Upstairs and won’t come down

[Lolly Pop]

Lolly Pop (as my kids named her) is a Giant Flemish who was born sometime in Oct.  We got her on SuperBowl Sunday.  She had never been held and has ear mites.  She was in an outside hutch with several other Flemish. 

Here’s the story. 

My kids are 3 and 4.  Both doing very well with her:  don’t chase her and only pet her when she approaches them.  But they can’t wait until their bunny wants more attention!

She is getting there but I’m afraid we may have had a set back.  She is not caged but I did close off a 1/2 bath where her litter and food/water is the first few night.  About the 4th night she started scratching at the gate, so I decided to give it a try.  She did great.  Last night (1 week from when we got her) I heard her little feet coming up the non-carpeted stairs.  I have a gate which was going to close off the steps so she couldn’t hurt herself.  She had often looked up the stairs but never even looked like she’d go up them.  Curiousity got the best of her.  About to the top she decided to go back down… she slipped and slid and finally stopped about 6 stairs from the bottom.  She actually let me help her back down the step but to no surprise a few moments later she was following me back up them!  I woke at 2am with a bunny between my legs.  But shen she saw I was awake she jumped down.  I made her a little pan out of a short cardboard box but I refused to bring her food and water upstairs.  I don’t let the kids drink and eat upstairs so Lolly won’t get to either. 
We all got ready and went downstairs this morinng and Lolly wouldn’t come.  I tried bribing her and she just laid there like she wasn’t going anywhere.  After I took the kids to daycare I started worrying that she’s hurt herself going down the stairs so I headed back home ( only 5 miles from my work).  I found droppings all over the kids room and 1 pile of pee.  Who wouldn’t have to pee after more than 8 hrs!  I figured the dropping (since not in 1 spot) was her way of makring her territory.  Still none in the little box.  (she has never left droppings except near her little when it’s getting full- can happen in a hr hour period!) I tried to get her and she hid in a corner.  The upstairs hasn’t been totally rabbit proofed but is kid proofed so no small toys, electric cords, etc.  I really didn’t want her staying up there and falling down the steps but as I tried to get her she ran and left more droppings all over.  Once as I tried to reach for her I thought she was trying to nip at me.  No growling… just quick movment when her paws and head… she plays with us like this too.  She didn’t look angry, more scared.  (i’d be too if the tables were turned).  I sat there and explained to her why she should go down stairs and when I get home I’d make her feel more comfy upstairs by getting her a 2nd little pan but I was not going to feed her upstiars.  She glarred at me!  Seriously… GLARRED!  As i’m talking to her she yawns!  (I felt like I was talking to my two older boys a few years ago when they were teenagers! ) 

So is this just her being stubborn?  Does she feel more secure upstair even though there’s no food?  How should I handle this?  Can I train to to eat where we eat and go potty where we go (her litter is in the bathroom! and sleep in our rooms? )  My kids have loft beds so she can’t get up on them but I can make her a comfy bed in their room if she would like that.    Was her attempt to nip at me because she was scared and didn’t want to go downstairs?  Will she go when she gets hungry?  Was she leaving droppings everywhere to spite me or to mark her territory?  Why not use the other litter box?  Could she be hitting her hormonal stage already?

So many questions…. I am trying to use my maternal instinct here, but feeling like I’m not doing so well.  I’m worried sick that she will hurt herself and will probably go home and check at lunch.  She is adjusting so well, I just don’t want to set us back any! 

I’d appreciate any advice!!  I want her to be a happy and healthy bunny!  And my son can’t wait to train her to deliver eggs to help the Easter Bunny! 

Thanks to all!

Lolly Pop’s new mommy

PS I went home at lunch… she marked her territory again… didn’t use litter.. won’t come down and growled when I tried to give her a treat to get her down!  Finally she came to me and rubbed her chin on my shoe… I still didn’t give her any wanter but I broke down and gave her a carrot to nibble on.  She also peed in the same spot as she did earlier.. no surprise.. but it’s not a good spot for a litter box!  right in the middle of my kids bedroom!  I know she’s afraid of the stairs but she won’t let me help her either.  Of course, how does she know i’m trying to help!!??! 

[Sarita]

Most rabbits don’t do well on uncarpeted surfaces – they don’t have the traction because the bottom of their feet are all fur – I suspect she just isn’t comfortable on the steps.

I would not let her free roam though at this age as while she may seem to be fine now, she is not yet ready to be free roam with all that room. Littertraining is best when the space is small – not an entire house :~) then once they get the hang of it then you can gradually increase their space.

[Hazel]

Welcome to BB! Flemmies are great, do you have more pictures?

If you won’t feed her upstairs, you have to get her downstairs now. Rabbits need to eat more or less continuously to keep their digestive tract from shutting down (stasis), which is often deadly. so get her downstairs right away, even if you have to catch her against her will. She’s just a baby, she’s still learning about litter training. She won’t just use a brand new box in a unfamiliar environment. It’s recommended that baby bunnies are confined to a smaller area at first to give them a chance to learn proper litter habits. Then the area can slowly be expanded so they won’t be overwhelmed with too much space at once, otherwise they won’t go back to their litter box every time to do their business. It’s also likely that she’s entering her teenage phase being about 4 months old. Have you looked into getting her spayed?

