Head pushing during play time

Hi there!:wave:

I am looking after Bucky a 1.5 year old male unneutered for a friend for a year. I'm not sure what breed bucky is but he is not that big or small and has lop ears.

Bucky is very mild mannered and doesn't really like being picked up. He likes to be on the floor and when I lie down with him he comes over and runs round me and sniffs me and occasionally climbs over me. He has a lot of toys and I try to play with him and the toys every day while he is having his twice daily free run. One thing I have noticed when we have been playing for a while and I give him a stroke he sometimes pushes his head really hard into my hand as if to push me away. I have had bunnies and guinea pigs before and have felt love nuzzles before but not like this. It feels like he is stressed and pushing me off. Today he even got on his backlegs to push me away. However he might just be playing as there is no agressive noise and it only comes during playtime. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

At first I thought he wanted you to snuggle with him, Jims pushes his head under your hand when he wants a snuggle!
But when I read on and you said he got on his back legs, was it like he was boxing you?

It seemed like he got on his legs to push harder. He didn't use his paws and he didn't bite even though there was opportunity as my hand was quite near his mouth. I was stroking his head and he pushed into it and onto his hind legs. Do you think he's being aggressive?

Murphy does this sometimes, usually if I am trying to fuss him when he wants supper, I think they are just trying to tell us to back off abit, whilst they get on with what they want to do

Tillybunny said:

Murphy does this sometimes, usually if I am trying to fuss him when he wants supper, I think they are just trying to tell us to back off abit, whilst they get on with what they want to do

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That would make sense. It doesn't feel agressive but it doesn't feel snuggly either. I will make sure that next time he does it I leave him alone. For a bit. Thanks for your help guys!

Mine do similar - i have noticed they head-butt each other like that too, it seems to be a greeting of some sort. 'Oi!' kind of thing! Ours pause as they bounce past to bash me, then carry on, or occasionally pause whilst eating to bash me! It dosent seem nasty, more of a 'hello'.

I think the harder bashing means 'back off' sometimes - Caern butts me like this if I am cleaning out the pen, and she wants me out of the way. She bashes me with her head, pushing past and shoving me out. Its not nasty per-se, but she has nipped lightly at my trousers etc if im in her way and she wants past having bashed me. Maybe Bucky just means 'ok, thats enough now thanks...'.

harriett does this every day:roll:
i think she is trying to say "groom me" as she comes over to you when you are sitting on the floor, then she lies next to you and head butts:lol:
i know shes not annoyed as she is very vocal when she is
boxing you and growling:lol: