Rabbit Screams
If a
rabbit would happen to get out of the owners grip when
trying to get away it will most likely hurt itself, and
when rabbits get hurt they usually scream. A rabbits
scream is very high in pitch and can almost sound like the
scream of a person. The first time I heard Nibbler scream
I didn’t know what the heck it was. I was at my desk
working, and I heard a plop and then a very loud scream.
What I figured was he was trying to go to sleep, and what
some rabbits do when they get ready to sleep is just plop
on their side. The only difference was that when he did
this his body rubbed against some plastic on the bottom
part of the cage that I can only describe as what appeared
to be as a place where a separator could be slid in and
placed. He had hurt himself while doing this, and let out
a terrible shriek.
Other
times Nibbler will let out a little scream when he sleep
hops and accidentally bumps into the cage. The first thing
you should do if you hear your rabbit scream is to check
it out immediately. Make sure there are no cuts or
bruises, and see if there is any fur missing. If your
rabbit screams on what you would consider a regular or
frequent basis then I would recommend taking your rabbit
to the veterinarian immediately.
Whining and Whimpering
Another
form of vocal behavior your rabbit may display is whining
and/or moaning. Whining is a sign that your rabbit is very
unhappy with you or something else. Whining and whimpering
will take place when your rabbit is very upset about
something, like giving them a bath, or taking away treats,
toys, or even a cage mate. However, don’t take the
whining, or whimpering too lightly. These are signs of one
very stressed out rabbit, and you should work quickly to
remedy the situation to calm your rabbit down.
Moaning and Snoring
Moaning
on the other hand is a little bit different. A moan is a
more low toned sound, and it is usually a sign of great
pain or discomfort. If your rabbit is moaning a lot you
should take it to a veterinarian to have it looked at
because there may be something very wrong with your
rabbit.
Snoring
is in many cases mistaken for moaning. Yes, some rabbits
are known to snore. Snoring takes place when the rabbit is
sleeping of course, but when a rabbit is in pain they
usually squint there eyes. This is why it can be a little
difficult to tell the difference between the two. Moaning
is often accompanied by labored (heavy) breathing, and
lasts for a longer period than snoring because rabbits
don’t sleep for very long. If you have a hard time trying
to tell if your rabbit is snoring, or moaning because of
pain, you should take your rabbit to a veterinarian
quickly.
Territorial Behavior
So far
we’ve gone over a good deal of rabbit behaviors, both
positive and negative ones. Rabbits, just like many other
animals, also display certain behaviors to mark territory,
claim there role in society amongst others, and display
mating practices.
Chinning
Rabbits
are known to mark there territory in quite a few ways. The
most common way is by chinning. Underneath there chin are
scent glands that they use for marking. Don’t worry, it’s
not detectable by humans, but is amongst rabbits. They
will chin pretty much everything in there environment,
including you too. No, there’s nothing wrong with your
rabbit, this is normal rabbit behavior. If another animal
has been in the same area recently you can expect to see
your rabbit chinning everything again. Also, if you move
things around in your rabbit’s environment you will most
likely see it going around chinning everything again.
Spraying and Pooping
Besides
chinning people and objects around the house, rabbit’s
also take part in the other many popular ways of marking
territory such as spraying (peeing) and pooping all over
the place. Some rabbits don’t like other visitors in their
space, and if they sense another rabbit or animal has been
in its space it will not hesitate marking its territory by
utilizing these very unpleasant behaviors. So remember, a
rabbit that sprays and poops in different areas of your
home may be due to more than just poor litter training,
and may be a result of your rabbit reclaiming its area.
Spayed and neutered rabbits tend to severely decrease, and
many times even eliminate this behavior. Males also tend
to spray more than females.
Stating Dominance
Apart
from the territory marking behaviors just discussed, your
rabbit also has a way in which it claims its role in
rabbit society. To do this, rabbits display a dominating
behavior where they mimic a mating display and mount the
other rabbit. In the end, one of the rabbits will claim a
dominant role, and the other will take the place of the
submissive rabbit. Some rabbits don’t care, and will just
let the other one do its thing, but in many other cases
there can be a real struggle to see which will be the
dominant rabbit. This is a behavior that can start at a
really early age, and is quite a large topic to cover. So,
I will go into a whole bunch more detail about this a
little later on when I go over the process of rabbit
bonding.
Mating Behavior
The
behavior rabbits display while stating dominance is
practically identical to the mating behavior. When rabbits
get ready to mate the male will attempt to mount the
female in the same way, and will grasp the female very
tightly with it’s paws while grabbing hold of a clump of
fur of the females back in order to hold her more
securely. When the deed is done the male rabbit will let
out a little squeal and tend to sort of fall off the
female and role backward. The mating and breeding process,
just like rabbit dominance and bonding, is a very detailed
topic that I will cover in much greater detail in breeding
and having babies section.
