Rabbit makes teeth clicking noise when petted

[Dennisse Reyes]

Hello everyone! First time posting, long time rabbit mom!

My rabbit Eve (Spayed, 4 years old roughly) makes this weird teeth clicking noise when you pet her or if she licks you. I know of the purring noise rabbits make when they're content, but I've never heard this clicking noise. She doesn't seen to be in pain, she eats normally and drinks. Just makes the noise when being petted or if she's licking you. As we speak, she's splayed out on the floor just relaxing. I've attached the audio file via google drive, and it appears at second 6.

If anyone could give me an idea of what it could mean, I'd appreciate it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10u7haAJnf-mMbfLXJVNNZst7GRRgwlg4/view

 

[Imbrium]

Welcome to RO! I hope you stick around... we've got a lot of knowledge to offer but also a lot of opportunities for a long-time rabbit mommy such as yourself to share their experiences and knowledge - it's a great community we've got here!

It's almost certainly just a variation on the "rabbit purr". She's specifically doing it at happy moments, shows no signs of pain and everything else appears normal. I've never thought to capture tooth chattering as an audio file before, so I didn't really have any basis for comparison, but 7 years and 7 rabbits worth of experience (as an adult, anyway) makes me feel confident in saying it's a happy noise and nothing to worry about.

It's kinda like how, with cats, every once in a while you run into a cat whose 'mew' is very distinct and different... and cats in general vary from one to the next. With 5 cats (four of whom are related - mom and three siblings), I can tell you with around 95% accuracy which cat I just heard cry. The 5th (unrelated) cat's mew stands out like a sore thumb from the others. Rabbits vary in the same way.

I'm guessing you've had her for a while and this noise is new to her, though? If you're really worried, it never hurts to get a vet check-up... but that said, I still feel like it's nothing to worry about. Like humans, rabbits sometimes change or develop new quirks as they age. I've certainly watched our Nala's personality morph gradually but repeatedly over the years (I got her when she was 7 weeks old and she hit 7 years old around the end of May/start of June 2019). Rabbits are subtle in so many aspects; context is so often the most important clue... and the context of your rabbit's actions speaks volumes .

 

[Dennisse Reyes]

Thank you very much! I feel at ease now, and it was worrying me. I've had Eve since she was 7 weeks and you are right, their personalities do develop over time so I didn't think about that!

And thank you for welcoming me! I've always lurked the site, as it's always helpful! And I hope to continue to learn from everyone.

 

[Imbrium]

To be honest, I never gave it much conscious attention... but last night after I responded to this thread, I was snuggling in bed with Alice and at one point she made a particularly loud clicking noise just like what you described. I realized then that I hear that sound every once in a while when snuggling a bunn (we currently have four; some have never made the noise but others do from time to time). Looking back on it after the fact, I can totally see how it struck you as odd and potentially worrisome! I'm now 100% confident in saying it's a particularly happy sound and nothing to be concerned about .