# What does it mean when a rabbit licks you?



## michellexgix

What does it mean when a rabbit licks you? Ive got onerabbit, dexter who will lick me for ages, hes done it since we have him..



People tell me its that theyre not getting enough salt and others say that they like you so which is it?


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## lizzylinda

hey michelle, my little guy does the same, was told it was the salt so i got him a salt stick in the pet store which he licks but continues to lick my hand so i'm putting it down to him showing affection...

i see that you have 3 bunnies, did you get them altogether or at different stages? I'm considering getting a second one so that my guy has a pal, any advice would be much appreciated..


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## Violet23

It has nothing to do with salt in your skin, it has everything to do with your bunny loving you to peices! This is their way of showing affection, by "grooming" you, and is some of the highest praise your bunny can give you, lol. It's a good thing basically


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## JimD

*Violet23 wrote: *


> It has nothing to do with salt in your skin, it has everything to do with your bunny loving you to peices! This is their way of showing affection, by "grooming" you, and is some of the highest praise your bunny can give you, lol. It's a good thing basically


:yeahthat:


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## Cheyrul

Apparently only one or two of our four like me then lol. 

Beelzebunny used to lick me, the baby that is supposed to be a girl is also a licker. Are your lickers also female?


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## michellexgix

My licker is a male 
Great thats what it means 

LizzyLinda, I got all three of minee at different times tho they aren't kept together yet.
I wanted to wait till aftter neuterin and they just got neutered last week.

Two of them broke out and were together for ages and got on great eve to they were intact, non neutral area, etc. but i seperated as didnt want to risk fights..

Is yours male or female? I'd suggest neutering/spaying it before getting it a friend. (of course neutering as additional benfits other than bonding) Then I'd get ita friend.
Generally boy/girl pairs work well but as can girl/girl and boy/boy 

Btw Im from ireland too


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## CiaraPatricia

Yeah I think it means he likes you.  But some rabbits might like you and not lick, some animals are just more licky I guess 

My two female rabbits that I've had since they were born will lick me, but my others won't  When they're babies though, they all lick me and nibble me too! Which kinda hurts. 

Hey LizzyLinda, I'm from Cork too


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## Pipp

Bunnies are like people, they're individuals. Some will be kissy-kissy, others reserved. 

But 'grooming' is most often a 'bonded mate' behaviour. If you have one bunny and he/she considers you a mate, more often you'll get groomed -- although its also a dominance thing. Some 'partners' will expect you to be grooming them. (Putting his/her head down is usually a request to be groomed). 

If you want to bond with your rabbit, don't pick her/him up, but instead lightly stroke the forehead, ears and clean the crystallized bits from the corner of the eyes. Nuzzling works well too. 

Rabbits already bonded with rabbit mates are less likely to form a 'grooming' bond with a human. 


sas


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## Saffy

luna is such a kissy kissy rabbit with Mike .. with me though nope .. cos I'm the alpha female I think.


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## Saffy

luna is such a kissy kissy rabbit with Mike .. with me though nope .. cos I'm the alpha female I think.


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## CiaraPatricia

My female rabbits are constantly grooming each other when they're in together. Especially Lila, she annoys the others cos she does it so much!


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## michellexgix

Oh hehe, thanks for all the info 

Nice to know these things. Can't wait to try and bond my trio, then they can have a bunny friend to groom


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## Sweetie

A rabbit that licks you, loves you. I get bunny kisses from Sweetie, my female bunny, all the time. She also licks me all the time. She is bonded to Prince, my male rabbit, but she still licks me and gives me bunny kisses which I love. I get all soft and melt when she gives me them and I pet her also.  It is so cute.


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## serena.fleites

I’m confused because my rabbit doesn’t like when I try touching it at all but when I let it free roam my room it always uses my pet stairs to get on my bed & then it comes up & licks me. Today for the first time my rabbit even bit me a few times while licking me. I feed this fatty all the time... so she shouldn’t be trying to eat me right?? Is it still considered affection if she is biting me while she licks me now????


