying to say when it rubs its chin on objects, spray urine, grunts, and thumps its hind leg. In this post, we interpret some more of this creature’s body language signals.

  • Mounting: A male rabbit mounting a female rabbit indicates a desire to mate. A female mounting a male, or any rabbit mounting another of the same sex, is simply an act of dominance. The alpha rabbit mounts the other to indicate that he/she is the leader.

  • Screaming: A rabbit screams when it is in great pain or close to death.
  • Standing On Hind Leg: Curious, excited rabbits often stand on their hind legs for a clearer view.
  • Playing: If your rabbits toss their food bowls or race madly round the cage, don’t worry. They have not gone mad; they’re just having bunny fun.
  • Licking: It is affectionately telling you “I love you!”
  • Nudging With Its Nose: It is probably trying to get your attention. You should pat it.

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]]> http://www.thepetscity.com/rabbits/rabbits-body-language-what-does-it-means-part-2/feed/ 0 Rabbit’s Body Language: What Does It Means? – Part 1 http://www.thepetscity.com/rabbits/rabbits-body-language-what-does-it-means-part-1/ http://www.thepetscity.com/rabbits/rabbits-body-language-what-does-it-means-part-1/#comments Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:19:17 +0000 Andrea http://www.thepetscity.com/?p=111 RabbitsThe biggest misconception about rabbits is that they are “unemotional” and do not bond with owners. Your bunny rabbit may not communicate as vocally as cats and dogs do, but he says plenty through body language.

  • Rubbing Chin On Objects: Your rabbit is marking its territory, telling you: “This belongs to me!” They have scent glands underneath the chin and near the anus, so they rub their chins on objects, even people, to indicate ownership.
  • Spraying Of Urine: This indicates fear and is an act of defense, more common in bucks (males) than does females. One remarkable buck never fails to wash my face with his urine whenever I clean his cage!
  • Grunting: This usually indicates annoyance, so watch out for nasty bites!
  • Thumping: If your rabbit thumps his hind leg, he is probably frightened, and warning other rabbits of danger.

Rabbits generally do not like changes, especially in their cages. They can be very unhappy when you rearrange anything in the cage. It is wise to remove your rabbit before cleaning the cage to avoid bites or warm urine on your face!

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