Do rabbits thump when they get bored? I don\'t understand why else Petey would be thumping in the middle of the night. He doesn\'t do it every night or all night, but occasionally he will thump. Its funny because he has a pattern. He will thump like once a minute until somebody wakes up and tells him to go to sleep. (Its pretty loud!)
Lately I\'ve noticed if I just cough so he can hear me, sometimes he will stop thumping. Does this sound like boredom or any other suggestions?
Rabbits thump to sound an alert to possible danger or to let other rabbits know that this is
their territory.
Since Petey is indoors, my guess is that either one of those \"night sounds\" is occurring, causing him to be a bit uneasy, or Petey has learned that thumping gets a reaction from you and perhaps your voice makes him feel better. (Rabbits aint as dumb as people might think.)
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com
Hey thanks! I like the idea of him feeling safe when he hears the voice of his mommy!
The first rabbit I had used to do that ALL THE TIME at night. And you\'re right - it\'s loud. I\'d always wondered why he did it and I guess that makes sense. He too, would calm down after we told him to go to bed. Any reason why some rabbits do it and others don\'t? My rabbit I have now never thumps. He\'s so quiet - it\'s almost weird.
It just boils down to their comfort level. Obviously, your current rabbit feels quite at ease and doesn\'t feel the need to \'thump\'.
That brings to mind a situation years ago with a friend of mine. She had the idea that by putting speakers in her rabbitry and wiring them so she could hear the sounds from her bedroom, she would be able to hear if a predator came into the rabbitry and be able to get out there right away to address the situation. After a couple of nights of non-stop thumping, and no visible sign of a problem, she abandoned the idea.
I notice a lot of bucks thump loudly after they have bred a doe. In this case, they are letting other bucks in the area know to stay away. This is
their woman! LOL
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com
Petey sleeps in my daughter\'s bedroom, and when we first noticed the thumping when he was just little, we thought it was because my daughter\'s stuffed animals would fall off the bed as she slept and startle him! So now we limit her stuffed animals on the bed.
The thumping has slowed down since then, but I\'m wondering if maybe \"the cat\" in the basement who begins hollering for food during the night may be instigating the thumping problem now. (They haven\'t \"made friends with one another\")
Charlcie: I giggled at your note about the \"breeding buck\" theory. Maybe, too, he is thumping in celebration?? Kind of like a \"nanna nanna nanna\" type thing? hee hee
Could be...
Charlcie
My Honey bunny thumps sometimes, and has since he was about 4-5 months old. (I first heard it when he was accidentally being chased by my little dacshund--needless to say, Honey is much quicker and smarter than him.) He usually runs underneath something and does it, and it is really loud. I\'ve never heard him do it in his cage. I read somewhere that it is a \"go away\" signal. I\'ve approached him and picked him up after he\'s done it and he\'s not aggressive. He sleeps in our spare bedroom, and I sleep like a rock, so if he\'s done it at night, I\'d never know. I know rabbits who have never thumped, or grunted, though. I wonder what makes some do it and others don\'t? Honey has always been well taken care of and doesn\'t have any reason to be afraid. Are some rabbits just nervous by nature??
Well, we have a cat that lives in our house also, but the two have never acquainted with one another. I think sometimes Petey feels like he always has to be on guard because of the cat.
Also, Petey thumps through the night which may mean that he hears night sounds outside (wind, cats, etc.). The third theory is that he thumps when a stuffed animal falls off of my daughter\'s bed while she sleeps. We\'ve limited the amount of stuffed animals she can sleep with now! I\'ve often wondered too if he thumps for attention since he likes being out and about.
Fortunately, it has slowed down since we first got him. Usually a cough from me or my daughter will calm him down through the night if he thumps. Just like a little kid ...
Hi Petey,
Rabbit\'s thumping is a way to warn others that there is a danger! Thump, thump, thump means run, run, run!
I learn this from Alice. Visit her website to learn more!
rabbitcareinfo.com
I like her book!
Cheers,
Jess