How often do your bunnies stand up?

[Gordon]

For some reason, I'm always transfixed and fascinated when one of my two stands up and looks around, ears up full. Nothing happened, so why the stately pose and serious look around?

How often do your bunnies stand up? Why do you think they do this?

 

[Flashy]

It depends on the buns.

Funnily enough, those that stand up the most all came from the same breeder (three of which are related and one of which isn't). Which made me wonder if they utilised all their space, including upwards, because they had less space to move about in.

Badger and Sandy stand up the most. Badger in particular.

when he is free roam over night whenever I wake up in the night he is standing on his back legs looking at me. Badger stands and peers all the time.

 

[Saudade]

It's a habit called Periscoping, it's a way of investigating the world around them and checking for interesting things, dangerous things, pretty much just anything!

My lucy does it all the time, I tend to think of her like Cat from Red Dwarf!
Exploring over here, exploring over there! Just general exploring!

 

[Gordon]

Flashy wrote:

It depends on the buns.

Funnily enough, those that stand up the most all came from the same breeder (three of which are related and one of which isn't). Which made me wonder if they utilised all their space, including upwards, because they had less space to move about in.

Are you saying you think bunnies in restricted spaces, who get into a better situation, stand up more?

My two guys lived in outdoor hutches the first four months of their lives, but they've been free roam with me, ever since August of 2005, and they rarely ever stand up.

 

[Gordon]

Saudade wrote:

It's a habit called Periscoping, it's a way of investigating the world around them and checking for interesting things, dangerous things, pretty much just anything!

My lucy does it all the time, I tend to think of her like Cat from Red Dwarf!
Exploring over here, exploring over there! Just general exploring!

I've heard it referred to as Periscoping. I love watching Peter do it, but it's rare for him; and his brother, Bugs, never does it. I wonder why my two guys are so less likely to do it than other house bunnies, and what triggers it, when they do it?

 

[Flashy]

I'm just saying, from my observation only, that my buns who were born at mine and have only lived here stand up LESS than those who have had significantly less space before coming to me.

That is by no means a blanket statement, just what I have observed and the (maybe wrongly) conclusions I have drawn from seeing that.

All those who were born here lived in significantly bigger accom from the word go (multi level hutches/cages, lots of run time, nowadays the otusiders all have permanently attached runs and the insiders have wide cages and roughly 6 hours of run time in my room and up and down the landing daily. Compared to those who came from the breeder who had a 'box' roughly 2ft by 2ft by 2ft. All mine had at least double that at the worst, but currently have roughly 8 times that size.

Does that make more sense as to why I think that could be relevant? I think it's a learned behaviour for those buns because they didn't have the space to run that most of the others have had.

 

[Flashy]

Gordon wrote:

I've heard it referred to as Periscoping. I love watching Peter do it, but it's rare for him; and his brother, Bugs, never does it. I wonder why my two guys are so less likely to do it than other house bunnies, and what triggers it, when they do it?

Maybe yours just feel they have no need to do it (be it from an excitement/interests/threat point of view). Like with people all bunnies have different habits.

 

[Gordon]

Flashy wrote:

I'm just saying, from my observation only, that my buns who were born at mine and have only lived here stand up LESS than those who have had significantly less space before coming to me. ... I think it's a learned behaviour for those buns because they didn't have the space to run that most of the others have had.

I guess I understand your theory... you think that the rabbits with less original space are enjoying/exploring the freedom now, basically?

 

[BethM]

Amelia rarely periscopes. Tobi rarely does. Nick does it more frequently, especially when he wants to come out of his pen.

Ben periscopes all the time! Sometimes when he is nervous, he will go behind his house and periscope so only his head is sticking out above it, checking things out. He also stands up for treats. While the other three are likely to stand up and balance their front paws on the side of their cages when they are begging, Ben refuses to put his front paws on anything for support, and will stand up, balancing only on his back feet.

 

[Flashy]

Gordon wrote:

Flashy wrote:

I'm just saying, from my observation only, that my buns who were born at mine and have only lived here stand up LESS than those who have had significantly less space before coming to me. ... I think it's a learned behaviour for those buns because they didn't have the space to run that most of the others have had.

I guess I understand your theory... you think that the rabbits with less original space are enjoying/exploring the freedom now, basically?

Ha ha, no, sorry, i'm clearly not explaining myself properly.

What I'm trying to say is that when rabbits have less space to move in they learn to utilise all the room around them (so they would do a lot of standing up when they lived in that accommodation to maybe move in a different way, stretch, see something slightly different from what they could normally see, etc), and that carries with them even when they have more space to run/movearound in.

