# Grunting/lunging at hand movement



## labyrinth001 (Aug 6, 2011)

Honey is really laid back, but he has his diva moments...he's moulting really heavy right now, and I sit there every night just pulling chunks of fur off his back end. He loves it and will sit there for a good 15-20 minutes while I groom him. Then it comes time for me to pick up the fur, and I use my hand to scrape it up off the rug. He always grunts and makes as if to lunge at my hand while I move it back and forth. And it's not just then--if I move my hand back and forth on the ground at any point (once I was just doing it absent-mindedly), he'll grunt and lunge. Never actually has bitten me, but it always takes me by surprise. I almost think it's a "Your hand should be petting me!" thing, but I don't know if he could see it as a threat, as well...I usually feed him at night after I groom him so he'll be busy with food while I pick up his fur, but I was curious if anyone else has a rabbit that reacts that way to that specific hand movement. He has other quirks that make him grumpy that I know the reasons for, but this one just confuses me :confused1:

And obviously I love him anyway :001_wub:


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

I wonder if he sees the movement as a threat? Thats what I would imagine it was. As to why he thinks its a threat, I dont know. Does he have the same reaction to a dustpan or brush or anything like that?

*Heidi*


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## Grace_Lily (Nov 28, 2010)

My Dutch rabbit Smokey and my sister's Dutch rabbit Lottie both do this if you clean out their cages while they're still in them. I always try and pop them somewhere else now, don't want to stress them out unnecessarily.


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## daisyboo (May 19, 2009)

my rabbit does this with the hoover!


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## Adam942 (Sep 22, 2011)

My Chloe (RIP) used to absolutely go crazy if i was lay on my bed with my feet hanging over the side. She would stand underneath the offending feet and thump like crazy until i pulled them onto the bed. Never figured out why it bothered her so much!


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## labyrinth001 (Aug 6, 2011)

hazyreality said:


> I wonder if he sees the movement as a threat? Thats what I would imagine it was. As to why he thinks its a threat, I dont know. Does he have the same reaction to a dustpan or brush or anything like that?
> 
> *Heidi*


He's never seen a dustpan or broom as he's always either in my room (with rug) or outside in an xpen. But I have heard of rabbits attacking brooms, so maybe it's something similar. It's crazy how he goes from completely content to completely peeved in two seconds, though--he gets the grumpiest look on his face and just lunges/grunts like crazy.


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## labyrinth001 (Aug 6, 2011)

Grace_Lily said:


> My Dutch rabbit Smokey and my sister's Dutch rabbit Lottie both do this if you clean out their cages while they're still in them. I always try and pop them somewhere else now, don't want to stress them out unnecessarily.


Yeah, that's the other thing that makes him grumpy is my hand in his cage, especially while he's eating. But that I can understand I suppose


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

I'm not certain but I think rabbits in the wild use their moulted fur to make a nest. In any event the fur belongs to the rabbit, I think he/she is telling you to leave it alone.

I have noticed my lad is very territorial with his hutch. When I go to clean him out he will lunge and get hold of the brush or pan and push it out of his hutch. He will lay on top the area I want to clean and if I hold him to move him he sticks his bum in the air and his little rudder (tail) goes six to the dozen, cute but very defiant.

He loves the top of his nose rubbing, that usually calms him down and he is content to then let me muck his hutch out.

I never realised rabbits could communicate with us and can be trained.


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

sskmick said:


> I'm not certain but I think rabbits in the wild use their moulted fur to make a nest. In any event the fur belongs to the rabbit, I think he/she is telling you to leave it alone.
> 
> I have noticed my lad is very territorial with his hutch. When I go to clean him out he will lunge and get hold of the brush or pan and push it out of his hutch. He will lay on top the area I want to clean and if I hold him to move him he sticks his bum in the air and his little rudder (tail) goes six to the dozen, cute but very defiant.
> 
> ...


Darwin is a sod, if I put my cleaning stuff or put stuff out of the way in the top shelf and he jumps up there, he wont rest until it is all thrown off and onto the floor!


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## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

Google The Language of Lagomorphs. By scraping the ground in front of him you are actually simulating aggressive bunny body language. So he reacts accordingly.


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## labyrinth001 (Aug 6, 2011)

Lopside said:


> Google The Language of Lagomorphs. By scraping the ground in front of him you are actually simulating aggressive bunny body language. So he reacts accordingly.


Aha, I've looked on a few rabbit language sites but never saw that  Poor Honey thinks I want to pick a fight with him. He's so full of himself  Thanks!


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