Questions, questions, questions

[sibelabmom]

As I've mentioned, I'm new to bunny ownership, so I have lots of questions.

1. What does "binky" mean?

2. Does it mean anything when a rabbit licks you? I know what it means when it's a dog, or even a cat, but recently, Cynnamon has taken to licking me wherever she happens to be: legs, hands, arm, whatever, it doesn't seem to matter. But she still rejects being touched.

3. I came across a bunch of soft pellets about an hour ago in the cage. I don't know if they were hard and dry and then were urinated on, which might account for them appearing to be half-melted, but are soft pellets something to be concerned about? Both are still eating, drinking, and running around like lunatics when out of the cage.

 

[MaryAnne]

Hi Sibelabmom. My thoughts:
1) A 'binky' means JOY. It's just a jump up half twist kind of move. You'll know it when you see it.
2) Personally I thought this was salt related. Mine licks the leather couch for whatever reason.
3) Soft pellets, if they look like a blackberry, are cecotropes. They are the first pass output that the bun eats and re-processes. I've always liked the reasoning. Wild buns stay in the burrow all day/night (aside from dawn/dusk), but their digestive system requires them to eat often. So they have these cecotropes to eat so they don't have to go outside and risk being prey. Pretty nifty of nature if you ask me.
BTW, an animal that is most active at dusk and dawn is called crepuscular.

MA

 

[sibelabmom]

I didn't think of the cecotrophs. Okay, that may be what I was seeing. I also didn't think of the salt-related angle, as Snooki doesn't lick me at all, and though they have a salt lick in the cage, neither of them bothers with it at all. I think they sampled it when I first put it in, and thereafter ignored it completely. Of course, they ignore their toys almost as completely...lol.