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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Whisker pulling

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    • NuggetBuns
      Participant
      348 posts Send Private Message

        Emilee used to have very long whiskers, but we have noticed that they’ve been a lot shorter since living with Nugget (9 months now). We thought her whiskers were just fragile and broke off or perhaps Nugget was biting them, but never saw any proof. Until last night! They were both laying down facing each other and Emilee was waiting for him to groom her. He started yanking on her whiskers and she didn’t react much. I interfered and yelled at Nugget. I have read that some rabbits do it to be more dominant, but poor Em can’t sense anything close to her if she has no whiskers Has anyone experienced this with their buns? Is there any way to stop this behavior?


      • LBJ10
        Moderator
        16870 posts Send Private Message

          This is actually pretty common. Yes, it is a way to show dominance. I wouldn’t worry too much though. You said they have been together for 9 months? The reasserting of dominance tends to lessen in frequency as time passes. Just as with humping, it may still occur in a bonded pair but it happens less often as time goes by. So if Nugget is feeling pretty confident that he is indeed the top bunny around, then the whisker chewing should lessen.


        • NuggetBuns
          Participant
          348 posts Send Private Message

            Thank you for confirming that, I just couldn’t find too much info regarding this particular behavior. They have been bonded for 9 months, but both of them think that they’re top bun. Emilee is always humping Nugget to put him in his place and he lets her do it. Almost as if he’s letting her think she’s the dominant one. I notice that he’s more demanding for grooming and she spends more time grooming him than he does for her. Sometimes he’ll kick her out of the litter box so he can have it to himself. I’ve seen him in there for long periods of time by himself and she’ll sit nearby but won’t join him. Then there’s the whisker pulling…  I’d like to think that they are best friends and have a good relationship, but I feel like Nugget can be a bully. I guess this is just normal top bun behavior? 

            Perhaps this is why Emilee likes to start fights with him, to stand up for herself and take the top bun status back. She hit him in the face yesterday for no reason and this morning while he was eating, she threw herself against him. He was stunned and then chased her for a bit.  Such crazy buns.


          • LBJ10
            Moderator
            16870 posts Send Private Message

              It sounds like normal “top bun” behavior to me. My guess is that they are bonded, but they are still experiencing a bit of a power struggle. It isn’t unusual. I still think that once someone finally decides to submit, then the dominance-related behavior will diminish.

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          Forum BEHAVIOR Whisker pulling