Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

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.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

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 Grunting while being pet?

Viewing 19 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • Clem&M
      Participant
      138 posts Send Private Message

        Lately Clem has been grunting at me when I stroke her head or touch her cheek.

        When she’s laying down I put my hand down to see if she wants to be stroked and if she gives the okay I’ll pet her and she enjoys it, although I’ve had two times where she started grunting at me out of nowhere for it.

        The first time was when I was stroking her above the nose a few times gently and she started grunting loudly and quickly. The second time was when I accidentally touched her cheek and she grunted at me once. Anytime she does grunt at me I step away and leave her alone, but I read that sometimes grunting can be a sign of happiness depending on the ears, how can I tell with a lop whether it’s an angry or happy grunt?


      • flemishwhite
        Participant
        195 posts Send Private Message

          I’d think that if Clem didn’t want you to pet her, she’d just hop away.  Is she free to hop away from you?  Rabbits can make a variety of sounds. Learning which sounds are happy and which are angry takes learning which is made difficult because rabbits are pretty quiet animals.   My last rabbit was very used to being handled, but she still did not like to be picked up.  When picked up, she’d make a groaning, growling sound.  That was definitely an unhappy sound. 


        • Clem&M
          Participant
          138 posts Send Private Message

            Yes, I never corner her. I would like to know because so far we’ve had a very good relationship and I wouldn’t want to offend her by stopping or breaking her trust if she doesn’t like it. The first time she did it she did while still spread out laying on the floor, I don’t really remember what she did after being touched on the cheek though.
            Clem is a very noisy rabbit, I was surprised, she honks while eating, she makes some sounds while grooming herself, she buzzes a lot and now she grunts, and actually these are the first times she’s grunted at me.


          • joea64
            Participant
            1423 posts Send Private Message

              Since I’m hearing-impaired, it’s difficult for me to hear grunting or any other sounds that rabbits make normally (and the ones I might be able to hear, I never want to!) This means that I’ve got to rely on their body language, which is tougher than it might seem at first look because rabbits have a very complex, often very subtle physical language with quite fine gradations, so that a body posture can mean a lot of different things depending on things like the positions of the eyes, ears, tail, and legs. It’s an additional complexity in the case of my own bunnies, and I’d imagine, a lot of others, that you have to acquire some familiarity with their habits to know what their signals actually mean. Panda often signals that she’d like attention, but if you reach out to pet her, she’ll almost always skitter quickly away. You need to have some knowledge of her personality and history to know that what she usually actually wants is to be talked to. That being said, she’s getting a little bit more comfortable with being petted every evening, but it’s going to be some time yet till she fully relaxes.


            • Clem&M
              Participant
              138 posts Send Private Message

                I know body language pretty well with the ears and positions, although when laying down against another rabbit’s cage her ears are messed up so I can’t really decipher what she means. With lops it’s a bit harder to tell, but I do notice when her ears are leaning forward to mean she’s interested and such.

                What I do to see if she wants to be pet is place my hand flat on the floor, and if she lowers her head that means she wants to be pet, but after a few strokes she starts grunting or something like that.


              • DanaNM
                Moderator
                8901 posts Send Private Message

                  Posted By Clem&M on 8/28/2017 7:30 PM

                  I know body language pretty well with the ears and positions, although when laying down against another rabbit’s cage her ears are messed up so I can’t really decipher what she means. With lops it’s a bit harder to tell, but I do notice when her ears are leaning forward to mean she’s interested and such.

                  What I do to see if she wants to be pet is place my hand flat on the floor, and if she lowers her head that means she wants to be pet, but after a few strokes she starts grunting or something like that.

                  Hmmmm, how lately did this start? Does it seem like it’s only when you touch her cheek or a specific spot? 

                  I’m wondering her teeth might be giving her some pain, and so she grunts if you touch a tender spot? My Bertha only grunts when she is angry.

                  I would think if she tenses up, lunges, or flinches when she grunts, it’s an un-happy one. But if she stays relaxed and doesn’t move, it’s prob a happy grunt, and she’s just a very vocal bunny!

                  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  


                • Clem&M
                  Participant
                  138 posts Send Private Message

                    Just 3 days ago. The first time was from stroking above her nose but she stayed relaxed, and then the cheek I think she might’ve flinched, maybe she was scared I’d poke her eye. Could she develop teeth problems at her age? She’s 6 months old and eats a ton of hay.


