Foot Thumping by my Rabbit

[jake080859]

Whenever I tell my houserabbit off he stamps his foot and makes a low grunt/sighing noise.
Does he understand ???

[andy-hughes]

If you speak sharply to him, you may frighten him, and his natural rection is an alarm signal to the rest of his pack - even if he is alone, this reaction is an inbult defence mechanism.

The htumping foot vibrtaes the ground, and that is felt by all rabbits nearby, and is a general signal to head for cover, this is backed up by the gutteral noise he makes.

So no, he probably doesn't 'understand' but reacts in a 'fight-or-flight' manner, as nature intended.

[jake080859]

I do understand the foot stamping when he is afraid or as a warning to other rabbits, but I do not raise my voice to any degree so do not understand why I would scare him !

[Cetti]

I firmly believe your rabbit does understand what you say, I know that ours certainly did, and thumping is the rabbit equivalent of sticking your tongue out when he's cross, irritated, or indeed as a warning.

However, I found a rather interesting site entitled 'Learn Your Pet Rabbit's Body Language' that you might want to take with a pinch of salt, but still worth a read. Here's a bit:

A rabbit will thump his hind foot in order to warn of danger. If your rabbit is thumping his hand foot, he is trying to tell you that he senses a danger, such as a cat at the door, a noise he doesn't recognize, or it may simply be he is scared of something, and wants to warn you of that danger too. Thumping is a communication tool, so if your bunny is thumping his foot, you can know he loves you and is trying to protect and warn you of the danger he senses.

[RATTER15]

You've seen the film, you've heard all the advice, now taste the stew!!!!

[jake080859]

Living life with some people must be so fulfilling !