Thumping – for attention?

[Haley]

Violet has just started thumping. I’ve had her for about 3 1/2 weeks. The first time was after we groomed her (she’s an angora-teddy, so we had to deal with a matted part of hair). About a week later, when I’ve been sitting on the couch (and she’s on the couch too), she circles around me and thumps. Just once or twice. She also grunts a little bit. I pet her and it stops. 

Does her thumping mean that she wants attention or she just wants me to move out of the way because she’s too lazy to hop over my legs? Or is she angry? She’s never really aggressive, she is cuddly and seems like she’s demanding attention.

If it helps, she isn’t spayed (she’s 2 1/2 years old and I adopted her from a breeder, where she had three litters – she is my only pet, but I am considering getting her spayed).

[Sarita]

I think it really depends on the situation since thumping is a way of communicating and communicating in many different ways with rabbits and some rabbits are just more vocal and communicate more than others.

It may just mean she wants attention based on what you are saying. Spaying is a good idea and I advocate doing that but I don’t think it has anything to do with thumping. I have only had altered rabbits and they still thump.

[Haley]

Thanks Sarita. It’s just strange because she didn’t do it at all the first few weeks, and it started just now – and in the past two days, it seems like every time she is near me, she is thumping at me!

Yet, she’s the one who comes to sit next to me, I give her cuddles for a long time, and then she starts circling around me on the couch and thumping and grunting at me. Crazy bunny

[BlueMoods]

Thumping is one of the most noticeable ways rabbits ask you or another rabbit to pay attention to them. Their actions and posture once you or the other rabbit does look at them is what tells you why they were thumping.

What yours is doing sounds like a *look at human* “Pet me.” human does not respond so *thump* “I said pet me.” human still not petting but looking *grunt/growl* “I said now.” *thump* now the human pets me.” So next time it’s *thump, Thump, Grunt* “Ah ha that works, I’m getting petted.”

In other words, you inadvertently taught your rabbit that thumping was the proper way to ask you to pet her.

[Haley]

Ha! That may be totally true…

She has started circling around me and thumping, too. Maybe it’s a game? Each time I turn, she runs to the other side of me. I’m still getting to know her but she seems like she has a rather strong personality…

[BlueMoods]

It sounds like she thinks thumping is the best way to communicate with you and has made it a conversation game. It does sound like she has an assertive personality and, would be queen bunny if you had other rabbits.

[Elrohwen]

Yeah, sounds like she’s just trying to communicate something. Mine will thump if she’s afraid, but also if she’s very excited, like at dinner time.

[Haley]

BlueMoods, she does have an assertive personality, that’s for sure! Her breeder told me that she does NOT get along with other female rabbits.

I guess she’s just talkative! It’s always interesting getting to know an animal!

[BlueMoods]

I have a couple of talkative rabbits. BB chatters and squeaks softly, plays the ticking game. I tick with my tongue, she copies how ever many clicks I do with soft chatters. Tippy is silent and doesn’t thump but he can speak volumes with his expressions and those ears, always pays attention to everything I do and, shows what he is thinking with his expressions and ears. Sassy thumps to herd other rabbits and me where she wants whoever she is herding to go and, she likes herding anything that moves.

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