From: dugan@bigwpi.WPI.EDU (Robert Francis Dugan)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Bunny Theories
Date: 17 Dec 1992 19:06:42 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: bigwpi.wpi.edu

Hi,

I just found out about this group... and read all of the posts
about rabbits... this is great!

My fiance and I are card carrying members of the House Rabbit 
Society... and we got our first newsletter a few months ago.
The articles were great... and there were a few helpful tips
too.

We have two bunnies... Ricochet and Marylin.  They are both a lot
of fun and VERY VERY different from each other.  Although it's
hard to generalize about these little buggers... here are some
personal observations/theories we have about rabbits:

Rabbits ARE fundamentally different from dogs and cats.  Dogs and
cats are predators.  When you make loud noises, clap your hands,
wiggle toys... etc. it tends to attract dogs and cats... they are
curious predators.  Rabbits tend to ignore or run away from 
these things... rabbits are PREY.

Rabbits (probably because they are prey) like to be in places that
are covered... (maybe to feel less vulnerable from things like 
hawks... etc.)  One thing that really upset me when we got our 
first rabbit (Ricochet) was that he seemed very aloof... he would
never sit or lie down right next to me... he always observed me
from afar.  Then I realized that he was as close to me as he could
get provided he had some sort of covering over his head (chair,
table, bookshelf... whatever).

Rabbits are very QUIET (again because they are prey).  They don't bark
and they don't meow.  They do ocassionally honk and stomp.  The honking
noise is very faint... it sounds a lot like a sneeze.  Stomping is a
lot louder... the volume depends on whatever the rabbit is standing on
at the time.  When a rabbit stomps, he picks his back feet up and slams
them down on the floor.  Rabbits stomp for a variety of reasons... sometimes
it's because they are mad (like when you are chasing them around the room,
trying to get them to go back in the cage), sometimes it's because they
are scared and want to warn you about something.  

Rabbits LOVE bananas.  One night we did a taste test for our two
little knuckleheads.  We gave them a choice of carrot, apple, 
papaya, saltines, yogurt drops, and banana.  Both rabbits went for
the banana first.  Nowadays if I take a bite out of a banana anywhere
in the apartment, Ricochet smells the fruit, and he's at my feet in
under five seconds.

Rabbits love being pet.  Maybe not at first... but if you are patient
and kind... you can win your little furball over.  Both of our rabbits
like being pet on the head the best.  Light rubbing on the nose, scratching
between the ears... etc. works well.  It calms them down (and 
us too!).  You can tell your rabbit is having a particularly good 
pet when he starts grinding his teeth.

Rabbits DREAM.  Sometimes, during a good long pet, Ricochet will fall
asleep.  Ricochet does it more than Marylin...  I know he's dreaming 
because his whiskers wiggle strangely, and his feet twitch, and he's
deep deep asleep.  When he does this I close my eyes and imagine what
he's seeing.  Probably a giant farmer's field with huge bananas growing
out of the ground... all for him.

Rabbits know when you are sad.  Both of our rabbits like to be pet.  But
they seem to have some kind of internal timer (20 minutes or so).  After
that they get up, run away and clean themselves and find something else
to do.  However if I am  upset, Ricochet will stay with me for as long 
as it takes to cheer me up.

Rabbits understand human intimacy.  Sometimes when I give my fiance
a kiss or a hug and the rabbit is out, he will hop over to where we
are.  He'll tug at my pant leg (me too! me too!) and if we don't
pay attention he'll flop right on our feet.

Speaking of flopping... if you've never seen a rabbit flop?  It is something
that shouldn't be missed.  One minute he's standing on all fours, then he's
leaning, then he falls, rolls a little on his back and it's over.  Ricochet's
been flopping now for about 2 years.  I still giggle everytime he does it.

Rabbits have moods... and "looks" or "poses" that seem to go with these moods.
I've classified the ones that I have been able to identify so far:

	Scrunched Up: Can't see the front paws or back paws, head is pulled
		      back up against the body.  This always seems to happen
		      when Ricochet is cold, scared, or upset BUT it seems
                      to happen a lot of other times too.

	Chopper:      The front paws are extended way out in front of the
		      body, head is pulled back up against the body, can't
                      see the back paws.  It looks vaguely like a motorcycle
		      with huge forks for the front tire (a Chopper).  I don't
		      know why he does this.

	Spread-Out:   The rabbit is fully elongated, front paws are visible,
		      back paws are spread out behind the rabbit.  Rabbit is
		      "lying" on his stomach.  Ricochet seems to do this when
		      he's mildly relaxed.

	Head-on-Paws: The rabbit is fully elongated, front paws are visible,
		      back paws are spread out behind the rabbit.  Rabbit is
		      "lying" on his stomach.  His head is on his paws.
		      Ricochet seems to do this when he's pretty relaxed.

	Flopped:      The rabbit is fully elongated, front and back paws are
		      visible.  Rabbit is "lying" partially on his back, 
		      stomach is visible.  Ricochet seems to do this when he's
                      VERY relaxed.

Well I am about typed out!  We have one big problem right now.  Ricochet and
Marylin don't get along very well.  We adopted Rick about 2 years ago... and
we got Marylin this past August.  Rick doesn't like Marylin at all... he 
attacks her whenever they are both out of their cages.

As a result, we don't let them out together... it's a vicious circle.
Any suggestions on how to get these two flop-monsters to be buddies?

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