Having trouble reading my rabbit

[Meganc731]

Hi there,

I've read a number of different sites about rabbit body language butit's really not helping me very much, I think I justneedexperience. When I pet Mr. Wiggles, either on his head or his back, hetends to put his head down and his ears down slightly and sometimesclose his eyes. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Thanks,

Megan

 

[BunnyMommy]

Hi,Megan. This is a good thing. Thebehavior is called "presenting". This is how bunnies indicateto other bunnies that they want to be groomed. When we go topet them they adopt the same stance. It means that he wantsyou to pet him ... the longer, the better.

 

[Meganc731]

That makes me feel a TON better. I wasn't sure if he was mad at me or what but I figured if he attacked me I'd stop LOL.



Thanks,

Megan

 

[Lissa]

Very good thing if they put their head down when you pet them.

 

[BunnyMommy]

Megan, the longerhe's with you and the longer you interact with him, the better you'llget at reading him. Sherman's been with me since April and Ican read him like a book! It'll be the same waywith you.

 

[Meganc731]

I tested it out, I put my head down for him and he started checking out my hair, and then he threw a toy at me



Megan

 

[BunnyMommy]

LOL!Normally they won't groom you back. They consider themselvesthe Alpha bunny and feel that it's your job to groomthem, not the other way around. It'sinstinctual as that's the way that things are done in thewarren.

 

[Meganc731]

Well maybe that's why he threw the toy at me, he was probably thinking, "Do it yourself lady! now fetch my toy!" LOL



Megan

 

[BunnyMommy]

Yep!

 

[LuvaBun]

Meganc731 wrote:

Well maybe that's why he threw the toy at me, he wasprobably thinking, "Do it yourself lady! now fetch my toy!" LOL



Megan

See, Meganc731, you're reading him better already lol. It's a good sign that he feels so comfortable with you already.

Jan

 

[BunnyMommy]

I wholeheartedly agree, Luvabun!

 

[Meganc731]

Thanks,

I am really excited by how social he is already. He's coming from acompletely different envrionment, he was housed out doors with a bunchof other animals, he did get human attention but now he's got my twokids to listen to. My cat goes into his cage everytime I openitand he's doesn't seem to mind her at all, he just goes upand sniffs her and she looks at him and walks away. My dog sleeps nextto him on the outside of his cage, and licks him through the cage. I'msure it's like night and day living here. It's really neat watching himcome out of his shell more and more.


Megan

 

[Lissa]

Social bunnies are so much fun, aren't they?