Grunting when I move hand

[silversky2668]

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's neutered and all that, so I know it's not hormones. And he has other quirks that make him grumpy that I know the reasons for, but this one just confuses me :?

And obviously I love him anyway :inlove:

 

[gabysapha]

My bunny can be a diva, too. I want to use her as a therapy animal, but if you stop petting her she WILL nip. I'm using a squirt bottle to make nipping an unpleasant experience for her, and if she does not nip when I move my hand away I give her a treat.

 

[silversky2668]

I'm wondering if the lunging is partially him trying to shove his head under my hand. Either way, I don't appreciate it--he gets plenty of love, I can't be petting him all of the time I usually put my hand on his head and press down to say "I'm the boss here," but afterwards he just looks peeved.

 

[BugLady]

Rascal does the same thing!

I don't think it's a "you should be petting me!" thing, since Rascal still isn't terribly keen on being touched.

It seems to be a certain way I move my hands on the carpet. If I slide them towards him, or move my hands side to side, he'll grunt and lunge. Never a full attack, but like "Hey! What are you doing?!?"

Strange bunnies

 

[silversky2668]

I read today on the Language of Lagamorphs site that when you move really quickly back and forth in front of a rabbit, it means you're being aggressive. So it's probably that he thinks I'm picking a fight with him...like I would ever do that. I know I would lose :rollseyes

 

[Erren]

Lex and Charlie both hand lunge - but never bite. They just both demand face rubbing constantly and when it stops it's an outrage to them.
I get pestered incessantly and the do the pleeeeeeeeease face all the time.