Do rabbits use their front paws for holding stuff?

[Tweetiepy]

I've been thinking aboutthis for a while and after a member mentioned trying to train a rabbit to give the paw, it got me thinking...

I know that they might use their front paws to "box" other competing rabbits, or use them to wash themselves or digging, but do they really use their front paws as a "tool". What I mean is cats might hold down their food or chew toy for a dog, but do rabbits use theirs for holding down stuff? My bunny will nibble a carrot and it will fall through his litter grate and he'll be chewing at the carrot through the hole. I haven't seen him use his front paws apart from grooming himself.

 

[Happi Bun]

I've seen my bunnies use their front paws to pull their food bowl closer...

That is about it though.

 

[jcottonl02]

Lol i dunno why but I laughed so much at that title because I just got this image of a rabbit holding like...a glass or a hammer or something hahaha.

Seriously though, yeah my rabbits seem to use their paws sometimes. To rearrange the furniture and my pillows how they see fit, using their paws together and stretching them out etc. They also use their paws sometimes to hold food but not usually.

Jen

 

[Amy27]

I have never seen my rabbit use their paws to hold food or a toy. Instead they end up pushing it all over the floor if it is something that moves when they try to bite it. Mostly I see them use their paws for pushing things, they love to push hay around the litter box. They use them to dig at the carpet or at the side of a box. That's all I can think of. I never realized before how little they use their paws to do things until I read this thread.

 

[tamsin]

They dig with their front paws to manipulate things but they don't really hold things. I was going to says they don't have the bone structure for it but then nor does a dog really and they use their paws for holding things down. I guess it'd just rabbits would naturally eat things in bite size pieces straight from the tree or graze rather than gnaw on a lump of carrot or a bone like a dog.

 

[marissalb]

I get these cardboard rings for my rabbits, and one of them, Lily, will hold down the ring with her paw so that the toy stands straight up and doesn't move when she chews on it. :biggrin:

 

[MikeScone]

I've never seen a rabbit use his or her paws to hold anything. They certainly never grip anything like rodents do, or hold things against the floor to chew on them. It doesn't seem to be in their makeup - perhaps because their paws are covered in fur so there's no real friction?

I always find it amusing when rabbits are pictured holding up carrots or other food to chew on them. For example, the cover picture on my copy of "Tales from Watership Down" has just that - and that artist should have known better.

It's supposed to be a naturalistic rabbit, but it looks more like a squirrel with long ears.