# Excessive Licking



## Musta-Eyolf-Pedes (Jul 19, 2015)

Hey everyone, I've never had a rabbit before (you can see my post in introductions) and I've never heard of rabbits licking from any of my friends who have owned them. 

I've read that rabbits lick mainly for one of two reasons: They like the salt in your skin, or its a grooming behavior. This doesn't seem to fit to my bunny's behavior. (S)he licks excessively all over anyone (and other surfaces such as blankets or the fabric of the couch) unless you distract it with something. Face, arms, legs, hands, feet, torso, if there's exposed skin it wants to lick (recently showered or otherwise).(S)he has a salt/mineral lick in its housing. (S)he only occasionally nibbles and that's stopped with a light clap and has only bitten anyone once (and that was a feeding accident).

Is this possibly some form of OCD or something else, or is there something I should be doing about it? It doesn't bother me, but if there's an underlying issue I'd like to see it resolved so that (S)he can have a happier life.


----------



## Azerane (Jul 19, 2015)

It sounds perfectly normal to me. More commonly Bandit will give me just a few licks after I've been grooming him, but sometimes he will just sit there and lick me back for a really long time. It's pretty standard grooming/bonding behaviour. Then again, he also loves sitting on the dining chairs and will spend 15 minutes licking those too  It's just one of those funny bunny things that some of them tend to do.


----------



## Musta-Eyolf-Pedes (Jul 19, 2015)

I just thought it was odd given that he just wandered into my house a few days ago


----------



## kdrinkwater (Jul 20, 2015)

he's showing you he loves you and thinks he's grooming you. . it has nothing to do with salt.


----------



## Blondie (Jul 21, 2015)

I agree with all the others. My bun Brown Sugar will lick and groom her bed so much so that she leaves wet spots. She's also done this with items that smell like me or my clothes I am wearing. Most people don't know that bunnies do in fact lick. Although I always appreciate bun licks more so than when my dogs lick me because rabbits don't groom their slaves unless they REALLY love them :bunnieskiss


----------

