It's not possible, or is it?

[Mad Bunster]

Maddie KNOWS she is not allowed to go upstairs. So everytime she sneaks up there and either meets the "roadblock" or we spot her and send her downstairs again - she binkies once reaching the bottom again! She doesn't binky any other time! Not sure if thats humour but she knows shes doing something wrong and enjoys it!!

 

[Biscuit's Mum!]

Biscuit plays up for the fun of it, as does Badger now actually! They know if they do certain things my OH gets up and shoos them away, and Biscuit in particular loves to make him get up :lol::lol:

They play lots of nice games with Mummy!

 

[Boudicca]

The Dudster definately has a sense of humor! I was pondering this very question at the weekend. He was in fine form, I squatted down and went to stroke him and he gave me that sideways look as if to dare me then hurtled into the air with an amzing binky and stopped a few feet away and turned to look at me, I moved nearer to try and stroke him again and he did it again! then a 3rd time. I then stood up and called him a tease and that I was gonna go and stroke Daisy instead when he promptly hopped back over to me and let me stroke him :shock: :lol:

 

[lilbun]

OK another Thumper story to start again.
He likes me to run down the garden with a piece of string. When I've had a head start he zooms past, grabs the string in his mouth & fair pulls me round the garden - human on a lead!!:lol::lol::lol:
[Whoops the truth's really coming out tonight!!]

ETA He doesn't play with his string unless I'm holding it & moving it. However he'll tell me he want's to play with it by thumping, & tossing the end in the air.

That's amazing, but how on earth did you discover this game?? :lol:

 

[Hoppit!]

Oh yes, they have a sense of humour all right!

My bunnies know perfectly well they aren't allowed to go in 'Auntie Katie's' room, eat the lemon plant or demolish the antique books on the low bookcase, but make a beeline for all of these whenever possible. I know they know they're being norty because when I exclaim 'OH DEAR!' in my best nursery-nurse voice, the bad bunneh jumps away guiltily and tries to look all cute and innocent, while the good bunneh doesn't react at all. Pickles actually did the cheekiest little binky/skip down the landing this morning after grabbing a book of the shelf and tearing it to shreds! They no doubt share their norty antics with one another when they get back to 'base'... :roll: :lol:

 

[thumps_]

That's amazing, but how on earth did you discover this game?? :lol:

Being an intact buck, too ill to neuter, I gave him a toy rabbit, + training at the very 1st. whisper of adolescent aggression/dominance issues. I reasoned that if it was a surge of testosterone he needed an outlet. It's the only thing he's ever humped. He liked the chase before hand & often disappears from sight so his toy rabbit "has to find him". The only way I could oblige was to tie some string round the toy rabbit.

"Do you want nooky?" got him very enthusiastic, & he could hardly wait until I unwound the string, with lots of thumps = "I want, I want". Then he used the string as a run around game 1st. & when he'd had enough actually put his end of the string on the toy rabbit's back. One day I just wanted a good run without furniture in the way, went down the garden, & a completely new game developed. It's completely separate fom nooky.

ETA We've tried a bit of rabbit jumping together while he's got hold of the string recently. Well - I can't manage more than 4"

From the moment he arrived I wondered whether it was possible to communicate with a rabbit & find out what he wanted within reason. He was certainly watching me just as closely. HE worked out that thumping made me look at him & how to show me what he wanted to do. On the language side I reckoned he learned 60 of my words & phrases within 2-3 months.

 

[lilbun]

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

He's a very lucky bunny to have an owner so dedicated to understanding him xx

 

[thumps_]

You have all given me some lovely posts about your bunnies. Thank you for sharing the wonderful relationships you have with them.
I know a few from their illnesses, there are others I don't know. It's been pure joy to me to get to know them a little when they are having fun.
It's a relief to know that others think they have a sense of humour too, & I'm not totally crackers.

I think we can definitely say that they observe humans very closely, & work out our psychology - which "buttons to press" to get a reaction. I'm impressed by the number of buns which binky with delight when they succeed. It's obvious that we have to spend time with our buns so we get to know each other.

I can't think of any other mammal which relates to us in this way of psychological game play, but am willing to be corrected as always. I didn't expect what has come out of this thread.

I feel that you have all helped to make a tremendous tribute to bunnies. We know what amazing creatures they are. I so hope that it can be used to persuade other people that so many bunnies deserve better.
Any more stories are more than welcome.

 

[thumps_]

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

He's a very lucky bunny to have an owner so dedicated to understanding him xx

That is a wonderful compliment, thank you.
I think that I'm lucky that he found a way to get through to me, and kept on persevering in the early days, when I missed a lot because I had far too low an expectation of him. I've never had an animal who makes me laugh like he does.

 

[maxxev]

"Alvin used to binky away as i chased him from the wallpaper.. he loved it... some times he used to look for me, hop over to the wall and put his face right up to it, just to see me dash accross the room "

Both of mine do this but tilly will actually do something she obviously knows is a no no just for me to chase her. She binkies away shaking her tail and head laughing at the daft slow hooman

Inara does this too. if you tell her off she will do a sideways binki away from whatever it was that she shouldnt be chewing.