I just happened to turn around to see my rabbit in one of her sleeping-type positions twitching and swaying in a very peculiar way! Her head was going from side to side and her body was jerking a bit too - it looked a bit unhealthy actually, so I went over to see and once I had woken her up she was fine! I've not noticed her doing it before, has anyone else seen anything similar? I've heard about dogs dreaming..maybe bunnies do it too!
:)

Yes Siany they do indeed dream and head movements are one of the most common signs of this. One of mine, Marley also kicks his legs much like dogs do. Its nothing to worry about, just a sign of a healthy, happy bunny.

I wonder how intelligent rabbits actually are.
My neice used to have one and it seemed to be at least as intelligent as a rat, and rats are quite intelligent little animals.

Awwwww! Bless their cute little bunny souls!! Wonder what they dream of...Thanks for the reassurance :D

They are much more intelligent than people give them credit for. The first rabbit i ever had knew how to hold a grudge against my Dad. He picked her up by the ears once (very very cruel dont ever do it!) and after that she bit him every chance she got, even nipping his ankles in the garden. She was fine with everyone else though.

I wonder how intelligent rabbits actually are.
My neice used to have one and it seemed to be at least as intelligent as a rat, and rats are quite intelligent little animals.

I think with rabbits it depends how much contact and interaction they get as to how much their intelligence and character shows - unfortunately some people still see bunnies as boring animals that don't need as much attention as a cat or a dog, so they get ignored. Obviously they aren't going to show their characters when they're ignored and not handled and fussed frequently, as they won't feel comfortable when they are showed some love!

I think they're pretty intelligent - Lily knows and reacts to her name, comes when I call etc (although she probably thinks I am going to feed her!) Food noises seem to provoke a good reactions - if I'm opening the fridge and chopping off a piece of carrot, by the time I am back in the room with it she's going mad running around the pen in anticipation!

Well i used to know someone who had a house rabbit, and this rabbit used to use a litter tray and knew where it could and couldnt go in the house.
I quite like rabbits, even though the last one i held took a chunk out of me.

My house rabbits are also litter trained, althought the ease at which this is done does depend upon the bunny in question. Most of their behaviour is learned behaviour which comes from experience although they can become very good at problem solving when it is going to help them cause mischief!

Ahh mischief! I KNOW that rabbits love mischief!
I have an old pic somewhere of a rabbit that we had when i was a kid tormenting the life out of the cat!

Aw our dogs dream but Eddy does it with his eyes open and rolled back - very scary!

I'd love a bunny but in all honesty, where I used to trust Takara with little animals I don't anymore!

We used to have a rabbit that attacked dogs. She was a feisty little devil and we used to walk her on a harness.

The funniest thing I have ever heard to this day was the man with a big dog who turned to me and said...

'Keep that rabbit under control!' :lol: :lol:

Lily's litter trained too. I agree with the problem solving thing - maybe that's what she's dreaming of, the next master plan for causing great mischief :)

Certain rabbits also wont hesitate to torment dogs. I had a rabbit that excercised in a run and he used to make the dog chase him around it knowing he could never catch him.

Hi Lottie! Did you actually take the rabbit out in public on the harness? I used to take Clover my old bunny on the front garden when I still lived at home but Lily hates wearing a harness! She tries to shake it off :)

I used to 'walk' my first rabbit in public but i was 8 then. I have to say im too embarresed to try now, plus it makes it easy for them to pick up diseases and parasites.

Hi Sian :)

Yep, we used to walk the rabbits to my friend's house up the road! We got some funny looks but the rabbits took really well to their harnesses!
We had two (Henrietta and Ethel - don't ask) who both walked on harnesses, it was great because you could take them anywhere really!

yeah - just to add I too was only young at the time!

I suspect that if you have your rabbits vaccinated they can't pick up anything that dogs wouldn't pick up :?

I used to 'walk' my first rabbit in public but i was 8 then. I have to say im too embarresed to try now, plus it makes it easy for them to pick up diseases and parasites.

When I used to take Clover out I was really careful about where he went and what he nibbled at, but one day I was cleaning out the hutch I asked my boyfriend to do the harness on the garden as I was busy. I think Clover knew that someone a bit less strict was holding him and he promptly ran down the neighbours drive with boyfriend following and had a fabulous time - I didn't think anything of it as my boyfriend said they were only there for 30 seconds. But the next day Clover got really really sick, he was having convulsions and fits :( and he died the next day in a vets hospital. So I wonder to this day if he ate anything dodgy whilst I wasn't looking..

There are plenty of infections rabbits can contract from wild animals and other infected domestic animals that you cant vaccinate against. Many are serious. They are also prone to catching fleas, mites and ticks.

plus as you say they dont tend to have the sense to tell what plants are poisonous. one of my rabbits made a break for it the other day and promptly tried to eat some ivy. luckily i got her in time.

Do rabbits catch Leptospirosis? You know? The wiels disease that rats catch and carry around with them and pass on to humans?
I knew someone with a rat once and it caught that because she let it run on the lawn.

Not to my knowledge. I have certainly never heard of such an instance any way. The most comon problems rabbits pass to humans is normaly something parasitic such as ringworm.