The Rabbit House» Behaviour Archives – The Rabbit House

Out in the Sunshine

Tamsin — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:58:53 +0000

Scamp’s not usually allowed outside because it’s hard enough keeping him safely contained in the house. However, Gypsy’s old run is empty so I bundled him into a carrier (okay, I opened the door and he hopped in) and then shut both of us in the run before letting him out.

He had great fun investigating the new space, I didn’t give him too long because it’s soo hot outside though!

Brief pause to remove cobwebs from whiskers!

Radio 4: Are Rabbits Social Animals?

Tamsin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:54:06 +0000

Radio 4 had a brief section on rabbits on Friday, you can listen online here (rabbit section starts around 12 minutes in). They interviewed Brigitte Lord, a Lecturer in Rabbit Medicine and Surgery and Heather Childs, a rabbit breeder/shower.

Among other topics they discussed the social behaviour of rabbits. The difference in their points of view was quite wide!

Lord emphasised that rabbits are very social animals and that having a companion allowed them to partake in natural behaviour like mutual grooming and made them feel more safe as they could share look out duties. She stated that unless their owner was at home all day to be their companion, rabbits get very lonely and that she had experienced many behaviour problems in single rabbits because of this.

Childs, on the other hand stated “I will not sell two rabbits together under any circumstances, because at the end of the day I am frighten that at sexual maturity they will rip one and other apart.” She suggested that a teddy bear would be a better choice of companion.

I think it highlights how misunderstood rabbits still are. Although, I was shaking my head through the part about never keeping rabbits together, I can easily see how she came to that conclusion. If you put a same sex, adult rabbit into the pen of another they will, in general, “rip one and other apart”. I think many pet owners arrive at the same conclusion. It doesn’t mean rabbits don’t want social companions though, you just need to understand it from their point of view.

Within a group, rabbits form separate male and female hierarchies (pecking orders). If you pick two same sex rabbits you might be lucky and end up with two on opposite ends of the social ladder that are happy with their position and with a little pushing and shoving will get on just fine. Or, you may end up with two bunnies that will fight over who is top dog and rip one and other to shreds in the process. Rather than gambolling, the best option is to pick a male and a female because they naturally make love not war (yes I agree that is a bit corny). The overwhelming odds are that a neutered male and a neutered female (loved up bunnies is good but we don’t want babies) introduced somewhere neutral will get on great.

If you do choose same-sex rabbits neutering is a must. Having hormones that constantly drive them to compete over social rank and territory is not conducive to a stable relationship! It’s certainly possible to have rabbits of the same sex living together but it can be more tricky and you need to be on the look out for potential disputes. Hierarchy isn’t set in stone, reaching sexual maturity, a new territory or competition over food can all trigger a new argument over who is top dog. Neutering reduces the competitive urges but doesn’t remove it completely.

Neutral territory is the other important factor for successful introductions. Rabbits are ferociously defensive of their homes. But then, how would you react if a total stranger appeared in the middle of your living room? My first thought wouldn’t be “ooo look a potential new friend”. Rabbit’s feel the same way; a strange rabbit invading their space is going to be treated like the enemy, not a potential friend. They much prefer to meet potential companions in a neutral area like you might go out for a cup of coffee to get to know someone.

I wish pet shops were a bit more upfront about the pros and cons of potential matches. My very first bunnies were a pair of males, who went on to fight and had to be separated – that must be nearly 15 years ago and I still speak to owners that aren’t warned about potential future problems when their rabbits hormones kick in or even when they buy a new rabbit as a companion.

Scamp Napping in the Sunshine

Tamsin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:29:15 +0000

After a week of wind and rain its suddenly toasty hot again. Here’s a picture and a couple of videos from the last lot of sunny weather I didn’t get around to posting. I know I give the impression Scamp is a little terror but that’s only 98% of the time. He does occasionally slow down and a sunny window was enough to tempt him into a nap. One hand for a pillow and one for cheek rubs is his favourite way to relax.

I almost caught him flopping over and there is a lot of wriggling involved in getting comfy.

This is out of focus and kind of repetitive but its a good example of our quality bonding time (rub my ears slave) on the occasions he does stay in one place for more than two seconds at a time.

Mini Bunny Pictures

Tamsin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:57:59 +0000

I’ve been drawing lots of little bunny pictures to illustrate different rabbit behaviours. Just little sketches. They are for a a mini guide to rabbit behaviour I’ve been working on. I don’t know if I’ll ever finish working on it but I’m enjoying drawing the pictures. It really makes you think about the subtle ways bunnies communicate.

Coincidentally, The Bunny Boys picked today to post an excellent photographic guide to the most important bunny behaviours, in memory of their Skittles. It gave me a good giggle! Check it out here: http://bunnyboys.blogspot.com/2010/07/homage.html

Stick around, I’m just waiting for some videos of Scamp to finish uploading in which he demonstrates cute sleepy bunny behaviour.

Trashing the Place: Bunny Boredom

Tamsin — Sat, 22 May 2010 23:55:30 +0000

This is the mess that greeted me this morning when I went to investigate the odd banging sounds coming from the kitchen:

Can you spot Scamp? No, me neither, that would be because he’s sitting under the work top in the veg rack practising his “Who me?” face. The onions are safe (removed after the previous invasion) but we may need new potatoes.

He was a bit miffed at having fun spoilt:

I think most naughty bunny behaviour is just bored bunny behaviour. Wild rabbits would usually be to busy eating to make trouble, so the obvious solution for Scamp’s boredom is food too. I cut him some grass and scattered it around the floor so he could ‘graze’. It kept him quiet for a little while at least.

Look what I found whilst cutting grass…

Do be careful this time of year if you’re mowing grass, as there are frogs and soon baby froglets crawling in it looking for bugs and shade. I was using scissors so this chap hoped off safe… maybe he’ll eat some of the slugs.

Scamp in the Snow

Tamsin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:38:03 +0000

Snow is a great enrichment opportunity for rabbits to dig and forage; but, my garden is not Scamp proof. So, if the bunny can’t go to the snow, the snow has to come to the bunny. Cue one washing up bowl full of snow, laced with rabbit food…

Scamp Antics

Tamsin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:59:26 +0000

Do you ever wonder if they wait until your back is turned then play in all the places you thought were totally inaccessible before sneaking back to look innocent? The answer is yes.

I was going through the hundreds of snaps I have and here is Scamp caught in the act…

That’s the kitchen window sill, above the work top, excuse the mess.

Understanding Your Rabbit

Tamsin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:44:25 +0000

Sometimes it can be hard to understand what your rabbit wants; don’t you wish they could just spell it out…