Bunny Terms
Have you heard some strange and unfamiliar words or phrases about rabbits. Like sitting meatloaf or bathing suit style. Binky - what is a binky?
Here are some terms to help you navigate the wonderful world of bunny parenting that you need to get familiar with.
Alter - to remove the sex organs of a rabbit. To be "fixed" or spayed (female term) or neutered (male term). Their are many good reasons to have both your male or female altered. It helps with disposition and liter box training. In female rabbits, unaltered rabbits have a much higher chance of getting ovarian cancer. Please consider this for the health and happiness of your pet rabbit.
Binky - this is when a rabbit is extremely happy and jumps into the air while running or while standing still. Sometimes they will kick out their hind legs in mid air too. Domestic rabbits as well as wild rabbits will do this. It's a wonderful sight to see.
Bonding - just like humans, rabbits like to pick their own mates. The process to introduce the rabbits is called bonding. This can take anywhere from a few days, weeks, months or may never happen. Once rabbits are bonded they should never be separated or it will put undue stress on the rabbits. If rabbits don't like each other, they might fight to the death. Bonding is like being married - literally it's bunny marriage. The process can be extremely difficult to which I say give up and leave them separate. Or once completed can be a wonderful sight to watch two bunnies that truly love each other. This process is worth the time and effort if you can get your pair to bond --- it's a remarkable, loving act of nature. The easiest bond is male to female but female to female and male to male bonds are also possible.
Bronco Buck - when a rabbit is running and kicks out their hind feet while in mid air - like a bucking bronco or horse might do
Buck - male rabbit.
Bunny Burrito - to put a bunny in a towel and then wrap them up relatively tight so that you can administer meds or trim nails. See video here.
Cecotrope Pellet - this is the rabbit poop that is normally eaten right from the anus directly. It is mulberry in color, shaped like a small tight cluster of grapes with a white-ish mucus covering it. For nutritional reasons, rabbits re-ingest these pellets.
Chinning - rabbits have scent glands under their chin. They will mark other items or people with their chins to put their individual scent on you so that other bunnies will know you are claimed. This is known as chinning and they all normally do this to any object they want to claim for themself, or to mark as part of their territory.
Circling - this is a term used primarily during bonding when both bunnies are running in a tight circle chasing each other. Do not let this happen for more than a 15 seconds if possible. It never has good results.
Dewlap - in female rabbits this is an extra flap of skin found right under their chin. It's has something to do with being of baby bearing age. When the rabbit is altered (fixed) the dewlap will normally disappear.
Doe - female rabbit.
Dominant Bunny - refers to the top bun in a pair or warren of rabbits.This bunny will want attention from the other rabbit(s). They can be demanding and usually want to be groomed, kissed, licked or all of the above.
Dwarf Rabbit - a rabbit weighing under 5 pounds is considered a dwarf rabbit. They come in various breeds and colors.
Fecal Pellet - small brown round or oval rabbit poop.
Flopping - when your bunny is totally happy, maybe after grooming and he or she just flops over on his or her side, letting their belly hang out and roll their eyes back in their head - this is a bunny flop and things don't get much better then this for a bun. Don't worry since they are always on guard they wont' stay in this position for long and no he is not having a heart attack.
Free Range Bunny - this would be a cage free bunny. This is very possible. I have 3 free range bunnies - they are NEVER CAGE KEPT! Same as cage free bunny. You should try this.
Grooming - rabbits are usually very clean about themselves. They will lick and clean themselves which is referred to as grooming.If a rabbit gets wet, it will try and lick or groom itself dry and might obsess over having wet fur.
Interloper - a rabbit coming in from another area, not part of the warren or family but an outsider bunny.
Kisses - when a bunny licks you to you show affection. They love you.
Laying Bathing Suit Style - this is when a bun lays all stretched out like a bathing suit model posing for the camera.
Meatloaf - this is when a rabbit sits on the ground sorta of laying on all four legs and have their legs tucked under them self so that a roll fur surrounds the ground and no legs can be seen or detected at all. Known as sitting meatloaf style.
Here is a pic of Baby sitting Meatloaf below.
Mounting - this is done to show which rabbit is dominant. One rabbit will mount on top of the other rabbit. This is usually not a sex related move, but for the top bunny to demonstrate to the bottom bunny that the top bunny is well - dominant. This will happen during the bonding process to get the pecking order established. Both males and females will mount other rabbits and the sex of the rabbit has no bearing on which one will mount - it's more a personality trait.
Over Grooming - this is when a rabbit licks itself so much in the same place over and over, their fur comes out and bare skin is exposed.
Her fur has grown back in but it will look like a patch of missing fur and it's empty right down to the bare skin. The skin is usually the same color as the fur so it's the depth of what is missing that will be most noticeable. It looks like someone took a scoop of fur away. It does grow back fast. We had left the buns alone for a long weekend and Baby being the nervous little bunny she is got a little freaked and started to over groom. Since we are back she is now no longer grooming the 2 areas that had the missing fur patches.
Pellets - this has 2 meanings. Some people refer to rabbit poop as "pellets". Because of their dark brown color and round shape.
Pellets - can also mean their food - usually made of a mix hay and protein shaped into a dark green or brown small cylinder. It sorta reminds me of human cereal in a way.
Submissive Bunny - refers to the submissive bunny in a pair or warren. This bunny will normally groom or kiss or lick the dominant bunny and is known as being the bottom bunny in a mount to show dominance.
Territorial - rabbits, especially dwarf female rabbits are extremely territorial. They have their defined area of what they came as their own turf and if an outsider or interloper wanders into their area, they will urinate and poop to mark the borders to claim what is theirs.They will also fight if necessary.
Thumping - when a rabbit is afraid of something, it will thump or stomp it's hind legs on the ground making a loud thumping noise. This is to warn other rabbits to be afraid or be on alert from a predator or other unknown.
Trance, Trancing or To Put in a Trance - when you hold a rabbit on it's back, it knows in most cases it is defenseless and becomes like a lip rag doll. I would describe it as holding the rabbit on its back, cradled in the crook of your arm much like holding a human infant. Their back is on your arm and hold their hind feet with your other hand. I normally only put my rabbits in this position when we clip their nails. It works pretty well once you are use to handling the bunny and are able to flip them onto their back without hurting them. They don't like it and might fight you while you are trying to position them. Gracie becomes a sweet little limp bunny while on her back - we can do anything we want and she just stays somewhat relaxed and perfectly still. Dino is okay with this but he tries to keep you from getting him on his back. Once on his back he is not happy but knows he has no chance. Baby on the other hand is a wild crazy bundle no matter what you do. She fights you clawing and trying to push away from you constantly by kicking with her hind legs and feet. Even if we get her on her back, she is fighting the entire time. She gets really mad and just gives you a look that would drop you dead (or onto your back) if she could.
Weepy Eye - An eye infection where the eye gets red and discharges fluid to the point where the fluid is running down the buns face. The fur under or around the eye be will wet and matted. You should have the vet see your rabbit for treatment which is normally eye drops and also a tear duct flush.