• 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.

Rabbit banging

DUTCH4

Young Bun
i am new to the forum i would like some help. my four year old dutch, bangs his legs at night sometime can be up to 3 to 4 times through the night :no: . I have been told that he does this as a warning, but i am not sure about that as i take a torch up to bed with me and when he bangs i check the garden but the garden is clear. Has everyone got any suggestions to help
 
It is called thumping, and rabbits do it from fear and occasionally displeasure. I expect he can smell, hear or see a predator that runs off when it hears you going to look. Sometimes they do it for seemingly no reason but that is because their sense of smell and hearing are so much keener than ours.

Bunnies can also have bad dreams, but as its regularly I doubt its just this.

Does he have a friend he can cuddle up to if he is scared? Is his hutch secure from predators and does he have a bolt-hole/hidey-hole?
 
He might be a little scared? Do you think there might be foxes in the area?
 
You're right he is thumping his legs as a warning, rabbits do that to warn others of danger. It's really hard for us humans to pin point what the cause can be sometimes, it can be a smell not just a noise. My rabbit thumped and hid when we cooked sausages once and the last time she thumped it was when I was running a bubble bath, she obviously wasn't impressed with my new purchase :lol: The first time she thumped we had absolutely no idea what it was? Gave us a fright though!

Some smells, however nice they smell to us, can scare them so maybe see if you can think of anything that you've changed recently, a washing powder, a new perfume or hand wash maybe? Is there a noise that only happens at night like a noisy boiler or pipes? If a window is open he may be able to smell a fox without actually seeing it. How long have you had the rabbit, have you had him for the 4 years?
 
Spudsey doesn't bang that often but when she has theres either not been anything there (that I can see anyway) or another cat has come into the garden or the hedgehog is about.
 
You're right he is thumping his legs as a warning, rabbits do that to warn others of danger. It's really hard for us humans to pin point what the cause can be sometimes, it can be a smell not just a noise. My rabbit thumped and hid when we cooked sausages once and the last time she thumped it was when I was running a bubble bath, she obviously wasn't impressed with my new purchase :lol: The first time she thumped we had absolutely no idea what it was? Gave us a fright though!

Some smells, however nice they smell to us, can scare them so maybe see if you can think of anything that you've changed recently, a washing powder, a new perfume or hand wash maybe? Is there a noise that only happens at night like a noisy boiler or pipes? If a window is open he may be able to smell a fox without actually seeing it. How long have you had the rabbit, have you had him for the 4 years?

I have had rizzo since he was 12 weeks old. but has only been thumping the last few months. Rizzo is a outside rabbit and we have been told by neighbours foxes have been seen in the area. So we have put out fence panels around his hutch to keep him safe. He lives alone but loves sitting with his soft toys. thanks for the advice:bunny:
 
I have had rizzo since he was 12 weeks old. but has only been thumping the last few months. Rizzo is a outside rabbit and we have been told by neighbours foxes have been seen in the area. So we have put out fence panels around his hutch to keep him safe. He lives alone but loves sitting with his soft toys. thanks for the advice:bunny:

from what you say its most likely the foxes then... I know it sounds weird but a trick that is often mentioned is to get a man to urinate all around the boundries of your garden , to create a sort of barrier of urine. The foxes can smell it and are more likely to stay away.
 
Back
Top