Clumsy Rex house rabbit

Question
We have a male (neutered) Rex around 8 months old. We noticed just after we got him that he will often stand at rest or sit down with front paws curled under, and had him vet checked as this was unusual compared to our previous bunnies. She tested his responses and while he was able to right his feet if they were placed curled under, half the time he didn't bother. It's not causing sores or problems so she said not to worry. He's also very clumsy - prone to bump into things at all speeds. We try to keep a safe environment for him but he even bumps his nose on his water bottle when he turns around in his cage. His eyesight seems normal. Compared to the other house rabbits we've kept (and I'm not being horrid) he doesn't seem to be quite as smart as we've generally found rabbits to be - it's difficult to find a good example as it's an observation across a broad range of behaviour, but say you offer a treat up to him and then drop it in front of him he can't figure out it's not in your hand and is on the floor. I know humans can be born with special needs - is it possible our baby bunny may have similar problems? It won't make any difference to how much he's loved of course.

Answer
Dear Shiz,

Your bunny doesn't sound really abnormal to me.  Curling the paws under while lying down isn't all that uncommon:  we call it the "loaf" position.  Our hares (who have much longer legs than the rabbits) use this all the time: they'll straighten their legs with a little flick, and then elegantly bend their wrists so that the tops of their front paws are actually lying, upside down, on the tops of their back feet.   Very cute.  :)

And some bunnies do appear to have better senses of smell, hearing and sight than others.  It doesn't mean they're dumb; just that they're not quite as perceptive.  And also remember that rabbits have a blind spot in the center of the front of the head at close range, so he might just be so eager to get that treat that he's not looking where he can see.

Rabbits vary as much as humans in terms of personality and intelligence.  But it doesn't sound as if your bunny is unusually dim.  You'll know as you get to know him over the years.

Hope this helps.

Dana