This is MERELY from what I have seen and in no way a criticism of breeders or the holes or anything at all.

 

[Sweetie]

My two rabbits stand up all the time. Sweetie does it more than Prince does. She looks like she is intent and making sure everything is okay.

 

[Saudade]

I think this is a point of nature vs. nurture. Rabbits in the wild periscope constantly, I'm pretty sure that the reason why some people's bunnies don't periscope as much is because they are in big environments that they're familiar with.

I mean it's like being in a house you've lived in for 30 years, you won't be running from one window to another constantly, you won't be checking out the house. Sometimes you'll look out the window but not regularly.

 

[LuvMyRabbits]

Shadow is very mellow and laid back and rarely does it..usually only when I have a treat. Spirit on the other hand does it quite frequently..shes very mischevious and curious about everything and she stands quite often looking around..she looks so cute when she does it..

 

[Brandy456]

Babii hardly does it, but when she does its super cute and im total ..:shock:

 

[Gordon]

Flashy wrote:

Gordon wrote:

Flashy wrote:

I'm just saying, from my observation only, that my buns who were born at mine and have only lived here stand up LESS than those who have had significantly less space before coming to me. ... I think it's a learned behaviour for those buns because they didn't have the space to run that most of the others have had.

I guess I understand your theory... you think that the rabbits with less original space are enjoying/exploring the freedom now, basically?

Ha ha, no, sorry, i'm clearly not explaining myself properly.

What I'm trying to say is that when rabbits have less space to move in they learn to utilise all the room around them (so they would do a lot of standing up when they lived in that accommodation to maybe move in a different way, stretch, see something slightly different from what they could normally see, etc), and that carries with them even when they have more space to run/move around in.

Ok, so basically, you think a rabbit with lots of room to begin with, is less likely to stand up just by virtue of the fact he or she has lots of available space?

 

[hartleybun]

with my two i can relate to flashy's posts. before i got them they spent most of their days in hutches. when they came to me and became free range buns they did stand up alot. at the time we thought it cute:rollseyesand put it down to getting to know their new home. now, after over 4 years in roxy's case she only stands up to chin occasionally. hartleybun who's been with us since january does it more, especially if its windy:?. he has stopped doing it and then nibbling at the washing on the line tho'.

 

[Flashy]

Gordon wrote:

Flashy wrote:

Gordon wrote:

Flashy wrote:

I'm just saying, from my observation only, that my buns who were born at mine and have only lived here stand up LESS than those who have had significantly less space before coming to me. ... I think it's a learned behaviour for those buns because they didn't have the space to run that most of the others have had.

I guess I understand your theory... you think that the rabbits with less original space are enjoying/exploring the freedom now, basically?

Ha ha, no, sorry, i'm clearly not explaining myself properly.

What I'm trying to say is that when rabbits have less space to move in they learn to utilise all the room around them (so they would do a lot of standing up when they lived in that accommodation to maybe move in a different way, stretch, see something slightly different from what they could normally see, etc), and that carries with them even when they have more space to run/movearound in.

Ok, so basically, you think a rabbit with lots of room to begin with, is less likely to stand up just by virtue of the fact he or she has lots of available space?

With my buns that is how it has seemed to be, but that does not mean it applies to all buns or is even a theory or a hypothesis, just that that is what I think I have witnessed in my rabbits.

I agree that it is nature vs nurture, so some may be more likely to stand up if genetically they are interested/more scared, etc, but others may learn to stand up for a particular reason (such as potentially having less space to move around in, or maybe having a roof opening run and realising that is where the person who brings the food comes in).

My Roger does it too when he is terrified, but he was a former wild bun so will have had to use it in the wild. He's my little exception

 

[Gordon]

Flashy wrote:

Gordon wrote:

Ok, so basically, you think a rabbit with lots of room to begin with, is less likely to stand up just by virtue of the fact he or she has lots of available space?

With my buns that is how it has seemed to be, but that does not mean it applies to all buns or is even a theory or a hypothesis, just that that is what I think I have witnessed in my rabbits.

I agree that it is nature vs nurture, so some may be more likely to stand up if genetically they are interested/more scared, etc, but others may learn to stand up for a particular reason (such as potentially having less space to move around in, or maybe having a roof opening run and realising that is where the person who brings the food comes in).

My Roger does it too when he is terrified, but he was a former wild bun so will have had to use it in the wild. He's my little exception

I'm going to try to explain all of this to Peter and Bugs. I am sure they will look at me like I am some crazy human.

 

[Flashy]

Ha ha. Film their reactions

 

[Gordon]

Flashy wrote:

Ha ha. Film their reactions

I really need to take more pictures.

We all do!