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Carlo scared of downstairs UD he is giving it a go

Shellypops

Wise Old Thumper
:cry::cry: poor little lad won't venture of his own accord down the stairs! I sometimes bring him down for cuddles but he is scared of the laminated floor:cry:

Bobby has always been ok on it, but Carlo panics so much bless him:roll:

I put towels and his litter tray down, because I would really like them as both Free Range buns as Bobby was before we had Carlo. Just wondered if there was anyway I could get him used to it down stairs without having to change all my flooring :?
 
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Could you maybe try a stair runner? Tibbsy is ok on our painted stairs, but Echo won't go near them. He'll hop onto the bottom one but won't go any higher.
Could you duct-tape a wee strip of carpet tiles down the middle (so there was a grippy bit on the foot tread part), this might help?
 
Could you maybe try a stair runner? Tibbsy is ok on our painted stairs, but Echo won't go near them. He'll hop onto the bottom one but won't go any higher.
Could you duct-tape a wee strip of carpet tiles down the middle (so there was a grippy bit on the foot tread part), this might help?

yes we have got the stairs carpetted, although he will go up, he won't come down.. Its the whole of my downstairs thats laminate... he just panicks I put towels down and he stays on them, whilst Bobby goes off exploring :roll: I so want them to be free range:cry:
 
Is it the stairs themselves he's scared of, or the floor at the bottom?

If it's the stairs, I'd suggest putting him at the bottom and leaving treats up the first few steps so he might try climbing them. Once he can get up them, he may be able to figure out how to get down (food-assisted again at first). It might take some time for him to go down by himself - I suspect it's probably quite scary from a bun's eye view!

If it's the floor at the bottom, then I'd suggest some old towels/rugs to make islands for him to hop between while he gets used to it. He had lino in his hutch with us, and as he always scrumpled up the newspaper he spent more of his time on the lino than newspaper.

In either case, I'm surprised he's not following Bobby's lead but he may just need a bit more practice on unfamiliar surfaces to be confident - remember that Bobby's grown up with your stairs & floor where as it's all new to Carlo.

Give him some nose rubs from me:love:
 
Is it the stairs themselves he's scared of, or the floor at the bottom?

If it's the stairs, I'd suggest putting him at the bottom and leaving treats up the first few steps so he might try climbing them. Once he can get up them, he may be able to figure out how to get down (food-assisted again at first). It might take some time for him to go down by himself - I suspect it's probably quite scary from a bun's eye view!

If it's the floor at the bottom, then I'd suggest some old towels/rugs to make islands for him to hop between while he gets used to it. He had lino in his hutch with us, and as he always scrumpled up the newspaper he spent more of his time on the lino than newspaper.

In either case, I'm surprised he's not following Bobby's lead but he may just need a bit more practice on unfamiliar surfaces to be confident - remember that Bobby's grown up with your stairs & floor where as it's all new to Carlo.

Give him some nose rubs from me:love:



No he is a bit scared of the stairs but will go up and I am sure will go down soon.. Bobby goes down and he sort of "Threatens" to go down lots of head bobbing and stretching :lol:

But then gives up... I will try that definitley with the towels I really think he just needs to "learn" to walk on it, he wants to follow Bobby I can see it in his wee face:love:

He's getting there with his confidence, I think he is just worried about his footing .. will try again to entice him down the dreaded stairs.. piccies to follow :love:

I will give him nose rubs :D
 
It took Echo a lot of time to get used to our laminate floor - I just made sure he had little rug "islands" until he got his confidence up. He still won't run at full pelt on it, but is quite happy to follow Tibbsy around.

I think he will be fine, he just needs to find his feet! xxx
 
Poor Carlo! Lucky is the same with laminate. He hates the kitchen and his home is separated from the rest of the house by the kitchen - he won't even walk on towels or mats in the kitchen and i'd love him to come and go as he pleases.

