Question for fellow bunny owners.

[lvandert]

So most of you probably know we have a pet bunny now and he has just been such a joy to watch him grow. From what I've heard they love attention but don't give it back as much (almost cat like lol) and that the best "praise" you can get from a bunny is licks. But I've also heard that these licks of affection are rarely shown. Is this at all true? Are most bunnies stingy with their "thanks for scratching" licks?

I only ask because Rummy is not shy about letting us know that felt good. He turns into a lick monster when we're scratching or brushing him. He's also been known to shake his leg like a dog when you hit a particularly good spot. He is a mini rex and they are supposed to be affectionate but in the way bunnies are; "you have fingers? scratch please?"

[AngesRadieux]

My holland lop wasn't particularly affectionate. We had her for around twelve years and she rarely gave licks. She'd let you pet her most of the time, but she was much more prone to sulking if she didn't get a carrot than being affectionate. When my sister and I would feed her, we'd get plenty of "how dare you not bring treats?" looks. Or she'd get annoyed because we'd wake her up from a nice nap because she'd sprawl out in her hutch in a way that always made us think she died. So we'd go over and poke her or open the door to see if she was alright and she'd wake up and hop away where we wouldn't bother her.

The rabbit at the barn my sister works at makes everyone think he's the most affectionate thing on the planet when they first meet him. When the person who owns the barn first got him, he cuddled against her shoulder and just kept nuzzling her. But when she put him down she discovered he just wanted to chew a hole in her shirt. I haven't met him often, but from what I've seen he's not particularly affectionate, he just has a strange appetite for clothes.

I haven't met very many rabbits that were too affectionate. But I haven't had a ton of experience with them, so maybe the ones I've met were just atypical.

[Laki]

It's all experience. I mean, my current bun Acacia took years to get comfortable enough to lick. She would chin everything including fingers but wouldn't lick. Now we take turns, she'll lick my hand and I'll pet and then she'll lick my hand etc. . .

My old mini rex Akina was a licker too. I wondered where all the spit came from !

Licking, to bunnies, is grooming. Grooming is the ultimate bonding experience. This is why some people hold it with such high regard. It means bunny respects and likes you :)

[lvandert]

Thats what I figured but i just wanted to see if he was the only crazy one, or if other were so affectionate back. We do hold it as the highest praise we can get lol (humans talking about bunnies praising them, some kinda world we live in). He sure is some kinda spoilt

[lvandert]

I think my bunny is obsessive compulsive lol. He has to have things in a certain way and if you move them he moves them right back. He always has to have his jingle ball in his hay bucket and his wooden maze ball in his food dish (unless its empty). When he's out running around he'll move his plastic chain to one spot of his pen. It gets kicked around and moved by us but he always puts it back. Anyone else notice this in their bunny? lol or once again is he just an odd ball?

[Laki]

Bunnies are prone to regularities. He is going through a phase now where this is normal for him and he likes things a certain way. Some bunnies grow out of it, mine sort of did. She will throw toys over the top level of her pen and then scatter toys to the perimeters of the floor of her pen.
Nothing to worry about. All this should change once he's neutered anyway.

[lvandert]

alright. I wasn't worried I just found it a tad bit funny because we'd "argue" over where things go lol

[harleraven]

I used to raise and show rabbits, and mini rex were always my main breed. :) They can definitely be sweet little buggers, though that is not always the case. No matter the breed, though, rabbits can have very distinct personalities. I had a mini rex that HATED to be taken out of his cage, but he would come to the door to give you kisses (right on the lips).

I had a netherland dwarf that hated to be away from me! I had raised her from a kit (I used to take all of the babies from the mum and keep them in a box with a ventilated lid to prevent them from getting chilled or coming out of the nestbox. Then I would bring mum to them twice a day to eat, which is all they do anyway, until the babies are old enough to come out of the box and chase after mum. Kept them safer and made them more friendly). I was at a show one day and left her on the grooming table (a friend of mine was there with her) to go find something in the car. I came back, and the crazy thing launched herself into the air to jump into my arms, then snuggled right in. Lesson learned. NEVER leave her on the table again!

Then we had a britannia petite who was the crabbiest thing in the world UNTIL she was pregnant or had kits in the box. We used to have to put a feed scoop over her when we fed her or risk losing skin! Thankfully, none of her kits got mum's grumpy personality, or she would not have had more than one litter, anyway.

So, long story short...you get all kinds. :) Some love to snuggle and be affectionate. Others are little divas that expect you to do everything for them and never show an ounce of affection back. They sure let you know if you do not give them the attention they want, though!

[lvandert]

fair enough. We got him really young and turned him into a cuddly, affectionate, attention hog lol then.