Tugging and scratching at my clothes

Hi Everyone :wave:

I'm a new rabbit owner. I've had my 17 week old male rabbit for 2 weeks. He's very sweet and seems to be happy in his surroundings. He runs at full pelt around the garden, lets me stroke him and lets me know he wants attention by nudging me. He binkies in the garden ALOT . He climbs on my lap when I'm sitting on the floor and seems generally trusting and happy.

For the last couple of days he's been doing something new. When I am cleaning his cage or putting food or fresh hay in he stops what he is doing, runs over to me and starts tugging at my jeans with his teeth and scratching at my legs. It's almost like he doesn't want me anywhere near his cage. I can only stop him by stroking him and moving away from the cage. When I clean the cage out I never clean out everything all at once so that he still has his own scent inside. Does anyone have any clues why he's started doing this? I hope he's not going to get all moody and aggressive. I really want him to be happy because I love him to bits.

Would be grateful for any thoughts. Thank you

One of mine does this too. Its mainly my husband she does it to, scratching his legs and nudging and usually a little nip of his toes :lol: she doesn't do it to me though and there's no specific trigger for it. I wondered if it was with him being a male and his scent? I'll be interested to know what this is about too.

Hi Mrs Ord

That's strange that your rabbit does it mostly to your husband. Maybe it's just a territorial issue. I see you have cats too, my bunny tries to play with my cat but the cat is really wary of him. It's quite funny to watch, he'll put up with the rabbit for a few seconds but then takes off if he gets too close. Do yours all play together?

Hopefully someone will know the answer to the clothes tugging

Hello,

The cats kinda tollerate Lilly (she's indoors Dex is outside) She can have a little sniff then she gets a bit excited and they run! She only really gets near them when they have their food and even then they try to move out of her way. They have a bit of a big sisters little sister relationship. If they can't get out of her way or she gets really excitable (trying to mount them ) they give her a little bat with a paw no claws out though so its sort of a shove :lol: When she's in the garden though they are really protective of her and Dexter. They patroll the garden and chase any other cats if they come near. They lie on top of Dexters hutch and keep an eye on things doing a lap round the "perimiter" every now and then :lol: Both rabbits the cats though.

Mine quite often nibble clothes and digg at my lap. Its usually their way of saying 'hey you what about me' because they want attention.

Amy104 said:

Mine quite often nibble clothes and digg at my lap. Its usually their way of saying 'hey you what about me' because they want attention.

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So you don't think its anything to do with gender? I told my husband that she just wanted a stroke but he thinks she doesn't like him. I think he's a little scared of her cos she always nips him :lol:

Amy104 said:

Mine quite often nibble clothes and digg at my lap. Its usually their way of saying 'hey you what about me' because they want attention.

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Hi Amy

I kind of thought it was for attention but he only ever gets like that when I'm doing something with his cage. If I'm anywhere else he'll just come up to me and sniff and if I'm sitting on the floor then he'll nudge me and climb on me.

Hiya, my wee boy, Axl, can be like this when I am cleaning his cage, but a bit better now that he has been neutered. He would nip me regularly before he was 'done'. He always wanted into the cage when I would be cleaning it and would be nudging me to get past and in the gate. If I locked him out while I was cleaning it he would be up on the roof trying to get in. Since the op and introducing him to Rosie he has settled down a lot. So cute seeing them together. Is your boy neutered?

Yep he's pretty much saying 'hands off my cage' and 'get out of my space'! Rabbits are highly territorial - male and female. Having him neutered will help with this a little but it may not remove this very natural behaviour. The best thing is to avoid triggering it in the first place - it is important to only tidy bunny's cage when they can not see what you are doing and are generally not in it and elsewhere i.e. only clean his cage when he is busy playing in the garden.

fluffleduck said:

Hiya, my wee boy, Axl, can be like this when I am cleaning his cage, but a bit better now that he has been neutered. He would nip me regularly before he was 'done'. He always wanted into the cage when I would be cleaning it and would be nudging me to get past and in the gate. If I locked him out while I was cleaning it he would be up on the roof trying to get in. Since the op and introducing him to Rosie he has settled down a lot. So cute seeing them together. Is your boy neutered?

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That sounds exactly like my bunny No he's not been neutered yet but that is the next plan and then hutch extension and then lady friend

prettylupin said:

Yep he's pretty much saying 'hands off my cage' and 'get out of my space'! Rabbits are highly territorial - male and female. Having him neutered will help with this a little but it may not remove this very natural behaviour. The best thing is to avoid triggering it in the first place - it is important to only tidy bunny's cage when they can not see what you are doing and are generally not in it and elsewhere i.e. only clean his cage when he is busy playing in the garden.

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I guess that makes alot of sense. It's quite reassuring in a way that he obviously feels settled and has claimed his home. I try to clean up when he's playing in the garden but he just knows lol. He runs at me so fast I think he can't possibly stop in time and that's when he starts tugging, it's quite gentle though. I will have to think up a plan as I don't want to distress him.

Thank you all for your input, has been really helpful

Zoe303 said:

It's almost like he doesn't want me anywhere near his cage.

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He doesn't want you anywhere near his cage. That's his house. He probably spent ages arranging it in a certain way and he doesn't want people smells on it.
Mine hates me to clean up her poos. She fights the brush if she sees me and growls like mad. I have to do it when she's not in the room. She spends ages in her toilet getting it perfect with poos lined up neatly in case she needs to flick them at someone who has offended her (usually my husband!). Then I come along with my brush and she has to start all over again!
Not easy being a rabbit:lol:

Zoe303 said:

That sounds exactly like my bunny No he's not been neutered yet but that is the next plan and then hutch extension and then lady friend

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:thumb:

GET OUT OF MY HUTCH AND GIVE ME LOVE AND ATTENTION

All at once! :roll:

Biscuit attacks the dustpan and generally lingers in the hutch to make life impossible :roll:

Bizaarely my rabbit graps the brush and dustpan and throws it at me when I try to clean her hutch!

She almost seems offended that I'm interfering in her home!

Nipping and nudging can also mean 'pay me attention' and Suzy would regularly nip or nudge my other half until we had her neutered. Now she just chases the dog off and hassles the cats.

mistyrabbit said:

He doesn't want you anywhere near his cage. That's his house. He probably spent ages arranging it in a certain way and he doesn't want people smells on it.
Mine hates me to clean up her poos. She fights the brush if she sees me and growls like mad. I have to do it when she's not in the room. She spends ages in her toilet getting it perfect with poos lined up neatly in case she needs to flick them at someone who has offended her (usually my husband!). Then I come along with my brush and she has to start all over again!
Not easy being a rabbit:lol:

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Haha this made me laugh so much :lol: Can't believe she lines her poos up!! Just when I think I've heard it all lol.

I'm so glad I have a normal well-adjusted bunny I've learnt lots about bunny behaviour over the past couple of days and they really are fascinating little creatures. Thanks for all your replies, I'm sure Steven (yes slightly bizarre name for a bunny I know lol) is relieved that I've had some help in understanding him a bit better

The lining up of the poos is so funny! :lol::lol:

My 2 girls dont mind me cleanin gup their cage at allll(yet!) - they hop in & out when Im doing it....but dont mind waiting & then run round all excited & jum pin when Im putting the fresh hay in! Hope it stays this way - cant imagine how I would hide the cleanin gof thier cage form them...its a total clean out every day! They wet all thier newspaper & the carefeswh I have ot hide (else they eat it!)....shavings would be alot easie rin this sense....but not good for them!

Well.....hope my girls dont line their poos up to flick at me or start grunting! :lol::lol: