# Rabbit psychology and social habits.



## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

My rabbit is making a purring or croaking sound, what does that mean, and what is the rabbit trying to communicate by making that sound?

My rabbit is circling my feet, and chasing after my feet as i walk, what does that mean?

My rabbit is rubbing the sides of it's neck and the neck under it's chin on me and things in the living space, is that a way of marking turf and trying to establish dominance?

My Rabbit was trying to dominate the sace in my apartment (because I let her out of the cage most of the day) and she shot pee at me one day as, what I believe to be, a hotile gesture....is this common rabbit behavior for a doe?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

You have been visited by the sex change fairy and your doe is actually a buck. 

This is all typical buck behavior. It moves! Hump it! It's mine! Mark it (done by chinning or spraying urine)! It's not moving. Eat it!


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## acde (Jul 25, 2011)

City Bound said:


> My rabbit is making a purring or croaking sound, what does that mean, and what is the rabbit trying to communicate by making that sound?
> 
> My rabbit is circling my feet, and chasing after my feet as i walk, what does that mean?
> 
> ...


is she in heat?


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

I do not know acde. I guess she, or he, is about 8 months old. Are they sexually mature at that age?

I have to go read about how check the sex on a rabbit.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Yes they are sexually mature at around 8 months. Look for the testicles. You should see testicles at 8 months.

I had a pet buck that did everything you describe. The circling and foot humping was kind of cute. The pee spraying wasn't.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

well, there has been no humping yet. If it is a buck then that I amish kid I bought it from is going to get chewed out the next time I see him.

I am assuming the rabbit was about three months old when I got it, because from what I understand a rabbit can not leave it's mother until it is 3 months old.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

you understand incorrectly. although frowned upon, a rabbit can leave its mother at 3 WEEKS old and be fine. most people wean at 4-6 WEEKS old.
by the time my babies are 6-7 weeks old, mom is usually birthing another litter. Just flip your guy over, his testicles should be obvious, and he most certainly is sexually mature.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

You might enjoy this website... It has a lot of insights into bunny behaviour and communication.

http://language.rabbitspeak.com/


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Thank you. maggie, do you know what I am talking about when I mention that croaking purring kind of sound?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I know that sound. We called it a grunt. More like a repeated grunt, ur ur ur ur, done while circling or nipping a hand. My Speckles made that noise a LOT.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

hmmmm, a grunt.


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## birdman1 (Oct 3, 2011)

The grunting or grouling sound is often a warning saying stay away does are often teritoral and don't want other rabbits or people in there space a male can be fixed and most of these spraying and humping problems will end.


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## boundarybunnyco (Sep 7, 2011)

yesterday I bred a new zealand doe to my mixed buck. she did that noise at him and flashed her tail at him till he did the deed a couple times, then she ur ur ured at him and bit him a few times. after that she lay flat out and wouldn't let him anywhere near her. I guess she figured out what he was good for, and when done, she was wanting nothing more to do with him. it was like, at first she was saying will you hurry up already? and then she changed to "stay away from me you horny beast!"


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## Pat Lamar (Jun 19, 2002)

Sorry to pop everyone's bubble, but guess what? DOES can ALSO "spray!" It's not common, but they sure can when they want to. Had one doe lay in wait for my DH when he watered every day, and as he approached her cage, she would flip around and spray him. No mistake... she was definitely a doe and had several litters. He finally got her to stop by spraying her first with the hose before she got a chance to spray him. LOL Spraying is usually a "marking" thing, but can also be a warning.

One day, I happened upon a doe just as she finished giving birth and was busy cleaning her newborn young.... and she was purring like a cat! So, yes... it can be a sound of contentment and pleasure, just as with cats.

Running circles or "figure 8's" around your feet usually means the rabbit wants to breed with you. Doesn't matter if it's a buck or doe... they'll both do it... and they'll both try to "hump," too. You will definitely need to determine the sex of the rabbit, since you won't be able to really tell just from behavior.

"Chinning" (rubbing on objects) is a method of marking and claiming "ownership" of objects... they have scent glands underneath the chin. Urinating is marking territory.

