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theilian

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I was searching for places to talk about bunnies, and this place is great!!!

I have had Manny for about a month now, and she's lovely. (I don't knowher sex or even age, but I'm just calling her. I'm not entirely sureabot her breed either though I'm guessing she's Holland Lop)

However, I am wondering if she like being petted or not. She's notexactly afraid of me, but she doesn't like being held. Andwhen I pet her, she kind of freezes and lowers her whole body to thefloor. When I'm done petting, she stays like that for 1 or 2 seconds.After she's certain that I'm done, she moves on. Is this a fearposture? Does she dislike being petted?
 
What an adorably cute bunny youhave!:pNot too sure about her behaviour when being pettedthough, I have never experienced this sort of thing myself. I expectsome of our other members who have more experience than me might beable to help you.

Let us know how you get on?


 
One of my boys, Spice, is like that. He seems tohuddle up and wehen I pet him he places his chin against the ground soit looks like he's afraid. Seeing as you have only had your bunny for afew months, it could be a shyness thing if she wasn't handled much as ababy. Some are simply less social. I got Spice when he was 2-3 monthsold and had not been handled much, it's taken a year to get to thepoint we're at now and he still does that crouching thing. I know he'snot afraid because if I put my hand in front of his nose and stoppetting, he nudges me until I pet him more. For some reason, somesimply want tosit like that when being pet.
 
theilian wrote:
However, I am wondering if she like being petted or not. She's notexactly afraid of me, but she doesn't like being held. Andwhen I pet her, she kind of freezes and lowers her whole body to thefloor. When I'm done petting, she stays like that for 1 or 2 seconds.After she's certain that I'm done, she moves on. Is this a fearposture? Does she dislike being petted?
Click to expand...
Hi, Theilian! Welcome to the board! :)

Actually, all bunnies (unless they've been abused) LOVE beingpetted!... most though don't like being held. :(

The behavior that you describe is very normal and is called"presenting". It's what bunnies do in the wild to ask anotherbunny to groom them. When they do it to us it means that theywant to be petted. She stays like that for one or two secondsafter you finish petting her because she's hoping that you'll do itsome more! :D

Both these pages on this particular websiteexplain this principle even better:

http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html

http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html

Hope this helps! :)
 
Well thanks BunnyMommy! Now I know that's what Spice is doing! lol.

Thanks!
 
However, I am wondering if she like being petted or not. She's notexactly afraid of me, but she doesn't like being held. Andwhen I pet her, she kind of freezes and lowers her whole body to thefloor. When I'm done petting, she stays like that for 1 or 2 seconds.After she's certain that I'm done, she moves on. Is this a fearposture? Does she dislike being petted?
Click to expand...


She loves it....My Izzy's aHolland and does the same thing.Izzy will even crawl up to me and just sit there, flattened out withher head to the floor, and wait to get scratched. She'll sit thereforever.

Her son, Fenwick, does NOT like being petted (at certain times) andwill jerk away when my hand approaches. I've noticed some males arelike that--"Don't mess up my hair!!!", while females tend to be likelittle dogs who can't get enough scratching.

Rose
 
rabbitgirl wrote:
I've noticed some males are like that--"Don't mess up myhair!!!", while females tend to be like little dogs who can't getenough scratching.

Rose
Click to expand...


Ha ha, that could have been a pun.. ;)"Don't mess with my hare!"

lol, both of mine are boys and absolutely love being pet.
 
Thank you so much for explanation. I was worried that I was terrorizing Manny. :D
 
BunnyMommy

Thanks for that I did not know they did that in the wild. I am still learning lots on this forum!:p

Have now got the 4 rabbit books I ordered from Amazon but have onlyread one of them so far, must now get reading the other 3! So I canlearn even more about bunnies.:p:p

Sue
 
No problem, Foofy! I'm learning from you all as well. :)

I tell you, studying bunnies is just fascinating.
 
Welcome to the bunny board! We love 'Shere!!! Your Manny has the cutest littleface. I love that big black spot on her face.Sounds like you are doing the right thing with the petting.Have you tried petting on her face? Both of my rabbits loveto have their faces petted. Kind of like you are giving thema massage. Very gently of course. I massage alongthe lower jaw line and at the base of their ears.They also like to have their noses rubbed. From the tip ofthe nose going up between their eyes and rub around the base of theears. LikeI said you need to do this verygently. when you have had your rabbit longer, youwill be able to read her better and figure out what she likes and doesnot like. Take Care Beckie ,Trouble and Trixie
 
BunnyMommy wrote:
theilian wrote:
However, I am wondering if she like being petted or not. She's notexactly afraid of me, but she doesn't like being held. Andwhen I pet her, she kind of freezes and lowers her whole body to thefloor. When I'm done petting, she stays like that for 1 or 2 seconds.After she's certain that I'm done, she moves on. Is this a fearposture? Does she dislike being petted?
Click to expand...
Hi, Theilian! Welcome to the board! :)

Actually, all bunnies (unless they've been abused) LOVE beingpetted!... most though don't like being held. :(

The behavior that you describe is very normal and is called"presenting". It's what bunnies do in the wild to ask anotherbunny to groom them. When they do it to us it means that theywant to be petted. She stays like that for one or two secondsafter you finish petting her because she's hoping that you'll do itsome more! :D

Both these pages on this particular websiteexplain this principle even better:

http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html

http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html

Hope this helps! :)
Click to expand...
bunny mommy you read my mind
 
What a cute bunny!!! Can bunnys eat watermellen.Mine dont eat much but the normal stuff. I can see her saying u want meto do what with that wet stuff :)

Cristy
 
Cristy, if Iremember correctly from my reading, watermelon has an extremely highwater content and thus given in large quantities would tend to givebunny "the runs". :( Also, be careful not to letthem eat the seeds.
 
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