New Rabbit Thumping Hutch

[tor]

I have had my Rabbit for 3 days now. He lives alone at the moment as I am waiting for his companion to arrive. He seems happy enough but he thumps his back legs on his hutch non stop. Mainly at night. I can hear him now! Just wondering if anybody has any ideas why a rabbit would do this?

[love2fuss]

Hi tor,
I dont know a lot about rabbit habits, but maybe he is trying to contact other rabbits? Maybe he is unsettled and feels threatened?
Or maybe he has itchy skin and the kicking relieves it?
Not sure really, (as you can see) but if I was a new rabbit alone in my hutch, I would probably be tense and lonely.
Is he a baby or a fully grown rabbit?
There are quite a few rabbit lovers on the DG, so hopefully you'll get some decent answers lol instead of my twaddle.

Good luck with him and I hope his new friend arrives soon and they are happy together.
XXX

[pirategoldnot logged in]

Rabbits thumping is a sign of fear/indication of perceived danger. Just let him settle in a bit more... he will stop

[Whisper]

Echo pirategoldnot.

My rabbit does it if she is angry with me or worried about something. Usually just leave her to settle down but she runs around thumping on the lounge carpet.
The louder she thumps the more angry she is with me!

[stef]

i agree with jay!
my rabbit does this in the house if hes annoyed with me too or if he feels threatened/frightened!
dont worry, just leave him to settle, he'll just be a bit nervous because of his new surroundings and im sure that once his companion arrives he'll be fine.
Keep us posted and let us know how you get on!

GOOD LUCK!

[Russ]

I do hope you are not thinking of keeping two strange rabbits together, even if they are the same sex (buck or doe) they will fight, only doe rabbits that have been kept together from an early age will not fight

[Sassy]

You can integrate rabbits together but its a bit of a lucky dip. I know lots of rabbits who have been put together and get on great, some don't. As for the thumping I agree with Jay and Stef. I worked in a small animal hotel (sounds strange I know) for three years and around feeding time they would get impatient and start thumping. Good Luck and let us know how you get on.

xx

[Whisper]

Just what i was going to post sassy.
If they are fairly young and in a new environment then there is a good chance they will be ok, but dont just put them in together and leave them over night, you will need to supervise them and then put them in seperate compartments for a few days or until they show no signs of aggression to each other. Let then meet on neutral ground aswell and if you can get them in hutches so they can see and smell each other through the bars etc all the better.

[Sassy]

ok jay that's scary coz I just realised that I hadn't warned about leaving them lol. Well seeing that you said that, on another note a tiny bit of aggression isn't the end of the world, just separate them and reintroduce them and see. My two fought on their first meeting and on their second but on their third were fine and lived together happily for five years.

x

[JennyB]

You can introduce rabbits and have them living happily together, I've done it twice now.

First time was with my old lop x and my netherland dwarf, both neutered bucks. They lived in adjecent compartments of the shed for a few weeks, and could see and touch each other through the wire, but not fight. Let them live together when I went to feed one morning and the lop x had jumped into the dwarf's compartment and they were both quite happy! They lived together for 6 months before the lop died, and they never had a cross word, and used to cuddle up and groom each other regularly.

I then introduced the dwarf to my female neutered lionhead (rescued to be a friend, as Dwarf was pining for lop), used the same routine with the wire, and they have been living together for over a year now, and get on really well. I didn't have them separated for long, as every time I went to feed they'd be lying right next to the wire, trying to cuddle up!

You can introduce rabbits to each other, but you need to take it slowly and give them chance to get to know each other without being able to fight.

[Lucymj]

The thumping thing is as said above! Just give it some time and bunny will soon settle in....

As for introducing a friend, I breed rabbits and it can be done, but sometimes two bunnies just do not like each other! The easiest way to give it a good chance is to introduce them first when they are seperated by wire ie. with them in a run with a wire partition. When them are used to each other, introduce them in a large area so they have plenty of space from on another. This way is they arent so keen on each other they can give each other a wide berth and if one is threatning the other can run away. Good Luck! xxx

[tor]

Thanks for all the replies! Sorry been so slow to reply had computer trouble! He has definetley settled down now and seems much happier. The thumping seems to of completley stopped and have only heard it once, yesterday, when I was really busy in the morning and late putting him out in his run, was just in his night house (a very high up cage without much exposer to outside as we have a serious fox problem, not ideal but only way to keep live bunny!) and he obviously wasn't very happy with me!

I know introducing a new bunny isn't going to be easy and needs care taken but I have to try. I got him from a pet shop and he was alone there but i think he is lonely and nees a friend. Its not fair to not atleast give him a chance of having a mate. He loves my big full length mirror in my room and will spend hours sleeping and grooming by it and I think its because he thinks, in his own funny little way, that its another rabbit!

Thanks again wil let you know how things go!

[maisiemoo]

hay

Our rabbitz do that sumtimez but am no acctullay sure but it mit be fear or insicuraty (sp) hope thios helpz xxx