Peanut’s Quirks

[Kax0r]

So, I’ve had Peanut for 9+ years now, but I’m wondering a bit more of why he does what he does. Keep in mind that I got him from a rescue and his previous owner pretty much tortured the little guy.

So, what does it mean when he:

 

1) Whenever I walk up to him, he doesn’t really move, but he does stand “at attention” by standing up, spreading his front paws, and pointing his head towards me.

 

2) When I start to pet him and he gets really relaxed, he puts his ears on his back while either in loaf or sitting/laying form I hear that this usually means the rabbit is scared, but if there’s a situation Peanut doesn’t like, he straight up runs away from it. Also, he’s way too relaxed to be scared. He also does this occasionally while just sitting down,

 

3) When I try to put my fingers around his neck and give him a little jaw massage (a tactic that I tried and he seems to like), he purrs and grinds his teeth, but he also puts his head to the ground (and occasinally starts licking the carpet) which seems to send mixed signals

 

4) How do I groom him? He never seemed to mind when I took the super-loose-and-mangy loose hair from his fur manually, but now when I try to remove it he skips away. Brushes don’t seem to do much in terms of removing loose hair, and he’s slightly arthritic which means he can’t clean himself as much as he should.

 

5) The most perplexing- occasionally, I kinda rub right above his tail. He puts his butt to the ground, gets as high as he possibly can by stretching his front two paws, and starts licking the air (…i know, right?). As I said, if he didn’t like it, he would be running, so he clearly finds some enjoyment in it.

 

Thanks for any advice you can give.

[LizzieKnittyBun]

haha! These are good signs, I promise : D

As for grooming, I would go for a lint roller. Momo is currently molting (omg…) and I’m going through sheets and sheets!

[Arthur'sMom]

I’m just learning about bunnies in general and their behavior but from a newbie, it all sounds like he is enjoying it to me. You know your bunny the best and if you say “he runs away when he doesn’t like something” then trust your instincts. Sounds like a silly bun too!

[jerseygirl]

I agree, he sounds pretty content to me. It’s great he’s living out his years in a home where he can be relaxed and enjoy the attention.

 

1) Whenever I walk up to him, he doesn’t really move, but he does stand “at attention” by standing up, spreading his front paws, and pointing his head towards me.

I have a young rabbit with vision impairment and he does this also. He seems to know where I am on the outside of the pen and comes up like this. He’s asking for attention I think so I always say hello and give him some pets. He’s supposedly 100% blind but i’m not convinced!

Was Peanut ”periscoping”?  .

  The’y’ll do this to get an sense of their surroundings. Given that Peanut is blind, I’m betting he’s scoping by using his sense of smell and hearing

 

 

2) When I start to pet him and he gets really relaxed, he puts his ears on his back while either in loaf or sitting/laying form I hear that this usually means the rabbit is scared, but if there’s a situation Peanut doesn’t like, he straight up runs away from it. Also, he’s way too relaxed to be scared. He also does this occasionally while just sitting down,

Rabbits can lay their ears back when aggressive but this is usually with a different stance. Standing their guard, eyes alert, tail raised, they may be growling…:p If your bun is just laying them down while loafing, I’d say he’s settling in for a cosy nap. It’s all good.

 

3) When I try to put my fingers around his neck and give him a little jaw massage (a tactic that I tried and he seems to like), he purrs and grinds his teeth, but he also puts his head to the ground (and occasinally starts licking the carpet) which seems to send mixed signals

Again, I think he’s really enjoying this. : ) The licking is common and not exactly sure why they do it. The have a lick reflex but I think it’s also like return grooms. Grooming a proxy i.e. the carpet.

 

5) The most perplexing- occasionally, I kinda rub right above his tail. He puts his butt to the ground, gets as high as he possibly can by stretching his front two paws, and starts licking the air (…i know, right?). As I said, if he didn’t like it, he would be running, so he clearly finds some enjoyment in it.

I think here, you are touching one of his lick reflex spots. Some people find their buns have this near the hind end or above the tail. Others have discovered rubbing just inside the base of the ear does it.
The only thing I’d note here is if he’s breathing oddly when doing this because pointing the head up can show they’re having some respiratory difficulty. Also, buns with molar spurs might make funny mouth movements. But from what you describe, it does sound like it’s just his response to that reflex spot. So funny!

[Arthur'sMom]

I think you should try to get video of these reactions! I’d love to see it! Super cute!

[Ande]

My rabbit also flattens out with his ears down when I pet him, especially on the head. He is very relaxed and loves the attention, I’m sure Peanut is the same.
Mine does the licking thing as well, when I rub him right above his tail. He goes crazy with the licking, either on me or the carpet or himself. I just figure he’s crazy with pleasure!

[Kax0r]

 

As for grooming, I would go for a lint roller. Momo is currently molting (omg…) and I’m going through sheets and sheets!

 

What kind of lint roller do you use? A pet hair one, or just a regular one?

[LizzieKnittyBun]

We get the pet hair ones

: )

[LizzieKnittyBun]

What’s nice about lint rollers, as opposed to brushes, is that hair doesn’t fluff up into your nose, there’s no risk of scraping the skin under their fur with bristles, and they grab the loose hairs more thoroughly than a brush so you’re finished in less time. I think that’s probably less stressful for the bunny, when you can do it as quickly as possible.

After we lint roll our buns they always get a couple of raisins, so they tolerate it very well and rush back to me when we’re finished, lol.

[CapnRis]

Ears-down can mean a few things, including fear, aggression, and relaxation. The rest of the rabbit tells which: Fearful rabbits shrink down but stay on their feet, ready to run; aggressive rabbits will face the object of their aggression and stand on all fours. From your description, it seems Peanut is just happily submitting himself to your loving. When Rory gets the idea that I want to pet him, he’ll put his chin down to the floor and his ears back. As soon as he’s had enough though, he turns and walks away.

[Author]

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