Talking with your bunny

[Hermelin]

How many of you speaks with your bunny as if they understand all the words you say.

I can find myself talking with my bunnies like they are people. While my parents speak to my bunnies like they are small children.

People that come over find it weird when I or my family suddenly talks towards the bunnies. And the first thing we do when we get home it’s calling my indoor bunnies name, so he know we are home.

Sometimes I ask my bunnies how their day was, like they can answer that question [emoji849]

Do you also talk with your bunnies [emoji195]

What kind of conversation do you have [emoji195][emoji195]

 

[zuppa]

I talk to my rabbits I don't think it is weird or something, my rabbits are all very smart and understand everything. I say Good Morning Bunnies! and they say Good Morning Poopy Poo! Well I rarely talk to all of them together same time I say Good morning Smokey are you hungry? I know you are please wait wait wait wait oh no okay you will need to pick them from the floor now. Oh I see you used your toilet that's very nice very good you are a very good girl very good very pretty girl I love when you use your toilet very good. Good girl, good, very good. Se's so happy when I say that she's good she's trying to be good all the time.

My rabbits love being talked and we communicate all the time and we have mutual respect and understanding, that's important.

 

[Imbrium]

I talk to them like they're people. Barnaby isn't so bright and I don't think he understands much at all of what I say. Alice understands some but I don't think she pays much attention to me unless it's about food. Harley Quinn is smarter and really listens more than those two; I think she gets the gist of most stuff I say to rabbits.

Nala is exceptionally intelligent. I can tell she really puts a lot of effort into breaking down everything we say, even when it isn't to or about rabbits. After 7 years together, we have a pretty special bond and I have full-blown conversations with her. it sounds crazy but I swear she can communicate with us telepathically. It's not words so much as feelings or thoughts or impulses that she sends through eye contact. There was one time I went out to the living room because I heard her thumping and when I looked at her and asked why she was thumping, I immediately got the urge to check the cat bowl, which was devoid of food. When she got GI stasis last summer, I felt like she was trying to tell me something about teeth and sure enough, the vet determined that she had spurs on her rear molars.

 

[krbshappy71]

I talk to mine like I do with the dogs, like a small child I am trying to teach. I greet her in the morning sort of sing-songy voice calling her name. I ask her "whatcha doin'?" I tell her each thing I'm going to do before I do it. "Ok pretty girl, gonna grab your food dish here...." then I reach for it slowly. Hubby will greet her every time he goes in the room, it's nice. I haven't heard him talking to her otherwise though but he does chat up the dogs a lot so over time he probably will. I figure they're all God's creatures sharing this beautiful planet with us, why not treat them with the same respect and attention I did my kids. I have lots of other pets, I do the same with them.

 

[JetFalcon]

Most people I encounter, especially parents, most of them tell their kids “say bye to the bunnies”. And kids go “bye bunny / bunnies”

Mainly because kids will stay forever with the bunnies and the parents need to leave.

 

[Maki_p29]

I talk to my Bunny Hawkeye all the time. I tell her how majestic and beautiful she is, when she is being good or needs a little discipline when she does something bad, when it’s food time, when we leave and or come back to the house, if she alerts me that she needs something I ask her “what do you need honey?”, I ask her how she feels, when she wants her food super early I tell her to wait and that it’s not time for her food, if I turn on the blender or something loud I tell Hawkeye what I’m doing and I tell her when I’m finished using it, if something scares her I let her know what it is and if it’s okay or not. Hawkeye is smart and understands people words if they are basic and in three or four word sentences like talking to a toddler. Hawkeye likes when I talk to her and always makes direct eye contact. I even sing to her sometimes and she binkys around when I sing. I think its good to talk to animals especially if they understand you. People talk to their other types of pets like dogs or cats... rabbits are intelligent too and they are pets/best friends to people so why not talk to them regularly.

 

[Rosy]

definitely talk to my bun. I tell him everything and anything as if he is human I talk to him when I feed him, I talk to him when I pet him, I talk to him when I take him on walks. basically whenever I can!

 

[Preitler]

I'm pretty sure my neighbours think I'm somewhat nuts. The loony loner with his bunny herd. I guess I'm talking more to my bunnies than to humans , I announce myself before I come around a corner, I tell them what I expect them to do, like going back into the hutch or coming out of the wood and going home (things like that work surprisingly well, one needs to get used to that app. 5 minutes delay it takes them to make up their mind), and comment on their attics and daily life, of course they don't understand, but I think they get a very clear Idea of my mood and intentions.

Unfortunatly, this isn't something I could show off, they are not used to other people and act different with strangers around, then just my buck and his cuddlebun will come when called.