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## Mariam+Theo

serena.fleites said:


> I’m confused because my rabbit doesn’t like when I try touching it at all but when I let it free roam my room it always uses my pet stairs to get on my bed & then it comes up & licks me. Today for the first time my rabbit even bit me a few times while licking me. I feed this fatty all the time... so she shouldn’t be trying to eat me right?? Is it still considered affection if she is biting me while she licks me now????


Post this on a new thread and more people will respond.


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## Laggie

My rabbit licks me after I pet her for a long time. I think it is a sign of affection.


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## Cloverhouse

I think bunnies lick for both reasons, salt and love. They groom one another, it's a bonding/love thing. But I also know that my rabbits will come over to sniff me when I come into the house and if I've been out getting sweaty and dusty they lick my legs because of it. I had one who would sit on my foot so I couldn't leave while he licked my legs after coming home from my job at the Amazon warehouse. 

He licked me other times out of love, but when I got home it was sweat and dirt he was after.


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## Nancy McClelland

Our rabbit has 2 salt licks so that isn't it. He licks my legs and even stands on hi hind legs with his paws on me so he can get to more of my legs--he's a strange one. He also picks up his toys and runs around the room with them too.


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## Milyvan

Bunnies don't need salt licks. (Neither do cavies. That's just advertisers trying to sell you stuff.) Bunny grooming (licking) you is a very high sign of affection. http://language.rabbitspeak.com/


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## Binky4eva

Definitely a sign of affection. It means true bunny love. Mutual grooming means that bunnies have bonded and if your bun does this to you....you have a special relationship with this bunny indeed. I have only ever had this with 2 of my 10 bunnies. 1 of my current 5. She is a 14 month old mini lol and regularly mutually grooms me and my hair after or before I give her attention. She is also a bit of a Prima Donna and if she doesn't receive the right amount of at the right time, she can give a little nip to show her displeasure. :/ or just simply stomp off and show me the feet....


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## Milyvan

Binky4eva said:


> Definitely a sign of affection. It means true bunny love. Mutual grooming means that bunnies have bonded and if your bun does this to you....you have a special relationship with this bunny indeed. I have only ever had this with 2 of my 10 bunnies. 1 of my current 5. She is a 14 month old mini lol and regularly mutually grooms me and my hair after or before I give her attention. She is also a bit of a Prima Donna and if she doesn't receive the right amount of at the right time, she can give a little nip to show her displeasure. :/ or just simply stomp off and show me the feet....


LOL The infamous foot flick. We don't see it often but when we do we know we've been "bad". (Usually get it after nail trims.)


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## Pumpkin

@serena.fleites It could be that he's done licking you and he wants you to pet him in return.


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## Cloverhouse

Milyvan said:


> Bunnies don't need salt licks



Generally, I agree. Most pellets contain enough, but some bunnies do occasionally need salt. I have one rabbit that would randomly chew on walls, not corners, but straight into the wall board. I literally paneled half the house to prevent it. Then he began chewing the door paint. One day something salty fell to the floor and he went bonkers for it, and I realized that his chewing was a craving for minerals. I offer him a salt/mineral block a few days a week and now he never chews walls or paint. I only wish I'd realized sooner what the issue was. 

I have to limit his access to the block or he will overdo it, but he seems to need at least some salt/mineral supplementation.


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## Catlyn

My boy will also lick me, or anyone else on that part, outrageously until our clothes have wet grooming marks on them. He randomly licks pillows and beds and etc. etc...

He will lower his head when i get to petting him, and if i play around with\massage his hind quarters\feet he will really lick ANYTHING in front of him. His lickiness intensifids and then he flees.

I guess he enjoys it up to some point and hates the rest?

When i have something tasty in my hands or mouth, he'll lick, paw and nudge at me, trying to get to the good bits i may give. When i won't, he'll stand up, sniff me and then give me a rabbit kiss straight on the lips, tickling me with his tongue and whiskers.

I find that a very weird and amusing way to try and be attractive.. haha


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## bunnylove2024

licking is a sign of affection in most cases so he could just be saying "I love you!" but no they don't need to lick salt unless there is a vitamin deficiency, which I don't think he has! He is probably just showing that he likes you!


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