# Rabbit making noise while cleaning himself



## laughsmileanimals (Feb 13, 2016)

Hey everyone. So I got a rabbit last Sunday and i noticed that he has been making noises while he is cleaning himself. I don't really know how to describe it. But I am a little concerned. Is this normal?


----------



## Whiterabbitrage (Feb 13, 2016)

What kind of noises? Is it like grunting? Or more like wheezing? Is he fat? Does he make the noises more when he is trying to clean hard to reach areas?


----------



## laughsmileanimals (Feb 13, 2016)

Whiterabbitrage said:


> What kind of noises? Is it like grunting? Or more like wheezing? Is he fat? Does he make the noises more when he is trying to clean hard to reach areas?


 Well i guess its more like squeaking. but he is a little chubby but i got him that way. and he is cleaning normally. Anytime he cleans and in any spot.


----------



## ts786 (Feb 14, 2016)

Rabbits can make quite a few different noises and some rabbits are very "chatty"...some of these noises mean bad things, others mean they are very happy, and some are just types of communication that are neither bad or good.

Do you have a recording of the sound? If not, if you Google "rabbit sound board" and then play the different sounds on the sound board, which sound is it?

For example, if a rabbit is happy, excited, or eating, they may make several different types of grunting noises. For house rabbits, most of these grunts indicate happiness, and some rabbits will grunt or make other noises when they want attention. In those cases, there are no worries regarding health issues being signaled by vocalizations.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kNzfRwdUjI[/ame]

In your particular situation, there is a good chance this is not related to ill health. If a rabbit is stressed or worried, they will usually not do something such as grooming (rather they would be dedicating all of their energy to pinpoint the threat and then respond in what they perceive to be a bad situation.) So this noise may very well just mean being in a state of content. If there have been changes in behavior, eating, or pooping, those changes can indicate a problem.


----------



## flemishwhite (Feb 17, 2016)

I think the general population thinks that rabbits are mute animals. I think also, that from seeing them in cages in pet stores, they think they are inert animals. 
Rabbits are definitely verbally communitative and they are very active animals if they have a chance. The words rapid and rabbit are related. The words harried and hare are related. 

My Flemmish babies will sometimes make a quiet cooing sound as they groom themselves. They make a rabbit purring sound when being massaged...a teeth chattering sound accompanied with deep inhaling. If I pick them up, a groaning sound will occur..with only three rabbits under my belt, I've never had one that liked to be picked up. Also, if I do something that is not appropriate behavior for a rabbit, I will be growled at....human bonded rabbits socialize with people as if people are rabbits...well big rabbits..but rabbits nevertheless. Rabbits can make a screaming sound similar to a human baby. Bunny had a oat barb caught on her throat (her dewlap). I wanted to pull it out of her fur. She didn't want me to touch her throat. She put her head down on the floor...I put my hand under her throat to lift her head up and pull the barb off...she resisted, but I was starting to get it loose...we did this for a few times, and then Bunny screamed!! Rabbits don't want their throat touched. I stopped and soothed her. After minute or so , I pulled the barb loose with no other upset. 

Summary: Bunnies make a lot of verbal sounds. They also significantly communicate with hind foot thumping. Bunnies warn other bunnies about danger by thumping Your bonded bunny will warn you also like another bunny. Bunny, slept in our bedroom, over the 11 year period, she did wake us up with thumping to alert something we needed to know was going on. During the day time, in our living room she also began thumping to warn us of a trash can fire in the back yard which could have spread to the back of the house..she could smell the smoke which wasn't that noticeable to us.


----------



## bronson_and_jindy (Apr 14, 2016)

Hi! I was filming my girl bun Jindy eating fresh banana this morning and she made some noises I've never heard before. I thought it was cute but when I listen back it sounds like it could be sniffly??
She isn't wheezing or snuffling otherwise though and banana is her absolute favourite. The fur on her ba K always twitches when she eats it. 

I'd love any thoughts?? 
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...rid=100000842891520&notif_id=1460587008405712


----------



## bronson_and_jindy (Apr 14, 2016)

This is her eating the banana - https://www.facebook.com/heatherstanger/videos/10154248263094155/


----------



## Whiterabbitrage (Apr 15, 2016)

Bronson, I love that video! That sound is adorable!!


----------



## doodlebugger (Apr 18, 2016)

bronson_and_jindy - Honestly it's hard to tell from the video. I have a rabbit with chronic sinus issues (from his tooth roots growing into his sinuses) and he doesn't make sounds like that when he is eating his banana unless he is having sinus issues. On the other hand, we have a female rabbit who is a little overweight and she makes sounds like that when she eats or when she cleans herself. You will have to check for excess discharge from the rabbit's nose. Is it overly wet? Are there any stringy snots coming from her nose? Has she been sneezing excessively? 

It could be that she was eating too big of bites and too fast. We generally cut the banana into slices and feed a little piece at a time for our smaller rabbits. This prevents them from making any noises when they eat usually.


----------



## ts786 (Apr 19, 2016)

bronson_and_jindy said:


> Hi! I was filming my girl bun Jindy eating fresh banana this morning and she made some noises I've never heard before. I thought it was cute but when I listen back it sounds like it could be sniffly??
> She isn't wheezing or snuffling otherwise though and banana is her absolute favourite. The fur on her ba K always twitches when she eats it.
> 
> I'd love any thoughts??
> https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...rid=100000842891520&notif_id=1460587008405712



I don't think it is a health issue or anything. I think the sound signifies contentment...especially when eating foods they really like, grunts and other strange noises often mean, "I really like this and I want you to be sure to remember that."

Unless there are other signs of health problems, I would not worry.

I set my own rabbit on the coffee table, right next to the speaker on my Surface Pro, and played the sound several times, to which the end result was no reaction at all. If this was a noise signifying distress, my rabbit would have gone into full-alert phase instead of loafing.


----------



## mikenyny (Apr 21, 2016)

laughsmileanimals said:


> Hey everyone. So I got a rabbit last Sunday and i noticed that he has been making noises while he is cleaning himself. I don't really know how to describe it. But I am a little concerned. Is this normal?


Normal: he is singing to himself - just like you sing in the bath.


----------



## bronson_and_jindy (Jun 8, 2016)

Thank you all for your help &#128048;&#128048;


----------



## mikenyny (Jun 8, 2016)

laughsmileanimals said:


> Hey everyone. So I got a rabbit last Sunday and i noticed that he has been making noises while he is cleaning himself. I don't really know how to describe it. But I am a little concerned. Is this normal?


Yes, absolutely: the same as you singing in the shower.


----------

