rabbit vocalising (not ill!)

Pumpkin and her 'friends' Blackberry and Sweet Pea are usually outdoor rabbits. Because she had her neutering op yesterday we brought them indoors for a couple of days. As Pumpkin started to get better and interact with the others again we suddenly heard her making lots of sort of 'brupp' and 'bppp' noises - not grumpy grunts and not sexy hums and purrs and definitely not toothy grinds and not 'snores' ( or tummy rumbles) but sort of like a low pitched giunea pig chatter and at least as loud. Easily heard by us at the other end of the room.

Once we were sure she was ok we listened for more and realised that she does it when next to Blackberry or when he approaches her (and they are noT grumps to stay away, as she is happy with him).

They seem to be loud communications to him of some kind.

We were really puzzled about this - as none of our others do this audibly.

Then we realised that Pumpkin has lived with Blackberry (and Sweet Pea) since she was 8 wks old. AND that Blackberry is almost totally deaf (he is partially paralised on one side of his face due to EC acute attack at 8 weeks old and has a burst ear drum - poss to do with the head tilt - and the other ear is lop and paralised into a totally flopped position).

SO we think Pumpkin has learnt somehow that when wanting to communicate with Blackberry one has to SHOUT - rather than make the almost totally inaudible noises rabbits must otherwise make to each other.

Interestingly she does not do the same to Sweet Pea (who is not deaf). She must know somehow.

As I type Blackberry has just sat almost on top of her in his attempt at getting in the middle of the bunny heap - and she has vocalised a strange array of rumbles and sort of squeeks - a bit like sonar radar with a wheeze and lots of different tones (sorry its really difficult to describe this). But obviously to do with communicating something. It sounds like a person saying something with their mouth closed and a peg on their nose. (It was NOT a grumpy grunt - which lots of them do)

Its fascinating to think she has learnt that he needs this extra volume and also to realise that seemingly quiet buns are probably actually chattering away like this all the time - but inaudibly!!!

Blackberry is also partly blind (same EC 'fit') so probably has to be told things more often - (like - watch out!).

Its just SO fascinating - I had to share it with you all!!

Anyone else had this experience? I know my other lop snores very loudly which is presumably because he cannot hear it - but his bunny partners do not 'speak loudly' to him at all.

Twigs

PS before anyone writes in worried she is actually wheezing and needs meds or a vet - I can assure you this is not the case and she ONLY does it when he is around and I can see him actually react to it as well.

sounds fascinating. its lovely to think the buns are constantly 'talking' to each other

that is amazing and very interesting to read also i think your rabbits have really beautiful names

What a fascinating post. I would love to think that they were like bats and communicating at a ultra-high frequency and chuntering away like guinea pigs. I always thought it was sad that bunnies didn't seem to be able to speak to each other and that everything was done by body language. Would you be able to take some film of them and post it as I would love to hear them 'talking'.

What a really clever rabbits if she has been able to rationalise that she has to 'shout'. They truly are very smart animals.

Very interesting. I'd love to hear it if you had someway of recording it. My rabbits are very unvocal I'm always interested in the noises other's buns make.

I've had some rabbits chatter away, usually when they lived in hutches near the guinnea pigs, so perhaps they were shouting back to the noisy piggies.
When Skid went deaf in one ear he was somewhat more vocal, so perhaps he was making up for being deaf himself.

It is fascinating though as usually rabbits are very quiet. It'd be great if your bunny was helping keep your deaf bunny in check and chatting away to him. Probaby worth doing some reading up on to find out more.

aw what a loverly post i like to think they do talk to each other.. actually snowy and dora will make little noises which at first worried me but they only seem to make 3 types 1 when really happy little chattering noise or grumbly noise when unhappy and will nudge and push too....oh and the grunting when they hump...which is something i wish they wouldnt do but i know its a dominance thing... i know they used to be in a home where the lady had many pets some of which were monkeys whom she told me they didnt get along with (quite understandably) so i wonder if they heard the noises off them!

my little rosie makes a sort piggy chattering sound when shes a bit scared. She did it today when I was trying to get her to go into the carrier to go home. She does a sort of high pitched "eek, eek eek" which makes me feel really mean.