News Item

Animal hypnotist is Britain's first 'rabbit whisperer'

Thursday 15th April 2010

There has been national media coverage today (15th April 2010) about an animal hypnotist, Cliff Penrose, who claims to be the country's first "rabbit whisperer", and who uses 'hypnotism' to treat pet rabbits behavioural problems.

We would like to make it clear to rabbit owners that this is not in fact hypnotism, and it is definitely not a happy and relaxing experience for rabbits to undergo.

When a rabbit is caught by a predator in the wild - say for example by a fox - the harder it fights to get away, the harder the fox will clamp down with it's teeth to hold it.

Rabbits like possums (ever heard of the term 'playing possum'?) have developed the ability to 'play dead' in this situation. The idea is that if the rabbit goes completely limp the fox will believe that it is already dead and loosen his grip on it, perhaps even placing the rabbit on the floor thinking it now has time to eat the rabbit.

In the split second that the rabbit feels the pressure released by its captor, it will kick out at the fox with it's powerful hind legs and make a run for it. 

The 'hypnotism' that Mr Penrose is undertaking is actually inducing this 'playing dead' state. The correct term is Tonic Immobility. The rabbit is not actually asleep or relaxed at all but highly awake, alert and fearful as it would be if it was being attacked by a predator.

Animal Behaviourist Anne McBride BSc, PhD,Cert.Coms,FRSA has carried out extensive studies of rabbit responses to the tonic immobility state.

States Anne "A rabbits natural anti-predator behaviour is to become very quiet and to stay very still when pressure is applied to it's body. During this state the rabbit is in fact very wide awake and alert and results show that they have significantly increased respiration and heart rate levels. In addition the hormone plasma corticosterone which is the recognised measure of acute stress is also shown to be extremely high"

Mr Penrose suggests that agressive rabbits can be trained to be calmer and better behaved through this induced tonic mobility state, and even to live longer. However, as reseach has shown this is not the case and it is far from a relaxing or 'bonding' experience for a rabbit. It should certainly not be undertaken by pet rabbit owners in a bid to make their rabbits less aggressive!

Rabbits are generally only aggressive because they are depressed or frightened. Depression may be due to not having the correct living conditions, for example too small a hutch and not enough exercise space, or because they simply have not been handled enough over a period of time by their owner so are afraid of the experience when they are occasionally picked up.

Another reason for aggression is loneliness - rabbits should always live in pairs for company and stimulation, and agression can further be reduced by having a rabbit, male or female, neutered.

Please have a look at the rest of the rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk site for more information about proper rabbit care and welfare.

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