Rabbit Thumping

[Vicky99]

Hi there,

Do any rabbit owners amongst you know of solutions to thumping? My rabbit Bitsy (mini lop - black & white - very cute!!) is a serial thumper. It's not the I'm scared thumping it's the I'm in a grump about something thumping. She does it at night.

She's getting on a bit now (5 years old). She has a cuddly toy which she batters/loves/washes/chucks around the hutch. Thing is with her being an old lady and generally bad tempered anyway I don't know what else I can do - can't really put another rabbit in with her - she'd kill it. She has nice runs about and comes in the house which she seems to enjoy (but is always grumpy).

Maybe it's old age - maybe it's the Victor Meldrew effect!!

 

[OohFeeshy]

Not much you can do I'm afraid We adopted a New Zealand White and she's a grump- normally they rehome their rabbits in pairs but ooh no, no friends for her Just try to advoid anything that will annoy her too much- like early bedtimes or otherwise going off the normal schedule (ours hates that, refuses to go to bed if it's before 9pm ) and try to keep her in as good a mood as possible.

 

[The-Wolf]

Why do rabbits thump?
Rabbits thump their hind feet to signal danger. Some rabbits will thump one foot on the ground, some will thump both hind feet at the same time. Rabbits aren't very vocal so thumping is their way of communicating. Usually this means they have heard something odd and it could be potentially harmful e.g.. A cat outside the door. Sometimes when you surprise rabbits they will thump at you to show their displeasure at being caught unawares. Thumping can also be an expression of displeasure, for example "Don't ever pick me up and hug me ever again!".

taken from
http/www.fuzzy-rabbit.com/behaviourfaq.htm

I'm reminded of Thumper from Disneys' Bambi

 

[emma12321]

5 years isn't old for a rabbit. They usually live to be teenagers. i've had several in the past which did it one was still doing it age 11 so you may have to get used to it lol

Emma

 

[Vicky99]

Yeah - I've had them live past 10 before (Thumper - stupid name I know) was 13 when he died which the vet said was amazingly old. I though the general average age for a rabbit was 7ish. She's one of those really sturdy stubborn ones - hopefully she's gonna go on for years with her grumpy little face!!

I was trying to say that she's not very open to change - at 5 she's pretty stuck in her ways - bless her!!

I worked out what is annoying her at the moment. Slugs.

A slug was trying to slime it's way up the front door of her hutch last night (yup the wire bit - not sure what it was trying to acheive) and she was really telling it off!! I also found slug slime on her straw when I cleaned her out the night before last so I think one got in!!

Ah well - I love her grumpy little fluffiness - it's what makes her!! I just worry that the neighbours might complain! She'll be coming in for the winter when the nights start getting colder so I guess the neighbours won't hear her then!!

Pesky slugs.

 

[littlelk]

I think thumping is something you have to just get used to with rabbits. If it has suddenly started maybe there is something that is bothering her, like noises that weren't there before. Also I found that they thump more if kept in smaller hutches, but hopefully she has plenty of room to run around in anyway.

 

[Leopard-danio]

My rabbit thumps when he is in our living room prancing around...

My rabbit loves the fabric tube we bout him from pets at home, my friend has a rabbit which is a serial thumper aswell, does your rabbit live outdoors or indoors?