Chinning

A Bun who chins is a happy, confident rabbit. When a rabbit enters an environment and begins rubbing his chin on various objects (and even people!) he is claiming them as his own, saying, "This is mine. This is mine, too. You're mine because I like you."

Technically speaking, a rabbit is marking these objects and people with a special scent gland located under the chin. Since rabbits are big on letting other rabbits know that they are there and this is their territory, chinning leaves an undetectable-to-humans scent behind as a clue to other bunnies in the area. Think of it as a dog leaving his mark on a fire hydrant, only less messy and more adorably endearing.

Relaxed and happy rabbits tend to chin a lot. They will chin their people, toys, and even treats they plan to save for later. They chin furniture, blankets, books, shoes - pretty much anything they can reach with their chins. One of our young breeding bucks, You Are My Sunshine, actually "pets" us back by rubbing his chin repeatedly on us when he's receiving pets and cuddles. It's one of our favorite things about him.

If you have multiple Buns in your home, you may notice each of them marking the same object, in turn. The one whose scent is freshest has dibs on it, until somebun else marks on top of it, and then it belongs to her. It's a fun game they play. You can join in, too. When you see your rabbit mark a favorite toy or object, rub your hands all over it and observe what your rabbit does when she notices. Does she let you have it, or does she reclaim it?

Watching a rabbit interact with his world as he chins his favorite things and people is one of the warm fuzzies of having a pet rabbit to love.