Charging - is he being playful or serious?

[Bo B Bunny]

How can I tell if Tony is having fun or really getting mad at me? He even growls sometimes when I am just reaching into the Xpen and sort of doing the "gonna get the bunnyyyyy" thing. He'll come charging and act like he's going to get me so I will pull my hand out and he binkies off.

He acts like he really likes it but sometimes I wonder if he's binkying in victory! :?

I had Bo neutered as soon as we could and he never got mean (until now lol) . Tony did nip me the other day when I was reaching in his cage and touched his food!

I don't want to encourage bad behavior either.

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

First thing I'd say is don't reach in his cage for a day or so, let him come to you and see if he stops that:shock:. I bet he will.

When I change Snuff's litter pan, he digs it out. Later that night or next day, I'll reach in to scoop it up to put it back in the litter pan and he gets mad. I had hubby try to do it the other day and Snuff boxed him:shock:. To me, he'll shove his face at me, like he dislikes me touching his mess.

I'd just stop and see if he stops doing that, if that's what it is, if you have something to adjust or clean up, do it when he doesn't see you, hee hee.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

We've done that with his actual cage, but when he's out in the Xpen I wonder if he's still being territorial or if it's a game. I can't tell cause he seems sort of serious LOL!

He growled LOUD tonight! :shock:

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

We've done that with his actual cage, but when he's out in the Xpen I wonder if he's still being territorial or if it's a game. I can't tell cause he seems sort of serious LOL!

He growled LOUD tonight! :shock:

Growling is territorial, so yeah, that's what it sounds like. Angel growls too, that's the only vocal thing she does too. Maybe don't reach in the "pen" for a bit, and see how he reacts. He may start to invite you in. It could partially be a game, but not sure:?.

 

[PixieStixxxx]

Spank does it as both. When I come into his bedroom, he sometimes charges and I run away. But he comes up behind my legs and rubs his head against my shins expecting to have his cheeks rubbed and his head stroked.

Other times, I run away for good..

 

[Bo B Bunny]

He seems so funny doing it but I guess maybe at first he's seeing it as intrusion - then when he realized I was playing maybe that's when he played?

Then, I let him just play for a while and went in and he came over to me for love (petting) and I got him and groomed him for a long time and did his back nails and he snuggled on me and purred.

He's such a brat. LOL!

 

[Raspberry82]

Lol! I know this behavior well. hehe. In the very beginning it was just max being an ornery male (fixed), moody and an opinionated booger (which he still pulls sometimes still). Now he mostly does it as a game, when he wants us to play "toys" with him, like with those noise-maker stuffed animals, they get him to grr and box, but he's happy and having fun, not mad. So i'd say it can be both, too.

It took me a while to know the difference. I look at the ears usually, if they're flat back and he's not returning the "playing", it's territorial or he's not too thrilled abolut something.

Since buns establish dominance with each other, imo, it is important they know you are the dominant bun with no's!, etc.. I didn't let him get away with trying to bite or be ornery when I cleaned his litter or his room.. It seems to take buns a while to accept you as their top dominant bun. :tongue Tho he'll still nip me at the most random times just to be a booger.. lol.

Just my two cents.. silly buns!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Thanks! That sounds A LOT like Bo. Tony, isn't being mean - his ears are usually forward and down and he actually binkies. He's being rotten LOL!

I've really realized what a good boy he is. Full male and he still loves to snuggle. He has nipped my daughter a couple of times but I think that was a dominance thing. I let him get his "wiggles" out before I try to play with him or hold him too.