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Bunny behavior - licking and nipping
As most of you know I have 3 beautiful bunnies...
My two Mini lops are not the most sociable creatures and generally just come up and sniff you then hop away... My Dwarf lop however loves scratches. I was scratching along her back today (something I haven't done before, I usually stick to her cheeks) she turned around and started licking my hand... I have had lickers before, I know it's a sign of affection (grooming) but after about 10 licks she would give me a nip. Not hard enough to hurt but hard enough for me to pull my hand away... So.. does she like it when I scratch her, or is she nipping me to get me to stop? Why would she start licking and then bite? |
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Shaz... my chinchillas do the same thing.. I don't think it's a don't touch me bite I personally think it's a this feel good how about I groom you and they just nibble a little too hard. Mind you also the natural salt that we sweat out might just taste sooo good to them that after them 10 licks or so they decide to taste you |
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When my bunny comes to sniff my hand I hold out a finger and she sniffs it then starts nibbling on it. What is that about? |
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Adam.. most small mammals see everything as food so they as a first response sniff then taste.. That's why you should always keep your fingers out of creatures cages unless they are your own and even then they will still nibble.. I know better then to stick my finger in one of my chinchillas cage because her taste test nibbles sometimes draw blood yet her female cage mate nibbles so gently to see if your edible.. the boys I have are between the two.. sometimes they nibble too hard but are usually pretty good. They see you, associate you with being the food giver and if you hand even smells like something they think they would like they are going to try it |
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Cool, thanks binx! I've only ever had them lick me before, was a bit worried I had done something wrong! I guess it would be the same sort of thing Adam :confused: I put this photo in the 'pet photos' thread but it's too cute not to post here :p This is the bunny getting her cheeks rubbed, she closes her eyes and puts her chin on the ground then her ears splay outwards... |
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LOL no worries there shazz. I've had small critters all my life.. mice, rats, degus, chinchillas, rabbits (mini rex crossed with jack rabbits... and a holland lop named butterscotch) And they ALL do it.. start licking... lickity lick lick... then all of a sudden you feel some teeth then a nibble... its just their way of showing affection and tasting you... you might of handled something they like to eat before petting her or as I said the salt.. or it could have just been her"grooming" you even if it was a bit of a hard try LOL |
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Yea, she usually wonders around the room and then comes up to me and then she sniffs and the nibbles, never hard or anything. That is a cute bunny Shazzy. |
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Be flattered Adam, you must taste yummy! Hehe And thank you, she's my little baby. |
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What is the breed of your bunny and what is her name? |
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Dora the Explorer lol And she's a Dwarf Lop ;) (I don't know why the "dwarf" part... she weighs a ton :rolleyes: ) |
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Aw Shaz, she loves you so much she could just eat you up. It's all good. :) Thumper does that all the time. It's actually the reason that he was returned twice to the humane society. He's not a biter like his former owners thought, he's a nibbler. He'll lick and lick, snuggle right in, and then suddenly you'll feel a little nip. It's never hard, because I know he could draw blood if he wanted to, it's just a nip, hurts a bit, but to them it's just a way to say they love you. :) Little Dora is such a cutie. :) |
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Thanks Alty! I'm really happy now! Over 2 years and that's the first time she's licked me, weird little bunny. Mind you since she was spayed she has been a much easier bunny to get along with! More affectionate, no more destroying her cage (that's the babies job now :rolleyes: ) still doesn't really like the babies but I'll work on it once they are spayed, just leaving them separate for now. EDIT - Post number 3,000 yay for me :) |
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Congrats on post number 3,000 lmao... and how are the babies doing now?. all bunnies are weird in their own special ways :D... just finally deciding that she wanted to. |
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Yay for you Shazzy. Congrats!! I was at this pet store the other day to get a bigger cage for my bunny and They had this huge a$$ bunny there. She said it was 19 lbs and got up to 25 or 26 lbs. that is ridiculous. I never thought they got this big but this bunny was almost as big as my dog. |
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I used to have jack rabbit crosses and they were HUGE too.. its surprising how much a bunny can weigh sometimes |
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I love that bunny Alty! Apparently he breeds them and sells them for meat :( |
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I don't mean to steal a thread but just a question.My BF had a wild rabbit for years (8)and it used to eat all kinds of wood or anything in the house. Brillo pads,he loved brillo pads! His understanding was because rabbits teeth will grow and grow and they need to pare them down? Truth? Also his rabbit used to eat spaghetti and suck it right up,The pictures are funny. How do domestic rabbits pare their teeth down,if in fact that is true? Thanks. |
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It is true Artsy. Rabbits teeth grow constantly. You can buy stones (sand mixture) that they gnaw, it helps. If they don't have something to help grind their teeth then a trip to the vet is necessary, they'll clip them or grind them down. It's very important, as it can cause problems. Long teeth makes it hard for a bunny to eat. |
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 Originally Posted by shazamataz
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