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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 Thumping

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    • BunBunTrio
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        I always thought thumping was good until someone told me it meant they were scared. My bunny Thumper, thumps when he wants to come out of his cage in the morning and randomly when outside of the cage. My other bunny never thumps. Is Thumper scared like the person said or are there different emotions connected with thumping?


      • Megabunny
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          I’ll be interested to hear what others say. I’m pretty sure the thumping is a warning of a perceived threat or at the very least, a show of some bunny attitude. maybe he’s just more skittish.


        • lillian
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            I think it can vary from bunny to bunny. My male always thumps in between binkies, and even thumps on his binkies. He most often does it when he is running around and having fun. He does do it in his cage as well if I am even a minute late on letting him out, as I do have my buns on a schedule for play time


          • Bam
            Moderator
            16836 posts Send Private Message

              The cutest thing happened the other week when a neighbour was hanging a picture or sth, anyways, there were two hammer-blows, like thump-thump. Yohio jumped down from the bed and thumped twice. Neighbour’s hammer thumped twice, Yohio immediately responded by thumping twice. I’m sure he thought the other rabbits in the building were sending alerts =)

              Thumping can be a fearful response, often to something a human’s comparatively poor senses can’t percieve, it may be used as a warning to other rabbits, it can be for attention (Used to be Bam’s specialty, give me food NOW, I don’t CARE that it’s 3 o’clock in the morning), and some rabbits even thump when they are happily playing and binkying. It’s part of a bunny’s natural repertoire, and as with so many other behavioral quirks of rabbits’, it has to be interpreted in context.


            • Bunnymummy91
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                Mine thumps when he wants attention! If he is being stroked and you stop for a second he’ll thump to make you start again!


              • Megabunny
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                  I’ve never heard of so much thumping for so many reasons! Learn something new every day, right? Such demanding rabbits ha ha!


                • Bam
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                    MB, bunnies are extremely demanding. That’s why they keep so many slaves. =)


                  • Dalielah
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                      I’m have two rabbits. One never thumps. The other however thumps at least a few times a day. She thumps when she’s pissed, when I clean her litter box, when I move her toys, when I straighten the blankets in her cage, when I sneeze, when I don’t give her her treat fast enough, when I try to pet her, when I stop petting her, when someone is in her way, when she can’t jump on the couch, when gets on the couch, when she has to go back in her cage, when someone opens the front door. She’s just thumps a lot. Not always mad, usually just annoyed or being demanding.


                    • Philomena
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                        Philomena thumps for different reasons as well. I’ve actually been able to tell the difference between her different thumps and sometimes growls. She will thump very loudly when she is scared and will thump for a little while, this is often accompanied with a louder and drawn out growl. Then she has her “I’m annoyed” thumps which are often very quick and she does them when she can tell that I am going to pick her up, she will also give me these thumps when I won’t give her a treat that I’m bribing her with to get her back into her playroom, or if I’m not fast enough with the food in the morning. These aren’t to be confused with her “I’m very angry at you” thumps which are often accompanied with a short growl, these ones often follow her escaping from her nail trim and I have to try and pick her back up again. SHe also has her “pay attention to me” thumps which occur when she is being very active and cute but I’m not paying attention. These ones tend to be loud and quick and she will stop them as soon as I notice her being cute.

                        Philomena once got past the barricade blocking her from under couch by squeezing into a little hole. When I tried to bribe her out with her favorite treats she realized she was stuck and couldn’t get back out. So she thumped at me.


                      • puddy123
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                          My rabbit thumps when she either comes out of the cage or goes into it. Maybe its from just being in a change of environment?? 


                        • Jadeo09
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                            Rabbits in the wild keep watch over the warren ( their underground maze of tunnels) they take turns and thump to warn of danger to get back to safety.
                            Fearful thumps are usually accompanied with ears up wide eyed and running quick for cover or freezing in panic.

                            My bun thumps when annoyed after grooming or vets trips.
                            Or picking her up when she’s gone somewhere she shouldn’t to put her back in the living room

                            I have heard thumps whilst binkying that’s definitely not fear but for the pure joy of it


                          • Paradigm
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                              Charlie has started to thump when he wants to mate.

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                          Forum BEHAVIOR Thumping