 

[A & B]

Bugs definitely gets what I'm saying, he just doesn't care usually. He knows many different words like snack, treat, pepper, lettuce (this is what my sisters refer to their salads as), kisses, hay, yes, no, move, stop, naughty, ow, among other things. He also knows when it's time for breakfast and dinner and when it's time for him to go back into his pen.

Evie is relatively new to my house (I've had her for almost 4 months) but during the last few months I was trying to bond her to Bugs and I tried to not get attached during that time just in case it didn't work out with her. She's very alert and doesn't like coming out of her pen if I'm in the room and almost all of the interactions we have involve her being too scared to run away or her biting me when I clip her nails. I would like to teach her everything Bugs knows but I have to bond with her first. She does understand no and she knows when it's time to eat though. She also understands when I tell her to calm down when she's scared.

 

[April LD]

I LOVE talking to my buns! I don't care if they understand or not...they are alive, have feelings, and I feel like they can understand me and understand how I feel when I am talking to them. Some of them like to be talked to in baby talk, others seem to prefer that I just talk normal.

I tell them good morning and good night every day, that I love them, that they are good buns/babies. They know when they are going to get treats, we tell them when it is time to go out and run (outside), I tell them they are stinky, cuz sometimes they are!

I think they understand the tone and feelings from us, even if they don't understand the words, and some understand the words. Bunnies are AMAZING! So yeah, talk to them, why not....we are crazy if we don't!

 

[Elicia-Mae]

Mine recognise there names like dogs, can perform tricks and are generally very excited when I enter the Rabbitry. I think they are extremely underestimated and actually very intelligent creatures. I talk to them all individually and tell them to enjoy their food when I feed them! So yes, it's definitely normal and I make it part of my everyday rabbit routine

 

[Hermelin]

Some of them like to be talked to in baby talk.

Haha, I’m one of them that do this to one of my bunnies, because he look like a small kit. I often pick him up and ask for a kiss, most of the time will look at me and pull his head far away from me. Telling he dosen’t want to give a kiss.

Like he’s thinking:

This crazy human it’s asking for a kisses again, without even paying for his noble service // Odin

While my doe:

Scratch behand this regal queen’s ears, this queen will give you a great reward // Lilja

While Toste just over the top everywhere, finding new ways to make me worry about him.

Me: Move or I will step on you (manage to step on his paw or I trip) or I’m shouting his name in panic, so all the neighbours can hear me. Telling him to come back or to not move [emoji849]

Must be something with him being the youngest of my bunnies, still having his mischief.

 

[JetFalcon]

I'm pretty sure my neighbours think I'm somewhat nuts. The loony loner with his bunny herd. I guess I'm talking more to my bunnies than to humans , I announce myself before I come around a corner, I tell them what I expect them to do, like going back into the hutch or coming out of the wood and going home (things like that work surprisingly well, one needs to get used to that app. 5 minutes delay it takes them to make up their mind), and comment on their attics and daily life, of course they don't understand, but I think they get a very clear Idea of my mood and intentions.

Unfortunatly, this isn't something I could show off, they are not used to other people and act different with strangers around, then just my buck and his cuddlebun will come when called.

If you take your bunnies out in public, like a shopping center / park. You will get tons of attention, no dog stands a chance against bunnies when it comes to attention. It has happened before, I was talking to an owner of a beautiful Golden Doodle while I had my bunnies. So they were both visible to everyone, and everyone wanted to see the bunny over a pure breed dog.

I'm wondering if this is like a common known thing among bunny owners.

 

[Preitler]

I'm definitly not going to stress my rabbits or put them at risk to get attention. Granted, at the vet my buck was the center of attention, he was pissed off of spending half an hour in a box, started to shred it thoroughly and got fed and peted by the children there, but he definitly is the only one of my rabbits with an attitude like that.

But away from home I have no control over things like infections, Myxo is everywhere where wild rabbits live, anyone from there could carry it.

I would definitly not encourage people to take their rabbits out in public. They are not dogs. Just because they are easier to control than cats isn't a reason. And all that "cute" youtube vids, be sceptical. You can give a video any spin you like.

 

[Hermelin]

Myself have brought out my bunnies on adventures but only the calm places, sometimes to the nearby forest, lakes and nature reserve. Most people will just look and not walk up or stay a decent space away and ask questions.

Odin and Lilja love it, Lilja will often binkys or just snuggle up next to me while eating grass. Odin will just run around eating grass.

Remember going to the lake nearby, next to the lake it’s s nature reserve that go into the woods. In the nature reserve are a few big areas where cows can walk around and eat grass or explore the forest.

So it’s safe to let my bunnies est the grass around my area [emoji5]