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Forum BEHAVIOR why does my rabbit thump everytime i say no and clap my hands?

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    • DutchRabbitsFtw
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         so i’ve cleaned the under side of my bed so my rabbit can get in and get out as he chooses since he really likes my bed, but dont worry i am supervising him whenever he is out. also there are thick wood boards supporting my mattress so he cant chew his way into my mattress. 

        but whenever he is under there he sometimes scratches/ digs at the wall. (my bed is against a wall) and whenever i say “NO” and clap my hands he hops away but one time he thumped . also, for no reason at all he was thumping a lot earlier today? like for no reason. the only thing i could think of was my sisters new toy atm machine that makes an annoying loud noise. but she was somewhat far away from my room. also there were some noises outside (train to be exact) but a train passes near my house every other night or something! so was he scared? annoyed? 

        i also heard that it could be for attention? (he wasnt doing it for attention but just for future references). his foster mom would tell me that he would get jealous and thump his feet if she (foster mom) was petting a different bunny


      • DutchRabbitsFtw
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          oh and also, he doesnt have a problem with coming out from under the bed. i think it would be okay to let him be able to go under there? my room isnt very big … and if i let him go under my bed then he would have a lot more roon


        • Michelle&Lolli
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            The main thing about being under the bed is making sure he’s not chewing up carpet and not chewing up the actual mattress. Other rabbits (and cats) have been known to tear holes in the mattress and then get up inside which can be dangerous. So as long as you are checking on him periodically, it should be fine to let him under the bed. My rabbits loved being under the bed.

            As for the thumping…….when he thumped after you told him no, he was probably just being mad about getting into trouble. Rabbits have very sensitive and good hearing so sometimes they hear things and react by thumping. Eddie used to freak out all the time and I always just said it was the “ghosts” spooking him. lol


          • DutchRabbitsFtw
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              haha oh okay! i thought he was scared or something? today no matter how many times i clap my hands and say no he will still dig at the wall under my bed so i sprayed it with perfume (the wall my bed is against so he will stop digging hopefully) and the scent is strong and all over my room so i have my door open so the it can air out! i even tried spraying him with water; he doesnt care lol..


            • Elrohwen
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                If you’re going to use perfume to deter chewing it’s a good idea to spray it on a cloth or paper towel, then wipe onto the surface. Spraying it on directly can make it smell way too strong.


              • LBJ10
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                  Sounds to me like the thumping was “back talk”. He was mad because you caught him doing something naughty. Wooly used to do this a lot.


                • Sam and Lady's Human
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                    I’m just going to recommend you read through the Bunny Info up above, there are about 6-8 links that are all jam packed with good info, including behavior such as thumping


                  • RabbitPam
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                      Good idea, Sam&Lady’sHuman.
                      I also would recommend a spray bottle of white vinegar and water mixed instead of perfume. It doesn’t smell that lingers in the air for you, but it will be a repellent smell on the baseboards. Wiping it is an option, too. It’s just safer if he tastes the wall again, instead of perfume. It’s used to clean cages and remove pet odors elsewhere, as well as removing any marking he may do so that it doesn’t have “his” scent on it, which makes them come back.

                      Thumping: Sassed you. Warning you. Protesting.


                    • Rei
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                        Molly thumps reguarly. Its just her personality. She likes to let me know when I am doing something she does not approve of: picking her up (I’ve only had her a couple months, and she is not ok with me holding her long, but some rabbits are just like this, she may never accept it), scooting her out of the way when she is chewing on something she isn’t supposed to, or rattling a case of tic tacs lol she thumped at that one really loud. She apparently didn’t approve of the sound. Thumping is just one way a bunny communicates. A lot of times, its their way of talking back to you and giving you sass


                      • LittlePuffyTail
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                          Olivia thumps whenever she hears loud noises so maybe your bunny finds the clapping sound scary. The other day Ricky was eating a salad while Olivia was out and every time he would crunch a crouton, she would stomp.


                        • "floppy doggies" mommy
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                            My rabbit spends most of his time under my bed! When it’s time to go back in his cage he also thumps he will thump for hours also while he is in his cage! I knows he is just acting like a stuburn child but it is loud and can be scary when I’m trying to grab him from under the bed. Just stomp the floor right back at him. Also instead of perfume spray I use sour apple that’s made for dogs. It had saved my carpets!!! You can buy it at most pet stores!


                          • Rei
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                              I have to disagree with the above post. I don’t advise thumping back at your bunny. Think about it, its like a yelling match. “I can yell loudest!!” “No ME!” “NO MEEE!!!!!!” In the end, you didn’t accomplish anything, except maybe make the other person less inclined to want to be with you. Our thumps will be really loud and would scare them, so I don’t think thats the best solution, because the best way to bond with your bunny is to have them trust you, and if you scare them, that won’t happen.

                              And also to the above post, my bunny would spend all day under my bed if I let her, but when the time came to getting her out, it was an all out match to see who was quicker. This was totally ruining our bonding cuz she hated when I had to catch and grab her like that. Maybe try doing what I did and block off your bed with boards. She can’t get under there now, so there is no conflict, and our bonding has gotten much better since I don’t have to forcefully put her back in her cage now. She comes and goes as she wishes.


                            • Sam and Lady's Human
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                                I think it depends on the thump, Rei. Rabbits use thumping as a form of communication so if you use it the same way, it can be useful. For example, I’ve had times when Samson thought it was hilarious to chase me across the room until I dove onto the bed, like a game of Hot Lave Monster Fun for him, not so much for me. Finally, I turned around and foot flicked/stomped, and she looked at me like, oh, you don’t like this too? haha. She wasn’t scared, I honestly think it helped her understand I was frustrated, since I can’t really say, stop doing that silly bunny.

                                I do agree to not drag your bun out from the bed, you’ll never build trust or a bond that way. Either block the bed off completely, or make it so going to his pen is rewarding, ie a small treat or dinner time. Both my buns go to their pens at about 8-9 pm and stare at me until I feed them their salads

                                Annnd how big is your cage Floppy? It may be too small, and thats why he’s fighting being in it.


                              • Stickerbunny
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                                  I don’t thump back AT the rabbit when they thump, but thumping when they are being bad (IE: chewing, digging, etc) I do – it’s a way of disapproval they understand. Stickers never listens to “no” etc, so if she doesn’t stop something, I thump (you don’t have to do it really LOUD, just a soft thump for us) – when I do it she stops cause she understand she’s being bad, of course she’s a diva so I get the ears back on the head, thump and foot flick for daring to interrupt her fun (which I get no matter how I interrupt it). lol I would never thump back at a bun though, often it’s a way of showing distress for them, so adding to it would be bad!

                                  I use going back rewards too, I feed mine dinner when it is time to go back into their rooms and they go happily. I never force them anywhere. Even the carrier is fun for them because it means “TREAT!”


                                • Elrohwen
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                                    I definitely agree on food and treats! Mine get dinner when it’s my bedtime, so around 9:30 they’re hanging out in the cage staring at me for dinner. In the morning DH feeds them early, so I resort to craisins to get them back in the cage. They’ll do anything for a craisin!


                                  • Rei
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                                      Ok I can agree with thumping (so long as you aren’t stamping your foot as loud as you can) as a means to tell them no (Molly actually listens when I just say NO, so I don’t have to thump, but all buns are different). But I still have to disagree to thumping at your bunny when they make a thump. That won’t keep them from thumping. Its not a bad thing when a bunny thumps. I used to think it was, but I have just learned to accept it and let her put in her 2 cents lol

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                                  Forum BEHAVIOR why does my rabbit thump everytime i say no and clap my hands?