Pat Lamar


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## lastfling (Jun 23, 2011)

In my exercise pen, that I put my rabbits in on occasion, there is one little stick / sapling about 4 inches tall. The little stick has been chin rubbed by every buck I have a one time or another. Chester the ND, it's his first order of business. The Tan's get to it eventually. It's a timeshare :happy:


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Well, I flipped the rabbit over to try to check it's sex, but the rabbit was thrashing about so much trying to escape that I had such a short time to inspect under the hood. Are the testicals covered in fur? What I saw ether looked like an anus, or a virgina. I will have to go looking around the net to find pictures to compare to.

yes, it sounds like a cat purring.

When the rabbit shot pee at me it did it as a self defense method I think, because it came in my bedroom and started trying to dig a hole in my rug like the rug was earth and I gave the rabbit a little shove to make it stop digging at my rug. As soon as I shoved it the rabbit gave me a dirty look as it hopped, spun in the air, and shot pee at me while still in the air, then it ran off into the other room as fast as it could. 

Before the pee shooting, the rabbit did the same thing with a poo pellet. I stopped the rabbit from scratching at my bed sheet and when I nudged it, it hopped in the air, spun around, and then swatted a poop pellet at me with it's back foot like it was a tennis ball. That could have been coincidence or it could be natural rabbit behavior.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Never had a doe spritz or do the feet circling. Mine just might have been a bit more polite about declaring their territory.

Next time the rabbit is digging the carpet try stomping on the floor with your foot. It always stopped my rabbits. Worth a shot anyway.

Testicles aren't always covered by fur. On each side of the genital/anal area there is either a dip or a mostly furless bulge. Females have a dip so obviously the bulge is the testicle. Young males IME have more fur than older males. With the rabbit on it's back tuck the head between your upper arm and body and firmly hold the rabbits body between your forearm and belly. It takes some practice to get it right but once you get it right you should be able to trim toenails and check the rabbit's belly without getting scratched.


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

Trying to get video to post...nvm wont work.


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## Barnhouse (Feb 24, 2012)

> City Bound
> 
> Before the pee shooting, the rabbit did the same thing with a poo pellet. I stopped the rabbit from scratching at my bed sheet and when I nudged it, it hopped in the air, spun around, and then swatted a poop pellet at me with it's back foot like it was a tennis ball. That could have been coincidence or it could be natural rabbit behavior.


 :hysterical: 
I'm not laughing at you. I'm new to rabbits too and just have a very vivid imagination and a weird sense of humor.


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## DarleneJ (Jan 29, 2012)

This video demonstrates both a male and a female rabbit so that you can get a visual:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rES2L6ZYqsc[/ame]

There are others on you tube as well if this isn't as helpful as you'ld like.


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## Barnhouse (Feb 24, 2012)

DarleneJ said:


> This video demonstrates both a male and a female rabbit so that you can get a visual:


That was very helpful. Thank you!


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

thanks darlene.


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## lastfling (Jun 23, 2011)

I agree, the mental image of a rabbit swatting a poo pellet is hilarious:rotfl:


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## bigskyjake (Mar 8, 2012)

if it tosses the poop up with one hand and swats it with the other, volleyball style we definately need video :happy2:


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Ok, check the rabbit it is a boy. The amish kid must not know how to sex a rabbit, because he told me it was a girl.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Get him neutered. It'll reduced unwanted behaviors and calm him down somewhat.


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

Danaus29 said:


> You have been visited by the sex change fairy and your doe is actually a buck.
> 
> This is all typical buck behavior. It moves! Hump it! It's mine! Mark it (done by chinning or spraying urine)! It's not moving. Eat it!


Thanks for the belly laugh! My computer however was NOT impressed when I spat tea all over its key board.

And City Bound, dont be too hard on the boy you bought your sex change bunny from. It is easy to get them wrong when they are young. Well, for me anyway. I always tell people who buy rabbits from me that I am positive about my sexing but if I am wrong just let me know and I will swop the rabbit out for them. So far so good but there is always a first time.


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