Licking carpet...

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funnybunnymummy

funnybunnymummy

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So Gus has developed another odd trait in the last few days: He'll flop on the carpet in the living room, then stretch his head out and start licking the carpet. Then he'll sit up, lick the toes on his front feet for awhile, then the carpet, then his toes again, then the carpet, etc. We have to watch him because the licking sometimes turns to chewing!

Once he even did it on the lino floor. (But not the chewing.)

What is with my strange bunny?

Anyone else have a rabbit that licks the carpet?

Rue
 
My old bunny Wildfire would do this. She would lick the carpet (and sometimes led to nibbling too). There where a couple of spots that she was more prone to licking in.

Baxter will also be licking his paws and start licking the carpet sometimes too. Although if you scratch an itchy spot for him he'll start licking what ever is in front of him which is normally the carpet.

As long as you can keep him from turning licking to eating the carpet, he should be fine with his new habit.

-Dawn
 
He sounds like a happy, contented bunny, who loves his home :)
Licking and grooming are like bunny kisses, and some bunnies will lick anything close if they can't lick a friend.
Hazel will sometimes lick the furniture, or the bricks around the fireplace, pillows, or whatever is close. She does prefer to lick our hands/arms/legs though. White Chocolate loved to lick my daughter's hands.
 
Well, that's good to hear!

He doesn't lick us much. From time to time he'll lick one or the other of the boys. He's never licked me. (Wish he would!) Nor my hubby.

But he does lick the base of the computer chair. Not quite sure what that's about. I can only think because I often rest my feet there. Oh, and he licks his big red rubber ball. He loves his ball. ;)

Guess he now loves the carpet, too! :biggrin2:

Rue
 
Curious, have you ever laid on the floor with him (maybe he would lick you)? my bun will do his dead bunny flops and then always lick his feet and/or anything around him. He also jumps up on the couch and scratches at it and then licks it - I think he's trying to claim it as his own and put his saliva on it. Not sure though. So no, your not alone - lol..
 
Kirby licks the carpet and the mat in his pen. He flops and just starts licking. I can't ever get him to lick me though. :(
 
Aw, Kirby sounds like Gus. He was a rescue too, right?

I think Gus has trust issues and maybe some abandonment issues too (why he stops eating whenever we go away). I think Gus had a good home at one time and really loved that person (he's had some proper handling and training before, I'm sure of it), but now that he's been bounced around a bit and had his heart broken, he's just not as trusting. Y'know?

We're actually coming up on his 6 month gotcha anniversary (the point at whichhis previous owners dumped him), so I'm hoping once that passes he'll realize that he's not going anywhere and will really start to bond with us!

Rue

 
The writers of The Language of LAgomorphs say that licking inanimate objects, particularly when you're petting a bunny, is the bunny's way of saying that they appreciate what you're doing but won't stoop to the level of licking a lowly human. Tony does this a lot--he licks the couch when I'm petting him. Muffin will lick me occasionally if I've been petting her for a while and I stop--it's like "Hey! I like that! Don't stop please!"
:inlove:
 
funnybunnymummy wrote:
Aw, Kirby sounds like Gus. He was a rescue too, right?

I think Gus has trust issues and maybe some abandonment issues too (why he stops eating whenever we go away). I think Gus had a good home at one time and really loved that person (he's had some proper handling and training before, I'm sure of it), but now that he's been bounced around a bit and had his heart broken, he's just not as trusting. Y'know?

We're actually coming up on his 6 month gotcha anniversary (the point at whichhis previous owners dumped him), so I'm hoping once that passes he'll realize that he's not going anywhere and will really start to bond with us!

Rue
Click to expand...
Yep, Kirby was adopted. He was owner-surrendered, and he was kinda ignored as an outdoor hutch bun I think. He has trust issues, but he really loves being pet now. It took him 7 months in my care to really let me touch him without too much anxiety. It was the 1 year mark before he was really comfortable with the home and his life, and the people & buns in it. I think he would only lick the carpet if he was really feeling at home there. I take it as a positive thing.
 
tonyshuman wrote:
The writers of The Language of LAgomorphs say that licking inanimate objects, particularly when you're petting a bunny, is the bunny's way of saying that they appreciate what you're doing but won't stoop to the level of licking a lowly human. Tony does this a lot--he licks the couch when I'm petting him.
Click to expand...
:rofl:
 
tonyshuman wrote:
The writers of The Language of LAgomorphs say that licking inanimate objects, particularly when you're petting a bunny, is the bunny's way of saying that they appreciate what you're doing but won't stoop to the level of licking a lowly human. Tony does this a lot--he licks the couch when I'm petting him. Muffin will lick me occasionally if I've been petting her for a while and I stop--it's like "Hey! I like that! Don't stop please!"
:inlove:
Click to expand...
Thanks for that Claire. Chase always licks the carpet when I am petting her. I always wondered why she did it. She doesn't lick the carpet except when I am petting her.
 
yep, Cinder does this too! I definitely think it's an affection thing like someone else already stated! I think if you really were another bunny, they would be grooming each other t the same time, but we're a lot bigger and farther away, plus we have clothes on so licking us isn't always ideal!
 
My bun does the same thing, ive been google-ing it ans such and havnt found much answers besides that they are happy. I was worried my rabbit would be ingesting carpet fuzz and get sick. but glad to know shes not the only one!
 
My buns lick the carpet, their mats, their stuffed toys etc. but never their humans. As long as they're happy I guess...no good stinkers not tossing any affection my way...
 
Buster licks, his water bowl, the floor, the wall, the threshold, the floor again, the dining table, the chairs, the floor again, his other bowl, my phone, himself, the floor again. Lol. We don't have any carpet.
 
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