Flops and Tantrums

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k9resqer

Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
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Location
East Central Indiana, Indiana, USA
Cadbury is my first house rabbit and a total character but I'm looking for some insight into a few of his behaviors. I'd read about flops but have only recently experienced them and they were all rather unusual (to me anyway).

First ever flop: Cadbury was getting a drink of water and I went over to get his food bowls since it was around feeding time. I left the room to get his food and when I came back he was in full flop under his water bottle. For a split second there I thought the water had been poisoned and killed him on he spot. By the time I got across the room he was "alive" again and ready to eat his dinner. Was the flop because he was happy to be getting his dinner? Is that normal flop behavior?

The second flop was even more unusual. When I first brought him home I was still working from home so every morning I would open his crate and set up his pen since I was home to supervise the dogs around him. I recently went back to work so he's in his crate during the day. The first day back to work I came home and his crate was in total disarray. He had rearranged his bed, litter box, bowls and toys. When I walked in he was sitting in the corner with his back to me and he refused to acknowledge me when I spoke to him. I went into the bedroom to change my clothes and when I came back out to the living room he was flopped in his bed. I set up his pen but it took him a good hour to come out of his crate. I was starting to think he was sick but now I'm thinking he was just throwing a tantrum about being cooped up all day. But then, why the flop?

He did a similar thing later that same week. He was fine when I came home, I took the dogs outside, came back inside and he was flopped by the crate door. Once I opened up the crate and set up his pen he was happy as a clam. I just don't understand why the flops are happening when they do. It's more like he's acting out by flopping instead of being content. Is that normal?

Other than that he's a pretty chill dude. He'll stretch full out on the floor when he's in the pen and doesn't react in the least if the dogs go running past him. I swear he has no fear of the dogs but takes great delight in messing with my head. It just makes me love the little brat even more! :)
 
Flops are almost always happy contented behavior. The exceptions would be if a rabbit mistakenly falls over, then they'll usually pop right back up. Or when there is another rabbit(or other creature) next to their area and they are having a “I’m happy and you’re a miserable excuse for a rabbit, so there”
flop off, by flopping next to the cage/pen border. It's an intentional insult to the other rabbit.

http://language.rabbitspeak.com/ah-this-is-the-life/
His back to you and then flopping in his bed could have been a variation of this. So yeah, I think it was him letting you know how ticked he was with you. Rabbits! Gotta love 'em :p
 
My Flemish Giant behaves the same way. She does have to spend some time confined as I work and I also have two large dogs. There are days when she will totally wreck her crate and then, when I open the door, she will refuse to come out for a bit. I just ignore her and she eventually can't stand not being the center of attention and she comes out and falls into her pattern of following me everywhere.
 

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