Grunting and Thumping?

[Konotashi]

I'm guessing grunting is an irritated noise? Salem only does it when I'm trying to get him back into his cage, and he was grunting at me a minute ago when I was finished clipping his nails.

And I'm not sure what to call it, but sometimes, when he's running around and I have to put him back in his cage, he'll... thump? That's the only way I can describe it. It's like a loud thumping sound when he's trying to hop away from me. What's that mean?

I say this only about Salem, because Schnitzel couldn't care less if I scooped him up and stuck him in his cage.

 

[undergunfire]

Yep...sounds like he is irritated with you .

I always find it hilarious when a rabbit "thumps you off"!!!

 

[Demismith]

Probably either angry, or ready to be neutered. Maybe both.

 

[Konotashi]

He's been neutered since May. Is there any way I could get him into his cage in a less... irritating way? His cage is 3 feet or more off of the ground, so training him to go back into his cage on his own isn't an option.

 

[crystal]

thumping is obviously sometimes when they are irritated or angry etc.

I could be wrong but it seems like Lopsy sometimes thumps for attention, does anyone else think this? and my parents have wondered whether they thump when they sense a change in the whether coming... is this a totally crazy idea or could it be possible? opinions?

 

[Mika77]

My Hoppy would thump when I was getting her food, I think it was her way of telling me to hurry up. Clover and Lilly thump when something scares them. I have read in a book that rabbits thump as a warning to let other rabbits know of danger. I think that is true but I also think they thump for other reasons as well. Clover has thumped a couple of times when he was upset but he does not get upset too often.

 

[Bentley]

Bentley thumps at me only when I put her on the floor and when I'm sitting by her. I think its a way to get my attention, she'll thump, I'll look over at her, then she will more-than-likely start to hop away or run. Its really cute, haha. I love it when she thumps lol.

Otherwise, if she grunts it means she doesn't want to be picked up or taken out of her cage, and sometimes she'll nip at me to.

 

[hartleybun]

lol - hartleybun thumps as a warning to roxy that i've come to get them in for the night. she's pretty good tho and will hop in anyway. none of them grunt much - occasionally when im doing their nails.

 

[mardigraskisses]

My rabbit turns into bunnicula if you stick your hand in his cage. He sounds like an angry goose! He lunges and tries to 'grab' you with his front paws as well. And he thumps for a multitude of reasons. Sometimes I think he does it just to scare me late at night when it's quiet and then THUMP for seemingly no reason.

 

[snap]

You can still train him to go back to his cage. Just put some steps, a ramp or a series of stools/something so he can get up there then train him to get in there. My rabbit learned mostly because he knew if he didn't go I'd follow him around and be generally irritating and clap at him. XD

My inside rabbit, Harper, has only recently started grunting, because I took him to two events two weekends in a row. So he gets really angry if I try to touch him or even pick up his carrier. You just have to avoid whatever makes them angry, or if you really need to pick him up a lot then teach him to associate picking up with treats, like pellets or leafy greens and he'll get better. C: