Mud flicking me?

[Whobott]

So when Larry is out for floor time he will come sniff my hand and stuff he’s pretty comfortable around me but he will mud flick me, he will mud flick a lot actualy but he will hop away from me and as he jump his back feet go nuts. Does he hate me?

[Sarita]

Nah, my rabbit does that all the time and he doesn’t hate me. Try not to read too much into every little thing he does :~)

[Peony]

Mine only does it when something happens she does not like:
Music

trying to pick her up (Sometimes adds thumping)

Letting her out of the carrier , same as putting her down from being carried ( the dirt flicking in both cases usually happens just before hopping in the litterbox, extra mad points if she does the flick for more then one hop)

touching her pet carrier (usually more thumping with this. She learned what me moving the pet carrier means, apparently she hates traveling)
Snapping fingers (sometimes accompanied by a thump)
Clapping, same as snapping fingers
Giving her food she does not like (sometimes comes with a thump too)
^She even ran away when I shown her lettuce that was part of a salad from wendy’s, apparently just being near chicken makes her hate it (Not like other bunnies that is not afraid to be near human food i guess)
[I do not do this anymore because she is free roam at night in my room but when kept her in the hutch at night, I would say “Peony, bed” and sorta help guide her to the hutch and EVERY TIME I did that, she dirt flicked as she went in the hutch since she knew closing it was coming)

Dirt flicking to music (notice the look she gave before hopping away)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdkClZC0tKI

[Whobott]

Sarita: I know I’m sorry I just want him to be happy and if he doesn’t like his owner I want to change that Thank you <

Peony: Thanks for the reassurance And Peony is so cute ^.^

[Peony]

Dirt flick/dirty looks> I do not like that/ like what you did
Thump> No, I really do not like that.

Then there is the strange thumping under furniture and that got no clue why that is done. (It is also pretty frequent too, more then any other situation anyway but it is not super rapid to mean scared.)

[Bam]

Mud flicking bunnies don’t hate. They are just communicating their disapproval of sth you did. Bunnies are a species that excel in disapproval.

If you just obey your bunny and behave like the bunny wants you to behave, you will be back in its grace in just a few days. Maybe even sooner, if you’ve got craisins.

=)

[Whobott]

I just don’t know how to get him to like me. He seems afraid of me and I have fed him about 4 craisons

[Sarita]

I think you just need to relax :~) He is just getting used to you. Rabbits don’t like or dislike, it’s more a matter or routine and trust rather than they like you….it’s best not to “humanize” your rabbit or put your feelings on your rabbit. That will always set you up for disappointment.

I think you are doing a great job in that you are very concerned about him. Just continue doing what you are doing and I know he will come around and feel more comfortable in his home.

[Peony]

Mine is banana, idk about craisons

Anyways how long have you had him? Have you did the lay down and ingore him and let him hop to you on his own terms yet?

Do you know what he disliked to do the dirt flick? Loud noise? singing, clapping, loud noise off tv, etc?

[Epitome]

Charlotte always gives me a good and angry foot-flick after grooming. I’m sure your rabbit doesn’t hate you, just not liking something you’re doing. I read in this article that a foot flick is the bunny equivalent of flicking you off. :3

[Whobott]

I have done the lay down thing, he seems to dirt flick with almost every hop. I will just sit there and do nothing and he will do it. I so sorry I’m just worrying so much I just want him to be happy. And as of tomorrow I will have had him for a week

[Bam]

Sarita is of course right, pets shouldn’t be thought of as humans. I think you just need to calm down and be patient and try to be resilient, don’t feel hurt when he foot-flicks you, it’s not hatred. They are prey animals, and prey animals are hard-wired to be cautious.

I don’t know how long you’ve had him for, but my bunny Bam foot-flicked me for a year after I got him. Now he may foot-flick me after a nail-clipping, other than that he’s very cuddly – when it suits him. My other bunny warmed up to me quicker but it still took months rather than weeks. Bunnies are very different individuals and you need to get to know your bunny to know what kind of personality he has.

[Tessie]

Sarita is right, you need to relax!
A week isn’t long at all. Try not to worry

[NewBunnyOwner123]

I say relax. Bam is the most disapproving bunny I have ever met. Yet I KNOW he likes me. But he disapproves almost everything lol it’ll be fine try not to get upset every time it happens or you’ll be upset ALOT :p

[Peony]

My bunny thumped at me for apparently no reason this morning, she is very moody.

Anyways for the dirt flicking kick, are you sure hes doing it almost every hop?

See mine has two versions of it, one is shown in my video (was the last hop) then there is one where she does it so hard you can hear it (Like that noise is made from when an object moves fast in the wind) It is not loud or anything but I have good hearing and I can pick up on that.

 

Anyways dirt flick just means they are mad about something, and not necessary mad at something you did. (unless she knows I was the cause of the music ><)

It is a learning process of knowing what your bunny does and does not like. (Same with mad thump)

[rayray]

My bun actually does this when I give him something delicious. If I give him a strawberry, he’ll grab it and hop away flicking his back feet at me. Like I’m going to steal it back. Um.. I’m the one that gave it to you, weirdo! lol!! He’s gotten better since I started responding, “don’t flick your feet at me!”

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