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Getting a rabbit down stairs!

DanAboutTown

Young Bun
Hi everybody,

We have two wonderful, but very different rabbits. One of them is very agile, using our entire house as an obstacle course, and the other is much more at home on ground level. We've never pushed her to jump on things, but now she's become brave and started going up the stairs. The only problem is, she doesn't seem to be able to get down! She can go down the stairs when she's near the bottom, but when she is at the top, she has trouble and starts panicking. We've tried to coax her down with treats, but the only way to get her down seems to be to carry her. She seems to enjoy going up the stairs, but does anybody have any ideas about how to get her down again?
 
I'd say she'll work it out! Stop watching and listen out instead. She won't fall or hurt herself if she has a go. :)
 
If you've already tried coaxing her with treats then there's not much else you can do. You say she will come down if she's near the bottom, maybe gradually move her up a step at a time and see if that builds her confidence, if she is happy to go down 4 steps at the bottom move her up to 5 and so on. I do think it'll come with time especially if she sees her bunny friend doing it
 
Thanks for your help everybody. We just left her up there for a while, leaving her to her own devices. After about half an hour, we checked on her and she was on the bottom step! She's now running up and down the steps with no inhibitions, there's no stopping her!
 
Thanks for your help everybody. We just left her up there for a while, leaving her to her own devices. After about half an hour, we checked on her and she was on the bottom step! She's now running up and down the steps with no inhibitions, there's no stopping her!

This is fab news. My bigger, very reserved bunny won't go down the stairs (in fact she hasn't left the lounge of her own accord in this house despite the door never being shut). I've even made a few threads about it. Your story gives me hope.
 
Biscuit was exactly the same (she's bigger than Noodle, much more reserved, doesn't like attention as much as Noodle does!), but one day she decided to go exploring the hallway. A couple of days later, she got interested in the stairs and now there's no stopping her!
 
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