                  • Deleted User
                    Participant
                    22064 posts Send Private Message

                      Is she spayed yet? I had gotten a few grunts from my female before she was spayed. It was when I did something she didn’t like though, such as touch the tummy or pet near her bum.


                    • Clem&M
                      Participant
                      138 posts Send Private Message

                        She’s yet to be spayed, but we do plan to spay her.


                      • Deleted User
                        Participant
                        22064 posts Send Private Message

                          Barring any health issues (like Dana said) it may just be that she has gotten a little “moody”

                          If it is only when you touch her cheek, just make sure you watch her eating and that nothing changes there.

                          I know it sucks to be grunted at lol. But I personally think it may just be hormone related.


                        • Rookie
                          Participant
                          466 posts Send Private Message

                            Sprocket is the same. He will do little grunts when I come home and he does the buzzing and humming when eating and cleaning. I love it. I took a video of that on his Instagram if you wanted to take a look.

                            I would however check her cheeks in case it is sore which is why she would grunt. My Rookie would grunt too if he was getting pet when not in the mood. If I tried petting him when eating he would do a short grunt and when I needed him in the carrier he would grunt and lunge at me but more of a back up than an i will bite you as he never made tooth contact just a nose bump of my hand to indicate I do not like this.


                          • Deleted User
                            Participant
                            22064 posts Send Private Message

                              When I switch the buns into each others areas, I always put Ophelia in the carrier (she goes in to easy with a lettuce bribe) and then I lift the baby gate so Quincy can just walk out to her area. Then put the gate back down and let her out. So I put her down in his room and then turned around to let him out, but he had come over to the carrier and I heard grunting behind me, so I turned around and noticed that he was grabbing her lettuce through the small squares in the carrier door lol. They had a lady and the tramp moment when they were both eating the same piece of lettuce through the door and she was pulling back and grunting like “HEY this is MINE” haha. The disapproval grunt!


                            • joea64
                              Participant
                              1423 posts Send Private Message

                                While Panda and Fernando have admirable table manners when sharing a bowl of pellets or salad, they tend to get…competitive…about treats. After a couple of incidents where one of them literally tried to steal a treat out of the other’s mouth, I’ve learned to give them their goodies simultaneously, with both hands, so they don’t get tempted.


                              • sarahthegemini
                                Participant
                                5584 posts Send Private Message

                                  Buttercup’s only grunted once in her life time and that was at a broom lol


                                • Clem&M
                                  Participant
                                  138 posts Send Private Message

                                    I’d love to see the video. She rubbed her cheek against the new brush I got her while she was chinning it and she didn’t have a problem, but she had to rechin it a few times to enjoy the soft bristles.


                                  • Rookie
                                    Participant
                                    466 posts Send Private Message

                                      Here is his account. I posted it a few days ago now though.
                                      https://instagram.com/sprocketbb9/
                                      Even after his neuter he still has his little sounds which I absolutely love


                                    • Clem&M
                                      Participant
                                      138 posts Send Private Message

                                        That room is amazing, I’m sure Clem would be very jealous. All his pictures are so cute too, I thought of making an Instagram for Clem too, maybe she could become a celebrity with my Spanish friends before I come visit them. xD


                                      • Rookie
                                        Participant
                                        466 posts Send Private Message

                                          hahaha thanks. He is so fun and I love sharing his photos.


                                        • Nibble45
                                          Participant
                                          4 posts Send Private Message

                                            Posted By Rookie on 8/29/2017 9:33 AM

                                            Sprocket is the same. He will do little grunts when I come home and he does the buzzing and humming when eating and cleaning. I love it. I took a video of that on his Instagram if you wanted to take a look.

                                            I would however check her cheeks in case it is sore which is why she would grunt. My Rookie would grunt too if he was getting pet when not in the mood. If I tried petting him when eating he would do a short grunt and when I needed him in the carrier he would grunt and lunge at me but more of a back up than an i will bite you as he never made tooth contact just a nose bump of my hand to indicate I do not like this.

                                            My Nibbles does all the time for attention 


                                          • Nibble45
                                            Participant
                                            4 posts Send Private Message

                                              My little boy Nibbles does it all the time for people to know it feels good

                                          Viewing 19 reply threads
                                          • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                                          Forum BEHAVIOR Grunting while being pet?