Bunnies and stairs

[sarahthegemini]

Just curious! Buttercup loves going up and down the stairs – She sometimes sprints up them! Peanut hasn’t ventured up them yet but maybe in time he will. My stairs are carpeted and twice now Buttercup has ran down them a little too fast or misjudged and slipped. Thankfully neither time she was hurt,  she came to a very stable halt near the bottom. Of course it made my heart jump out of my chest but she only goes up the stairs when I’m here to supervise (it’s gated otherwise) Afger the first time she has slipped, she was much more careful and cautious but then perhaps got a little overconfident and slipped a bit yesterday. Is there anyway I can help? Any tips for ensuring she walks s-l o-w-l-y? 

[Luna]

Tips for slowing down a bun?!  The only thing I can think of is to gate off the upper half of the stairs so that she can only run up and down the bottom half – that way she might not gain as much speed as when she runs the length of the whole stairway?

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Luna on 4/04/2017 1:54 PM

Tips for slowing down a bun?!  The only thing I can think of is to gate off the upper half of the stairs so that she can only run up and down the bottom half – that way she might not gain as much speed as when she runs the length of the whole stairway?

I know, what was I thinking  I could try gating off the upper half of the stairs but it’s only a flight of 13 stairs and she loves going up into the bathroom (plus she tries to dig her way into the bedroom ) I wonder if rubber mats or something on the stairs would help her grip? 

[Wick & Fable]

Wick really enjoys elevation, so he likes to climb and see where he can/can’t jump. He makes goals which he revisits when he’s too scared to do it one day; he’ll try the next until his legs say, “Okay, let’s do this.”. Sometimes, it does end in him landing not so gracefully and sometimes sliding into a wall (laminate flooring).

When I noticed Wick would consistently ram his face into the futon because he’s trying to jump up at too steep an angle, I began to guide him whenever I saw he was trying to jump up. I’d shift him back and make sure his face is looking at the futon, and gently lift him in the ideal jump-angle. It took about 2 times, but he seemed to get the idea.

If there’s a particular step Buttercup keeps accidentally skipping over, or over/undershooting, maybe try guiding. As smart as some rabbits are, they do not all understand the falling/jumping physics of the world, haha.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

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