Is excessive jumping / climbing bad for a rabbit?

[Buka]

Benji is quite a climber!

When we got Flopsy I made her a few look out spots she could climb on but she was never much into climbing. She will hop on our bed but I had to make her steps out of pillows.

Benji on the other hand is a crazy climber. He’s everywhere. He’s been on the table. He’s always on our bed or the sofa. His made himself his sleeping spot on my son’s loft bed!

But I read somewhere that excessive climbing and jumping is harmful on the rabbits joints.

What do you all think? Should I let him continue or should I try and limit it?

Some pictures of his climbing expeditions:
https://ibb.co/fkgNPXY
https://ibb.co/jVxZcbG
https://ibb.co/m468Vxk
https://ibb.co/dpsW9y4
https://ibb.co/8NSxg5V

[InspectorMorse]

As long as the Rabbit does not jump off from or down onto a slippery surface it is fine. Obviously not if they were to leap down from a great height or attempt to jump a high barrier and get stuck half way.

Flooring with poor traction, such as Lino, can mean Bunny slips on take off and landing which can cause injuries. Poor traction flooring is not good for any Rabbit even if they just hop about on it. This is especially true for young Rabbits who’s bones are still growing.

[Buka]

Thanks for this! He is a very cautious bunny and I’ve put pieces of carpet on the furniture he climbs on. My whole apartment’s got carpets too. I think I made it as safe as I could for him. I don’t want to stop him climbing if I don’t have to. He’s definitely enjoying doing that.

[a reader of books]

Aww, those photos. He looks and sounds very adventurous! I don't think the jumping and climbing is bad for him; I think it's great exercise! But I'm a worrier, so I would worry about him being startled by something and falling off something high and getting hurt, so personally I wouldn't let him climb very high, but since he's really enjoying it I can also understand why you don't want to stop him.

[Buka]

Aww, those photos. He looks and sounds very adventurous! I don't think the jumping and climbing is bad for him; I think it's great exercise! But I'm a worrier, so I would worry about him being startled by something and falling off something high and getting hurt, so personally I wouldn't let him climb very high, but since he's really enjoying it I can also understand why you don't want to stop him.

I agree with you. I’ve been worrying about it too. Especially that he’s sleeping in my son’s loft bed. But he doesn’t seem to be bothered by loud noises or anything and his response is usually thumping. Ive actually never seen him run away. Flopsy does. She gets spooked by anything and runs like a rocket. But Benji just hops away and thumps.

That’s where I’m conflicted. He’s definitely a climber. He’s always on top of something. So I don’t want to take it away from him, but I also hope it’s not bad for him. Hmmm

[joey&boo]

awww this is brilliant, what an adventurous bunny. Its gonna be hard work keeping things out of his reach

Its weird how much bunnies vary in their love of heights. One of my favourite posts on here was a member who got a rabbit & left him to chill out in his space, popped back & couldn't find him anywhere. Eventually discovered on the top of the wardrobe

[a reader of books]

I agree with you. I’ve been worrying about it too. Especially that he’s sleeping in my son’s loft bed. But he doesn’t seem to be bothered by loud noises or anything and his response is usually thumping. Ive actually never seen him run away. Flopsy does. She gets spooked by anything and runs like a rocket. But Benji just hops away and thumps.

That’s where I’m conflicted. He’s definitely a climber. He’s always on top of something. So I don’t want to take it away from him, but I also hope it’s not bad for him. Hmmm

I totally get that. I used to have a climb-y bunny and I know how much they enjoy it, so it would be sad to take it away from him, but at the same time you worry! It's good that he doesn't startle easily, at least. Maybe a compromise would be to make the places you can as safe as possible? Like maybe making the railings on the loft bed higher, and putting railings on other high places, too? Or putting cushions under them in case he does fall?

[a reader of books]

awww this is brilliant, what an adventurous bunny. Its gonna be hard work keeping things out of his reach

Its weird how much bunnies vary in their love of heights. One of my favourite posts on here was a member who got a rabbit & left him to chill out in his space, popped back & couldn't find him anywhere. Eventually discovered on the top of the wardrobe

[dollyanna]

Mine love being high, Odin did when he came to us and Freja, if anything, is even worse! We've just designed their entire enclosure to include access to high spots but all in safe ways, so none of the access points are too high and they can't fall from the high places. Tricky when they are house rabbits, but with a bit of imagination you could engineer things so there are plenty of "steps" to access the higher places, and also do things like keeping chairs pushed in to try and prevent jumping up onto unsafe surfaces like slippery tables. Possibly even give them their own high place like a cat tree or similar but that is accessible safely and enclosed at the top, that might reduce the inclination to explore dodgier areas!

[Buka]

. Maybe a compromise would be to make the places you can as safe as possible? Like maybe making the railings on the loft bed higher, and putting railings on other high places, too? Or putting cushions under them in case he does fall?

That makes sense!