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the stairs?

mini lop1

Wise Old Thumper
does your rabbit know how to run up them, im only asking because all my rabbits have managed them ie thumper,mitzi, mowgli and rosie, however locksley doesn't know what to do :? :lol: either that or thinks its too much like hard work, soo doesn't bother
 
Bunny does - she loves it. Belle hasn't ever tried - she's more interested in going into the kitchen! Mind you, I don't think she'd manage it if she did try - she's not the brightest crayon in the packet, bless her!
 
yeah Sooty knows how to, he bounds up them quicker than I can, even takes them on two at a time somtimes and he's only a little mini-lop! I never taught or encuraged him to do it, just couldn't find him one day and eventually noticed the little :censored: sat at the top of the stairs watching me running round like a mad woman shouting him!:lol:
 
Yup, all mine can go up. Although Mini's the only one who can confidently go down them. Mischa tries but sometimes falls so we have a gate there.
 
Loki learnt how to go up stairs when we moved him outside and he had to come up them to get back inside. Doesn't bother much with the inside ones though unless he spots a cat scurrying up there. :lol:
 
Apache can go up and down. Sorrel could do both but it took a lot longer to learn to go down than up.

Poor Skye can go up but never learnt to go down - it's lucky I live in a bungalow now!
 
Hi, some of mine figured it out quickly, others took longer. Some can do it but choose not to. One sneaks up when she thinks no-one will notice.

Aren't they funny?
 
Yep both of mine can. Truffle runs down SCARILY fast - looks more like she's sliding down than running down! We didn't teach them either - they just did it.
esupi.
 
Poppy could go up and down first time she tried, and at speed. Nino has always struggled with both - partly due to his arthritis and partly I think due to the length of the foreleg.

I think that a shorter foreleg breed (dutch, nethie) compared to a dwarf like Poppy who has very long legs makes all the difference. If your forelegs are long enough you can stretch down and touch the step below whilst keeping your back legs and bum on the stair above - gives security and bun feels able to hop down. For a bun with short forelegs (like Nino and his stumps! :lol:) he has to trust completely that when he drops on to his forelegs going down his back feet lift off the step above - takes a lot more learning and trust. In fact it took us two weeks almost to teach him how to do it by holding his bum and back legs for him whilst he dropped down the step with his front legs. He can now do it at relatively good speed like Poppy but he still has to drop and 'trust' that he won't fall when he goes. :)
 
Milly will go up one step at a time, stopping to sniff each one on the way, but she can't get down without falling so we tend not to let her on them unsupervised.
 
Spenser can't do stairs, which I feel really guilty about as it means his hutch is effectively half the size I planned for him. :(:(The mother of one of my pupils breeds rabbits and she took one look at my hutch and said the rabbit could break his back on the stairs, so I panicked and took them out, thinking I could introduce them under supervision until he got the idea. It hasn't worked out because I broke my arm, and can't lift the stairs in and out unless my parents are around. It is a very expensive Ryedale hutch (£280), but 5 feet long. I hoped the two-story design would compensate for lack of length.
 
Thumper goes up & down really fast & noisily.
I supervised him on the bottom 3 steps when he was learning.
I don't allow him to use the stairs on the same day he's had a GA eg for a dental.
 
Spenser can't do stairs, which I feel really guilty about as it means his hutch is effectively half the size I planned for him. :(:(The mother of one of my pupils breeds rabbits and she took one look at my hutch and said the rabbit could break his back on the stairs, so I panicked and took them out, thinking I could introduce them under supervision until he got the idea. It hasn't worked out because I broke my arm, and can't lift the stairs in and out unless my parents are around. It is a very expensive Ryedale hutch (£280), but 5 feet long. I hoped the two-story design would compensate for lack of length.

Hi :wave: I think this thread is referring to actual stairs in the house - for houserabbits, the ones that we go up and down too.

If your bun is struggling with a ladder in the hutch it may simply be that the angle is too steep or there is insufficient grip. Some hutches have terribly steep ladders. I would alter the angle of the ladder and put some extra grip on it using carpet or glued on little sanded wood batons. :)
 
Spenser can't do stairs, which I feel really guilty about as it means his hutch is effectively half the size I planned for him. :(:(The mother of one of my pupils breeds rabbits and she took one look at my hutch and said the rabbit could break his back on the stairs, so I panicked and took them out, thinking I could introduce them under supervision until he got the idea. It hasn't worked out because I broke my arm, and can't lift the stairs in and out unless my parents are around. It is a very expensive Ryedale hutch (£280), but 5 feet long. I hoped the two-story design would compensate for lack of length.

I found with my buns I had to encourage them to try it. They wouldn't just go on their own so giving them little pushes by cupping my hand round their bum and using the other hand to guide them helped.

Pretty Lupin's points are valid too.
 
Ah, of course, how could I forget Locksley is a house bunny.:oops: I did try to reduce the angle, but it made the opening for him to get onto the stairs too small. He's a fairly big rabbit, though certainly not giant. I feel so bad, because he is living in circumstances some rescues not pass for a bunny. Fortunately I am around the house a lot so he does spend a fair bit of time in his run. I really will have to pluck up the courage to try the stairs again when my arm is strong enough, and will see if I can get some suitable carpet material. Thanks for the advice.
 
Gasket and Tappet did, but Sprocket and Widget haven't discovered the stairs yet and I would rather keep it that way until we decide whether to adopt the third bun when I get back. That way the upstairs is still neutral territory for now. :D
 
Either Radish isn't bothered about going up the stairs or doesn't know how. She never seems interested in them and they aren't blocked off so she can try when she likes but never has.
 
Marnie and Blue shoot up and down them like no tomorrow!
Bea used to be good at up but wouldnt come down...I think she was just too big (conti)
 
Mylo can run up and down the stairs, as soon as the living room door opens he shoots past me and hes just too fast and before i know it he is hiding under the bed! He comes down them too, quite fast but not as fast as he does goin up. I am always scared of him fallin so always watch him!
 
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