Grooming When Butt Gets Scratched?

[JuliaD]

Is it a sign that my rabbit is enjoying getting his butt scratched when he turns and tries to groom himself on the side im scratching?

This may seem like a silly or obvious question but I’m just so surprised that he didn’t flee immediately after i pulled the first tuft of loose fur off his butt. In all 6 and a half years I’ve had Jackson, he’s only seemed to enjoy being touched like… twice? I just tried to herd him back into my room for the night by plucking a poof off him and he sat up but didn’t move away, so i started picking more fur off just to see how much he’d let me get before running away, and he didn’t run away! He just sat there kinda tossing his head like rabbits sometimes do before they start to groom their ears. So i really started scratching between his hips and he tried grooming as close to the spot i was scratching as he could reach. 

Was I just getting a good itch he can’t reach or could he be trying to tell me something’s wrong back there? 

[jerseygirl]

It certainly sounds like you were helping him out with an itch! It’s funny, many rabbits get sensitive about you touching them when they’re molting. But I think there is a window of opportunity where they quite like help getting the fur off.

I’ve heard about a lick reflex before also. There’s a spot on their butt that when scratched, will get them grooming your hand or the floor or your clothes. Not all buns do this..

Now that he’s older, maybe he’s liking the heat from your hands on certain areas also? My lop seems to like when I place my hands on his shoulders now.

[Q8bunny]

Chewie has a switch on his bum – as soon as my fingers are on it, he goes into focused grooming mode

[Author]

Messages