If I was you I would block the stairs off. It sounds like she doesn’t get enough traction which is probably part of why she won’t come down and of course you don’t want her to get hurt slipping, either. Like I said, she should be confined in a smaller area for now, anyway, especially if she’s getting hormonal.

 

Edit: One more thing I noticed in your post was that you said she boxed you when you reached for her. You said this is also how she plays with you. Now, rabbits only box when they are upset, it means “Back off!”, they don’t do it for fun. Whenever she does this to you or your kids, I don’t think it’s playful, although I can see how it might seem that way. If this happens during your interaction with her, I would advice you to just leave her be for a while.

[Lolly Pop]

Thanks for the reply! Ok.. So there are two “boxings” she does. One with ears up and one with ears down. She likes the lunge or jump to things that are moving, like chase a string. It looked similar today but her ears were down. And she didn’t look happy! I really don’t want her upstairs but honestly I’m afraid to try to pick her up! I find this funny because I’ve rescued Pit Bulls for years and never once said I was afraid one would bite me! But I understood dogs, I’m the dumb human who can’t speak bunny here! I don’t want to make her aggressive!
She was in a 1/2 bath for 4 days.. Coming out 2x a day to run. On day 5 she scraped at the screen and wouldn’t stop so I let her out. She did great until last night. I didn’t expect to to come upstairs! Dumb me! I should know after having 4 kids, many dogs, cats, lizards, cows, horses, and even a snake that I hated and feared that you should expect the unexpected! The gate was there and waiting but as my daughter is crying and I’m carrying her up the stairs I really didn’t think any living creature would want to follow that scream! Lol!
I conformed and brought her litter and food to her, but there isn’t much room to run upstairs like there is downstairs and eventually I need to get her down! It seems I need to earn her trust on thus level just as I did on the first level of the house!
Another interesting fact….last night she jumped into my bed and slept w me.. Then I started my period this morning. She was all lovey on me last night and today she is very cautious of me. I didn’t scold her or yell at her. I never hit animals. Heck I won’t eat them either! But she doesn’t know that!
She had a vet apt today, which I canceled when she wouldn’t let me near her! But the vet said he won’t do the surgery until she’s at least. 9 months and would prefer 10 months!
I’m curious to know when my cycle end will she be better around me… I used to barrel race but couldn’t if I was having my cycle because my horses would go wild! Maybe it’s not the same for rabbit, but it got me wondering.
So after bringing her food, water and litter upstairs she’s acting better. Rubs her chin on my feet but doesn’t invite me to pet her.
I also noticed she doesn’t smell her food well.
I was taking her to the vet not only for well bunny but cuz I know she’s got ear mites. Poor baby! I attempted to put medicine in them but it was much harder than cats! Again it’s my lack of bunny experience and I am being so cautious and careful because I don’t know bunny limits.
Any advice is welcome! We love this little girl and want her to love us also!

[Beka27]

Can you gate off the upstairs so she can’t go up there? I’m assuming with younger kids that you still have gates around… 🙂 Not sure how the staircase is set up, but if you can gate it off a few steps up from the bottom, that will allow her to go up and down a little bit, without risking her falling down the whole staircase.

I agree that she needs to be limited at first and slowly worked up to more space.

[LBJ10]

Do you have a carrier for her? Could you coax her into the carrier and then use that to transport her downstairs. I agree that she may be afraid to go down those slippery stairs. Going up was likely much easier. Once you have her downstairs, I would block off the upstairs for now. You will want to work on litter training and that is always easier in a smaller space. Not sure where this half bath is in relation to your kitchen or laundry room. A lot of people with Flemmies will secure them in a kitchen/laundry area while they are litter training.

[Lolly Pop]

I have secured her in the full bath upstairs. She uses litter very well. But as soon as she goes in kids rooms she poops everywhere.. Not my room and never downstairs when she was down there. And not even in bathroom except in litter pan.
I still can’t pick her up ( I prob could but would scare her to death! ).
She slept in my bed last night for a while. No messes and no droppings. Like I said, only kids room! I had always planned on blocking off stairs.., never wanted her up there but as my hands were full w a crying kid and having lolly never be interested in the stairs … I hadn’t imagined her trying it so soon.. As I said before.. Dumb on me!
We live in a small condo. I’m a single mom. And no laundry room. It’s a laundry closet. Very small closet to be exact!
She’s got ear mites and my focus is now that! She let me put ear mites medicine in them that I got from the vet. But I can’t rub it in like he said to. Hopeing to take her soon but again it’s the can’t pick her up issue. She won’t go near a pet carrier and lays out in the open. I’m starting to think she’s claustrophobic. That’s kind of a joke since I train people to use MRI machines.
Again.. Thx for all the feedback! Lolly is doing pretty well considering! I think of it as what I’d feel like if I was an elephants pet! Be pretty scarey I think! She’s growing very fast! And I’m hopeing ear mite medicine may even help. That’s got to be miserable!
Someone asked for more pics and I have more but can’t figure out how to upload them from my phone.
Thx again!

[Lolly Pop]

I saw you are in Cleveland! I live in Lyndhurst! (East side)

[Beka27]

Cool! A fellow NE Ohioan! I’m a Westside girl… I’m in North Olmsted! 🙂

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