I'll be peeking in on this thread for ideas. Hope carlo settles down. X
 
He really really is a little darling and so affectionate, I have been giving him the slowly slowly approach and he is trusting of me, but not anyone else atm:)

He just needs a bit of confidence and food is the key with my boy :lol:

I am gonna try the towel islands tonight... :love:
 
I had a similar problem with Marshmallow, I found if you lift him down the stairs and put him on the last few steps he can then figure out how to get down with out the height putting him off. He might practise going up and down but go slightly higher each time.

Marshmallow did this, then got really excited and began charging up and down like a lunatic
 
:love: Bless him :love:

What about getting like a table runner?
It will probably just take him a while to get used to the stairs - I haven't tried with mine but I can see both of mine being abit funny with them :roll::lol:
 
Well tried last night put him at the bottom of the stairs with treats every other step (parsley and basil)... and he freaked :shock:... scurried up the stairs ok.. with Bobby at the top.. then hunched up in the corner panting... :shock:
 
Penny used to be scared to come down the stairs, she would hop up them fine, but comeing down was a completely different story. She would sit at the top and look down in terror. It took her a couple of weeks to get used to , but after some encouragement and bribery she now charges up and down like a lunatic. I don`t know what advice i could offer regarding him hopping on the laminate floor though, maybe you could buy a nice big rug to put in your front room for him to hop on and hope that eventually he coppies bobby, and goes off to explore with him.:)
 
Well tried last night put him at the bottom of the stairs with treats every other step (parsley and basil)... and he freaked :shock:... scurried up the stairs ok.. with Bobby at the top.. then hunched up in the corner panting... :shock:

Aww - i soo hope he gets used to it.
 
Me too :cry:.. I am just gonna have to keep at it, he is not the most confident bunny in the world and has only really just started trusting me and OH, he is fine with being picked up, whereas Bobby would beat the :censored: outta me :evil:

I am gonna bring his big dog basket downstairs and see if I can tempt him out of it onto a big rug later:)
 
ive had Holly 4 weeks today and even food wont tempt her out of the bunny room so i wont even hold my breathe on her ever attempting the stairs. Alvin has surprised me tho, he used to love the stairs and lieing on my bed, but he dont leave the bunny room now either :? :?
 
Mischa used to hate the stairs... until Mini started going down them, then he plucked up the courage to try it. He just wants to follow her everywhere. Is his eyesight ok? I'm wondering if he can't see over the stair very well and is scared of what is down there?
 
Boris used to be terrified of the floor as well,but once he learnt how to avoid slipping he was fine :) It just takes a bit of getting used to I suppose. The stairs we have in our house are nowhere near safe for a bunny to climb so I will not let him go near them,I have to carry him back and forth which he tolerates although he doesn't exactly enjoy it! Bella free ranges downstairs mainly as they can't be together (YET),and I've had to block off the area around the stairs as she's determined to climb them whenever she gets the chance :shock: The crazy girl is not afraid of anything! She cracks me up with her odd little ways :lol:
 
I think his eyesight is fine, and he will go up the stairs just fine, he seems to be getting closer and closer to doing it, as Bobby will just hop on down them and you can see that he just wants to follow.

Donna yeah Bobby doesn't seem as interested in free ranging as she was when she was single.... they both like playing bunny dogems on the landing, I leave their door open now when I'm in.

I am fairly confident he will take the plunge soon, as looking back I seem to remember Bobby taking a while to go down them,..... seems like an eternity ago:lol:
 
Boris used to be terrified of the floor as well,but once he learnt how to avoid slipping he was fine :) It just takes a bit of getting used to I suppose. The stairs we have in our house are nowhere near safe for a bunny to climb so I will not let him go near them,I have to carry him back and forth which he tolerates although he doesn't exactly enjoy it! Bella free ranges downstairs mainly as they can't be together (YET),and I've had to block off the area around the stairs as she's determined to climb them whenever she gets the chance :shock: The crazy girl is not afraid of anything! She cracks me up with her odd little ways :lol:

Aw Boris, it must be scary not being able to grip too well
 
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