My rabbit (which I've had for only about 6 days) started thumping! I made the mistake of letting him run around when I first got him, and now that I realized that I have to keep him in his exercise pen for a majority of the time until he's fully potty trained then I think it's what's made him start thumping. It started when I let him out (for about an hour) after keeping him in his exercise pen for almost a full day. When he went back in the pen, maybe an hour later, he thumped and it just spooked me. Is this normal? I know that thumping is not a happy sign. Should I let him out everytime I hear him thump or will that just condition him to thump more? What should I do?
Bunny is thumping
- Thread starter kadv
- Start date
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If you let him out when he thumps, he'll use that as a means of getting your attention. Yes. That would end up conditioning him.
Why does he need to be penned up all day?
Thanks for the response! As I said, I'm in the process of potty training him and from what I've read, I shouldn't take him out of his pen if he's still not fully potty trained (I'm going to free roam him when he's potty trained). Of course I do take him out occasionally, especially when he hasn't had any accidents (which is what happened yesterday, so I let him out for a couple of hours). I've tried to do a lot of research on potty training, am I doing something wrong? How often should I let him out while I'm still potty training him? I'm being patient in this process, but I don't want to do anything that would cause his potty training to take longer because as I said I really want to start free roaming him asap cause I don't just want him to be in his pen.
When we got Oreo I had no idea what I was doing. I put down blankets and sheets on the floor and one really thick blanket. The thick one she used as a potty blanket. I just let her run. She would use her litter box, sometimes, when she was in her pen but, when she was roaming she used that one blanket. It was only after she was spayed that she became fully trained. She only goes in her box and I even have a second one in my sons room since she likes to hang out in there.
My rabbit thumps when she wants the person or animal to back off. I would say your rabbit is justirritated at what is going on. Maybe he/she needs more space and place to run.
NorthernNevadaHollandLops
Well-Known Member
Home old is he? Thumping is a normal way they communicate frustration or irritation, and also when they perceive danger. So, as long as your bun isn't in any danger and isn't acting stressed, thumping is more of a way they express disapproval. I personally think it's super cute and take it as a compliment that my rabbits care enough to communicate with me. So I'll talk to them much like I would to my kids. You prob already do this, since you've been researching it, but put him on his litter tray/box when you put him back in the pen, especially after a potty accident.
