• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Are wildies more intelligent than domestics?

abbymarysmokey

Wise Old Thumper
My wildie interacts with me far more than any of my domestic rabbits. She has an insatiable curiosity and comes running to me when I call her over...whereas none of my current domestic rabs will respond to anything other than the promise of food :roll: :lol:

Is it possible that wildies are smarter, or am I mistaking curiosity for intelligence?
 
I would say wildies instincts are more honed as they need to be..generations of protected lives..not having to forage for food and avoid predators have probably dulled the domestics instincts in a lot of cases
have you got pics of your wildie..and Colin and Betsy?:D
 
Here's Freddy my wildie (n.b. this is quite an old photo, she's grown a bit since it was taken):

IMG_0197.jpg


I haven't taken any pics of Betsy and Colin since they were bonded, but here's a couple of their first meeting:

DSCF1582.jpg


And Colin grooming Betsy:

DSCF1585.jpg
 
:love::love::love::love:

I have a few buns that come when called - but it's definitely food related - which is certainly intelligence:lol: I have no wildie though:love::love:
 
Mine now come when called too, but it's definitely food related. Also Ruby comes to Ralph's name, so I swear she thinks that's her name!

Your wild bun is SO gorgeous! Can you tell me a bit of the back story of where you got her? I know many other people will have read this, but I think I've missed it!
 
She's beautiful. I've stolen your pic and I'm using it as my desktop on my work PC. Wildies bodies are so much more sleek and defined compare to domestics.
 
Your wild bun is SO gorgeous! Can you tell me a bit of the back story of where you got her? I know many other people will have read this, but I think I've missed it!

She and her 3 litter mates were taken into the petstore where Laura (LSpacehopper) works at about a week old. Somebody had found them whilst walking in the local area. I'm not sure why they were born above ground rather than safely in a burrow. I tried hand rearing them, but rabbits are really difficult to hand rear and her 3 siblings died :cry:

Also, are wild buns able to live as long as domesticated buns if they're kept in the same sort of environment?

I would guess so...I know Halfpenny had a wildie who lived to be pretty old (I can't remember exactly how old). In theory they should be more healthy than a domestic because they are the 'ideal' shape and size for a rabbit, although I suppose being hand reared on kitten formula isn't the perfect start in life.

oh and ANOTHER question (!) do people have wild buns bonded to domesticated buns?

Yes they do. My wildie is going for a blind date with a hand reared wildie buck soon, but they bond with domestics just as easily. Freddy loved to socialise with my male house rabbits when she lived indoors.
 
I'm sure that wildies are more intelligent than domestics. Homer, one of my bunnies (a REW), sometimes makes me wonder if there is any intelligence in him whatsoever.:roll:
Freddie is gorgeous. :love::love::love::love:
 
I think wildies are more intelligent, and active.:lol:

Benji, our wildie lived til he was 9 and never had an ill day in his life, he never needed a dental, he was neutered and was vaccinated yearly. We found him dead in the hutch one morning, I hope I didn't miss something but I guess wildies will be even more likely to hide problems compared to domestic buns. Benji was bonded to 2 entire dwarf lop girls called Bramble and Clover. They never seemed to bicker, but I think he kept things in line and was definately top bun.
 
I would guess so...I know Halfpenny had a wildie who lived to be pretty old (I can't remember exactly how old). In theory they should be more healthy than a domestic because they are the 'ideal' shape and size for a rabbit, although I suppose being hand reared on kitten formula isn't the perfect start in life.
QUOTE]

I'm so impressed you remembered that.:shock:
 
I can't comment about wild buns.
My mixed breed was rescued fairly young, perhaps about 14 -15 weeks. I was so fascinated by him, I allowed him to make a mess at ground level of the kitchen. In particular he wanted to get an old bag of flour off a shelf with a retaining bar almost at ground level. When a shove didn't work he ripped it open with his back feet. Yep he got it off the shelf but also discovered that the flour on his feet gave him better grip on the vinyl floor. So I left a small heap for him - just like ballet dancers chalk their shoes. I think most buns are like this, but we have to spend a lot of time with them, & I suspect that like us their learning capacity is much greater when young.

The most remarkable aspect is the way he devised a communication system between us. I was discussing this with my vet yesterday. Unfortunately for her, he mainly tells her "I don't like that" in various degrees of magnitude, but he has his way of asking me to play, & even turn up the fire. I think that they are very highly intelligent, but tend not to be obedient unless they want to do it!!
 
Here she is as an ickle baby:

DSCF0751.jpg

Awwww sweetness :love: I don't think it's widies are more intelligent, I don't think it's breed specific to be honest, I think it depends how they are interacted with from a young age, there could be something in the male / female thing though, I think doe's may be more intelligent. :D
 
Leuki, my domestic rabbit is just how you describe. She is into absolutely everything, and interested in all things I do. It's definately not only food related either. So I would say domesticated rabbits can be intelligent too. Having said that she does'nt really seem to act like the typical rabbit too me, she is not at all cautious. How did you come across getting a wild rabbit as a pet? She is beautiful!
 
Juno (my wildie) is 100% more inquisitive than my other rabbits but I wouldn't say she is more intelligent based on some of the less than clever things I have watched her do, or try to do, over the past couple of years. :roll::lol:

She also plays with her toys a lot more than my other rabbits, when I clean her litter tray I have to take all her toys out of it and in the days between cleans she slowly but deliberately puts them all back inside it, regardless of where I have moved or hidden them. I'm not sure if that shows intelligence or just bloodymindedness! :oops:
 
Last edited:
Back
Top