Always thumping it seems...

[LaylaLop]

So Mumford is a somewhat skittish rabbit and it seems everything and anything sets off his thumping. If I walk by the room he starts thumping, if he hears my dog's collar he starts thumping, if I run the washer, dryer, or dishwasher, he thumps. If a car with subwoofers drives by, or I flush the toilet and he can hear it, he'll thump. It's not just one thump and done, he continues for 5-20 minutes. If I go to try to comfort him or distract with food, he usually panics and sprints around in his cage then freezes. Layla is like "what's going on?" the entire time but doesn't act fearful, just curious. My main concern is I have neighbors below me who may not appreciate this late at night, so any advice on how to limit his thumping and get him to learn he's not going to die every 5 minutes would be helpful!

 

[ZRabbits]

Mumford is normal. Bunnies who aren't sure of their surroundings will thump as a warning. It will get better. Explain to your neighbors below that it will get better. He's getting in tune to his surroundings. Once it all becomes familiar the thumping will stop. Willard and Kreacher are my thumpers. Not as much as before, but some things still startle them and they will thump to warn. He's just telling Layla that he thinks danger is around. That's all.

With your TLC, he will calm down. Like anything in bunny world, it takes time.

K

 

[LakeCondo]

You might add some padding in the bedroom area so the thumping isn't so loud or keep him out of the bedroom at night. Unless the neighbors have an irregular schedule, nighttime in the bedroom would be the only time & place to worry about some thumps.

 

[LaylaLop]

Well I put down straw mats on top of the wood that sits on top of the carpet. My apt is 2 bedroom and the bunny room (which is a bedroom) sits above a bedroom. The neighbors don't really talk to one another and I guess since my roommate who was in that room until December used to make enough noise late at night (was an odd hour sleeper) that it probably doesn't seem that out of the norm to the people below me since they haven't mentioned it.

My dog (who is what I'd call special and mostly harmless) scares poor Mumford so badly. Just the presence of my dog makes him fly around the cage whereas Layla wants to play with the dog... If he just sat still, my dog wouldn't try to go over closer to see what the skittering noises are about and freak him out further. If only he knew my dog doesn't notice they exist until they move! I do close off the room from my dog when I'm not home so that he can't go in there to sniff around the cages.

I know with time he'll come around. I was just wondering if any bunny gurus out there had a trick to stop the thumping. Sometimes, if I'm lucky he starts thumping and then all 5 of my gerbils start thumping too..

 

[candykittten]

LaylaLop wrote:

Sometimes, if I'm lucky he starts thumping and then all 5 of my gerbils start thumping too..

haha oh my... the troubles of us animal lovers

 

[BunnyButter]

Hopefully you're like me and have roommates and neighbors who make more noise than one rabbit possibly ever could... I'm suprised Butter doesn't go into a frenzy with the cackling and stomping we hear at all hours.

I wish you the best of luck with that though. You only got Mumford recently, right?

 

[LaylaLop]

Yep, he's a newbun. I got him within 2 weeks so I know he's still adjusting.