Thumping throughout the night!! Scared??

[kaz]

Hi guys

We moved into a town house about 6 months ago - quite a built up area (although very quiet, no traffic noise etc). We have two bunnies, Munchkin (female, 5yrs) and Smudge (male, 4 years).

They live together, in a hutch outside, and really enjoy each other's company. They are neutered / spayed.

Since we moved in, we've been woken up pretty much every night by THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. It happens around 11pm - then again at 3am, then again at 6:30-7 am. Sometimes I don't hear it, but then I'm probably sleeping through it!

It's the female doing the thumping - as once early evening she started it - I went out to fuss her she continued for a bit whilst I was there, but eventually stopped.

It's really frustrating because not only does it keep us awake but I'm concerned that it's going to be bugging the neighbours too.

Is something scaring her? We've tried covering the hutches (with a proper custom-made hutch cover), which makes no difference whether the hutch is open or closed.

We wondered whether perhaps a neighbour has a cat scarer that they can hear and it scares them? Or perhaps rodents, mice or rats, might be running around and bugging them.

It's really strange - they never used to do it at our previous house. I don't know how to stop them. My only suggestion is to put a concrete paving slab into the hutch then put the straw on top of that - at least that way when they thump it won't be so loud for us and the neighbours!

If anyone's got any thoughts it would be great to hear your views. We're prepared to try anything!

Many thanks

Kerry x

 

[rachylou]

It may well be that something started off by freaking them out and maybe they have learnt the behaviour that thumping means you will come running to give them attention... buns are crafty like that! :lol:
At the same time I would not want you to ignore the thumping incase they really were scared hmmmm :? :roll:

 

[VickiP]

:wave: One thing is for sure, that they are un-settled, I would stick with covering them over at night and re-assuring them with a treat maybe, I would use a tarpaulin but ensure they have ventilation. I wouldn't go with the concrete slab as I think if they are frightened which they are that they will still thump and maybe harder, I would just increase the amount of hay they have to a thicker layer and if they thump get up and check with a torch what it is, if you do this for a night or two and don't see anything then you may need to think about their enclosure but, it could be that you will see the problem - I would say they can hear foxes or cats or are smelling something different, there isn't a boiler flue near them or anything?

 

[glossta1]

hmmm

Bunster (male) used to thump sometimes.

One night when it was particularly insistent I went down to look, and one of their hutch doors was hanging open - the second bolt hadn't been secured, and so it had been left just with the loose swivel-thingy that we never trust (hence the bolts we'd added). Both buns stayed sensibly inside, which was a big relief to know (they've only ever escaped by jumping through our feet when they knew we were around to give chase)

Telling you that this happened won't help you relax - sorry!

After that, if ever he was particularly determined-sounding with the night thumping, I'd go down and check, and he'd be smiling a knowing smile at me through the back door. But I was still glad to check. When his thumping was just at his normal level, I'd ignore it.

I think he could often sense if one of us went to the loo, 'cos he'd start up the thumping then - the loo light would gleam by the hutch, so he might be hopeful that we were getting up earlier than usual (bun-feeding is the 1st activity of the day once downstairs).

Bunster died last year, and Buffy's new husbun doesn't thump. She thumps a bit herself, but only in mock-protest at being caught ready for her day in the rabbit garden.

In the wild it is a signalling system to warn others. In captivity it is often to fetch your pet human to do your bidding.

That's why we love buns!

 

[Joob-joobs]

The first thing that came to my mind was foxes. Mine can sense them even if they are 3 or 4 gardens away!

 

[Mazzawa]

In our experience, our bun is having nightmares!!! We have caught him thumping a few times (have gone to check on him) and found him fast asleep, eyes flickering, nose twitching and thumping! Waking him up gently seems to sort him out. He's always done it, and for the first little while we thought he was being spooked by noises or lights until we caught him snoring away! Maybe your bun is the same?

Mazz

 

[Elena]

Mine used to thump occasionally in the night - mine are indoors. Back when I had a trio. They haven't for some time now. I used to go in and just give them a stroke in the dark, never turned the light on, and they'd calm down. Sounds like you've tried that already though.

 

[CazScho]

Mine thump if they're spooked, could be they're just unsettled or it might be a cat/fox.

I also had a foster bun who'd drop hay cookies in her water and then thump to get my attention to fish them out again!

 

[Foofy]

My bunny used to thump a lot in the middle of the night, she was deaf so she couldn't hear herself :lol::lol: so it was obviously not something she was hearing, she was always covered up at night too. I spent many an evening reasuring her and looking for frightening things in the garden but I never ever found out what it was or why she did it

 

[prettylupin]

In the wild it is a signalling system to warn others. In captivity it is often to fetch your pet human to do your bidding.

That's why we love buns!

:thumb: :lol:

That doesn't mean you shouldn't check on bun as many have said, because unless you can differentiate what the thump means you might one time miss the real alarm call, it's a bit like the boy who cried wolf. As this poster found with their bunny Bunster - it's always important to check.

Thumps do have a different tone to them and there is certainly a big difference between a stamp and a thump Rabbits stamp when they are cross or frustrated, and thump when they are eliciting a warning. Like others on here our female bun thumps in her sleep, just once sometimes, when she is indoors snoozing in her willow den, but she also thumps a very sharp quick thump when she sees the cat on the wall. She stamps when she is cross, or doesn't want to do what is being asked of her! :roll::lol:

Buns can sense danger a way away by smell alone. I would make the garden as safe as possible, perhaps a floodlight that could trigger if a wild animal or cat came near so you would know it related to the thumping? Make sure bun has a secure hutch and as others have said perhaps cover it at night - allowing for good ventilation at the same time.
If the other bun seems relaxed when you go out and it is just her - it is more likely it is for your benefit - because it gets her attention, than it is a fear issue as I would expect both buns to be in a fear state. :?