Benjie has excelled himself

Since Benjie's snuffles has improved we've been getting on much better. He really excelled himself tonight. I couldn't miss that he's been attacking my alarm clock recently.
Tonight I found out why. I'd spent far too long writting a letter, & he flings my alarm clock around when I'm late with his play time!:lol:
Oh & he's jealous of my hotwater bottle which spends far too much time on my knee. :lol: Thus far his attempts to kill it by biting the rim have failed, but I'll need a new one before there's an accident!

I just adore rabbits. They're so straight to the point!

I love the way you communicate so well with your buns

webble said:

I love the way you communicate so well with your buns

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Awww Thank you. I was beginning to think that Benjie wasn't going to be a communicator, but now he's feeling better he's beginning to take off.

It's interesting, cos there are a few areas where he understands my language & is very amenable indeed eg if I want to move to another room & close up the room we're both in, he'll come out to call, as fast as a dog, & he knows what "play time" means.

Sadly I can't take photos of the lovely bits. eg. me on the floor propped up on my elbows giving him nose rubs, & he'll suddenly return the compliment giving me nose licks. He hasn't quite got it, that I call this "cuddles" although he'd have cuddles all day if I had the time! He's one big luvvabun!

I've only just thought that maybe I need to give him more cues with body language, like hand signing a dog. That might just give him the idea of giving me more cues with body language too.

Benjie sounds like one smart bun who knows how to tell you what he wants and when. I think that rabbits are extremelyb intelligent and good and communicating with humans. He is funny isn't he?

Clever bun!

Sounds wonderful, Judy. What I would give to be a fly on the wall! :lol:

I tell you, the intelligence of rabbits rivals most other domestic animals, but I get more than one raised eyebrow or skeptical, incredulous comment when I try to tell the unwashed masses how clever they really are. I still get my back up when someone questions the veridity of my statement that my rabbits can use a litter box better than my housecats. Why is that so incredible?? :?

I guess it's a losing battle here...where the populace at large see rabbits as food...not friends.

Judy...has Benjie ever shown an interest in roaming the garden or is he still preferring the life of Riley as a housebun?

Well folks we're all in top academic company in believing our buns are highly intelligent.

First let me make it clear that this particular research unit doesn't use animals it uses human volunteers, & works in neurosciences! So one day I went up to see if my brain was lighting up anywhere, & proudly told Prof that my rabbit had made his 1st sentence - "I want to play with you in the lounge. Open the door please" I suddenly realised that this statement could get me certified on the spot:shock: so I clarified, describing the behaviour involved, & translated it.
Prof was amazing. He leaned foreward , & stroked his chin, thought a lot & then said "that is an incredibly complex thought process!" Thereafter whenever I had any contact with them, they'd immediately ask about what Thumper was doing & saying, then suddenly remember to ask about me as an afterthought!!!:lol:

Yes, Mimzmum, it wouldn't surprise me if they're the most intelligent of our pets. We get far too confused between intelligence & instant obedience to our commands. In terms of problem solving ability, & getting me disconnected from the internet when I spend too long on here - both Benjie & Thumper must be insurpassable in knowing it's the little 2 wire cable to go for, perseverance, subterfuge, & devious behaviour - the lot.
I've now got 4 separate layers of "defense" round the internet cable area - blow me, he cut off the sound through a double defense & I didn't spend that long at the loo!:lol::lol: Neither of them bother with any other cables either. I'm now totally convinced that those rabbits PLAN in advance, await an opportunity, & then GO for it baby!!:lol:

It's funny you should mention about him going out. I had a real shock last night when I put out some rubbish very late & thought I saw a black shadow slip outside quietly. He wasn't on the side paths, nor in the lounge where last seen. His norm would have been to take himself back upstairs, but I didn't dare leave the outside unattended. Fortunately he came to call quite fast. I think he's a very rabbit rabbit. He actually feels safest under cover of darkness (when it's the most dangerous time of all in a town, & when I'm least able to protect him.)
He's still very timid in the day time. He's still very scared of traffic too, which could be another major factor as I have a busy road at the front.

I think the difficult thing for both of us is that we both became very ill at the same time early on. All we've both had the strength to do has been cuddles. We're quite good at that now!:lol:

Wonderful little bun.

The really are intelligent, they just communicate in a different way. Most people have learned over the years to communicate with dogs and maybe even cats, we know what they want. But rabbits, being prey animals, do things in a very different way. Being around them so long you start to learn what they're 'saying' but like any language it takes time and practice.

People are always amazed when I narrate my rabbits and tell people what they're going to do next. For example, "I'm bored of these snuggles now, I'm going to clean my foot." Or, "I'm going to lie down now." And then a couple of seconds later they do it. It's just I know how to read their body language after over sixteen years living with rabbits. :lol:

Please please please, can we haz Benjie pictures?

KoShiatar said:

Please please please, can we haz Benjie pictures?

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:wave: Erm a little technically difficult, cos whenever I get down to his level he comes hopping over whatever he's doing, gives the camera lense a nose rub, & then asks me for cuddles. :lol:
I had some pretty impressive smudges on the camera lens though!:lol:

I never expected this.! We've had a huge breakthrough in the last 24 hours & Benjie is "talking" almost non stop now! He was showing me which games he wanted to play tonight, very clearly, & specifically asked for his grass to be topped up.
It's as if we've both managed to break through a big barrier.
There are huge changes in his behaviour too. He's lying out in the middle of the room more, rather than staying in his hidey hole. I'm really
It's now up to me, to do my best to respond to him, to encourage him to keep going.

I wish I could establish this kind of bond with my pets!

KoShiatar said:

I wish I could establish this kind of bond with my pets!

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I think it comes in time. It's almost as if the more you want to understand their viewpoint of the world, & want to make those small adjustments which make them feel more at ease, it starts to happen. Of course it has to be 2 way. I have a photo today - the only photo I can take - Benjie is in his usual place & saying "please stroke me!" but I can't get the computer to work properly.
It looks as if my house has been totally wrecked by rabbits, but it hasn't. They have to learn what's OK & what isn't, which means going against their instinctive behaviour. So it's tough for them. My bedroom doorway has been the entrance to both Thumper & Benjie's "warren" & a favourite lying up place for both. Thumper had to learn that he couldn't strip wall paper like tree bark, & Benjie had to learn not to try to dig under the door when it was closed!
The damage is not their fault for being rabbits, it's MY fault for not supervising them, & teaching them properly at times. It's MY choice to have free ranging house rabbits, & part of that choice is to accept a few "accidents" at the beginning.
I think that's what I love about them so much. They try so hard to control their instinctive rabbit behaviour to live in our environment - I just want to make small changes in my life style which makes THEM feel more at home/happy. It's very much a relationship of love in it's true sense, & finding lots of compromises so we both get what we want most of the time! Not a bad model for humans!!!