grumpy rabbit?

Question

I have a very grumpy 4 yr old lop rabbit (castrated male) and he is continuously thumps for no reason - usually in the early hours of the morning, there is never anything around when i look out at him, is there anything i can do to stop his tempremental behavour. It isnt just in the early hours - even if i clean out his hutch or go near him he has a habbit of thumping

Answer 1

Basically he's bored & fed up. It sounds like he doesn't get enough time out of his hutch. Has he got a pen? I have a rabbit & I never ever lock him in his hutch. My partner built a huge pen around his hutch & has secured it so that nothing can get in & he can't get out, so he has the free run of this all day & night. I have moved him in to the shed at present because the weather is getting colder, but I still do not lock him in his hutch & as soon as I get home from work I let him out of the shed & he plays in the garden for 3-4 hours. I tried to lock him in once because I thought he wasn't sleeping properly but he rattled the wire of hi hutch so much I let him out. They do not like being locked up for long periods of time. Your rabbit needs exercise & time to play.
As for cleaning him out, try & do that when he's not in the hutch as rabbits like things to be the way they want them & will get annoyed at you cleaning the hutch while they're in it. You might find he'll kick evrything around when you're trying to clean & get in your way.

Answer 2

A lot of rabbits don't like to be picked up, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. The rest of the behavior isn't unusual either, but you can work on it. Is your rabbit caged or is he a house rabbit or some combination? Sitting on the floor while he is out in the room and letting him come to you can be very beneficial. Also, if you're looking to stimulate his mind, you could do clicker training with him. Rabbits can be clicker trained quite easily and there are plenty of books and web sites on the topic. Another idea may be to get a second rabbit. It's good that your guy is neutered - a spayed female could be a great companion.

Answer 3

We have a little 3 year old neutered male who also thumps, but it is because he wants to be fed. Some of our other rabbits thump because of some danger they sense whether real or perceived by them. Our rabbits also have free roaming time. Rabbits cooped up in a hutch all the time probably feel trapped and threatened. Since you don't say whether he gets time out of his hutch, it is hard to fully answer your question, but rabbits need exercise which they can't get if caged all the time.

Answer 4

My rabbit also goes through stages of thumping also in the early hours of the morning i usually give her a fuss, let her out for a run around or just give her a treat - these usually work for me!

Answer 5

I had a grumpy rabbit once. I just let her out in the garden all the time bringing her in at night and letting her out first thing in the morn. Much Happier from then on!!

Answer 6

Haha, this made me laugh, reminds me of my rabbit i used to have, also a very grumpy male.
I know whats wrong with him, my robbie was the same, its the morning, he knows that you are getting up soon, and he wants you up now to feed him! or just pay him attention, rabbits are socialable and espicially with humans when you have a one on one relationship, he just wants attention, I had to feed and let my rabbit out first thing in the morning!! Its just spolit behaviour, unfortunately unlike a dog, i dont think you can train him out of it.

Answer 7

I have had several rabbits and with the lack of detailed information am of the opinion that a pen is required to provide some exercise. If you have a secure garden let him out so he can stretch his legs and exercise properly.

Answer 8

Maybe a vet checkup is in order?

Does he get time out of his hutch? Maybe he is bored? Try giving him some treats/toys and things to chew on. Get him a harness and let him walk around the yard for example.

Answer 9

Please get him a neutered female from a rescue. They will bond them for you to make sure they are suited. He could be frustrated so get him a bigger hutch, a secure run for the daytime and plenty of toys, such as loo rolls filled with hay, bunches of keys, cardboard boxes for him to leap onto and hide in. That along with a partner should help ease his boredom and give him something else to think about, such as grooming, playing and chasing. As much outdoor hutch time as you can as well as plenty of hugs. They are social creatures, so they do love to snuggle with a partner and your family. Good luck.

Answer 10

it's a warning to other rabbits yes but, in the inclosed inviorment at home he is warning you that you are doing something he doesn't like. As for the morning thing there might be something in your house that he doesn't like. To check another cool habbit wear bright red fingernail polish and show it to him up close and watch what he does...