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My Rabbits Like to Keep House - Funny Habit?

njbunnymom

Young Bun
I'm new to rabbits but noticed a funny quirk about my pair. The other day, my buck, Jiji found that I had put a handful of rabbit pellets on the plate I normally use for his fruit and vegetables. The pellets weren't in the normal dish that day. He went over to the plate, lifted it quite purposefully with his mouth and dumped all the pellets onto the feeding area. He then moved the plate over a good foot away from the food with his mouth. One day when the house was hot and dry due to our heating system, I had put out a larger plastic dish of water - not the normal crockery dish I use. Grace, my doe, went over to the dish, lifted it up and dumped it all over the feeding area (this was an achievement - that dish was heavy with water). Lately, I've found that the little hay feeder that I use in Jiji's cage (where he sleeps at night - he free-ranges during the day) has been disconnected from the cage during the night and the hay has been strewn about. I cannot figure that one out yet.

I've seen them want to both join in when we clean house or have papers on the floor we're trying to organize - especially Grace. When we were hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree, Grace was right there next to us picking up things on the floor, purposefully moving them from one side of the floor to the other.

I'm amazed by anyone that can honestly say that rabbits are not smart creatures. These are thought out, purposeful, cause and reaction movements that show reasoning on some level.

Does anyone else have rabbits that keep house or are really particular about their feeding areas? I'm just so fascinated watching their behaviors.
 
My lady crumpet will headbutt things to move them around her cage if she doesn't like where I've put her toys.

My two are free range too, but their cage is left open at all times for food and water, I clean the cage out every other day and crumpet will stand and watch exactly what I'm doing. As soon as I'm done she will jump in and inspect everything and move the hay to where she wants it.

Rabbits are very inquisitive and super intelligent in my opinion.

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Both my boys if I give their veggies in a plastic takeaway type tub they enjoy throwing it around and playing with it afterwards! Zucc once was eating his on our bed and picked it up with his teeth,threw it in the air so all the food scattered everywhere including all over him, my bed and my floor! Haha.
Jasper also doesn't like the blankets I put in the run for him and Lola and throws them all over the place! Lola is a good housekeeper though and likes things where I put them! The boys, not so much! They love a bit of bunstruction!!
 
Treacle, girlie bun, will watch me like a hawk, then when everything is nice and clean and tidy, she'll go in and rearrange everything to her exact requirements. This happens even if I put everything back as it was ! :lol: Her brother Toffee, on the other hand, just lets me do "his" housekeeping, and couldn't care less, as long as he has his fresh chompy hay :lol:
 
Kizzy attacks the broom when I try and sweep up. It's relatively light indoor broom but sometimes I have to give in and just stop or we end up in a tug of war with it - she really is a fearless little rabbit, but i wouldn't want to hurt her accidentally.

On the other hand she doesn't the same worry about hurting me!! I have a lovely bruise on my shin where Kizzy picked up my shoe and threw it at me. I admit that I shouldn't have kicked my shoes off in the living room but throwing them at me seems a little excessive. :shock:
 
Apache used to get really outraged if a chewing stick was in the litter tray/water bowl/feeding area. He'd pick it up with his mouth and try to fling it to one side. Sometimes he was unsuccessful and I'd have to move it for him before he got really cross :lol:
 
Mine all rearrange stuff especially when you've just cleaned. Doesn't bother me apart from Prim moving the puppy pad as Cinnabun thinks peeing on the shelf above the litter tray is close enough :roll:
 
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