Thumping
When a rabbit stamps its hind foot, it means he's frightened, mad, or trying to tell you that there's danger. Maia thumps when I set her down after trimming her nails to say, "I don't like that!" Sometimes she thumps when I burn toast. And sometimes she thumps for what I perceive to be no reason at all. Rabbits have acute senses. The other night Maia thumped and I got out of bed and saw a raccoon in our yard. Although she was safe inside the house, she perceived the danger without even seeing the raccoon. Contrary to Disney's portrayal of rabbits in Bambi, rabbits don't thump repetitively but give one, loud stamp of the foot.
Nipping
Ouch! Every bunny companion has probably been nipped at one time or another. It's important to remember that rabbits are not mean or aggressive by nature. They only bite when they feel threatened, and that could mean they don't have secure footing, or they've been startled, or they just want to be left alone. The nip is a quick warning bite. Some nipping should be tolerated, such as when you're trimming nails. Don't react and drop the rabbit! Rabbits can be taught that nipping is not acceptable by uttering a quick, high-pitched "Ouch!" The rabbit can relate this sound to experiencing pain. Be patient. Maia used to nip me whenever I picked her up for health care, but soon learned that I would not hurt her (and that her nipping hurt me) and stopped.
Teeth Grinding and Chattering
There are two kinds of tooth noise. One indicates contentment, like a cat's purr. You can feel and see the cheeks vibrate rhythmically. The other is a loud grinding or scraping and can indicate pain. Body language will tell you the difference. If you are petting your rabbit and she is relaxed and chattering, she's probably happy. If she's hunched in a corner and flinches when touched, she may be in pain.
Tail Twitching
I like to think of this as the rabbit equivalent of sticking out your tongue. It's a rapid back-and-forth movement of the tail, usually while they're hopping away. This is the rabbit's way of being sassy. They're saying, "You can't make me!" I see tail twitching when I'm chasing a rabbit that does not want to be caught, or when I'm cleaning their cage.
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