Bunnies and stairs....

[animalsRbetter]

Hey all,
We just moved to a loft apartment with stairs, just curious if anyone has experience with their buns operating stairs? Should we attempt to try to train him to use them or will that just end in disaster? He's been a free range bunny since we've had him with a room for him and our reptiles, and I'm worried he'll get lonely in there. Thanks,

Concerned bunny mom

 

[stevesmum]

We have laminate flooring throughout the house except the basement stairs which are carpeted. Our bunny chip goes on all kinds of stairs. There's no stopping him. He doesn't slip but sometimes when he goes fast it looks like he could. But I can't prevent him, he gets through baby gates. So far no issue though and he just did it himself with no need for training. What kind of flooring do you have?

 

[animalsRbetter]

We have tile at the bottom of the stairs, laminate at the top, and the stairs are carpet. It's cookey, I know.

 

[stevesmum]

Well with carpeted stairs I wouldn't really worry much. That will let bunny have good grip for running up and down. And who knows, he may not even want to. My other rabbit does not leave the safety of the rugs or carpet.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Our bunnies had no problem with stairs. The landing was oak hardwood and 2 would not go there but the other 12 had no such misgivings. No need to do any training.

 

[animalsRbetter]

Great! I'll see what he does tonight! Thank you!

 

[Mordecai]

Mordecai will go up the stairs, but not down, so make sure your bunny isn't too nervous and gets stuck. Mordecai's pen is on the 2nd floor, so it works out that he won't be stuck without his home. Ava will go up and down stairs with no problem.

 

[kdubbz117]

My first two rabbits wouldn't climb stairs, which meant there was no going down the stairs. Out of the current three, Sweet Pea has no problem with going up the stairs, but seems highly resistant in going down. She'll check out the stairs below her, but I haven't really caught her going down. Harriett wants nothing to do with stairs; she'd much rather be snuggled all the way up to her pen... And Luke... Luke is like lightning going up, and he has gone down a few steps, but he'd much rather be carried.

I know there are plenty of rabbits that have no issue going up and down stairs. My buns have pens, and they aren't free roaming... But if it were a necessity to get around the house as a free roaming bun, I'm sure they would have no problem adjusting to using the stairs.

 

[animalsRbetter]

So so far he's not too keen going down the stairs, but he has no problem going up. This is good cause his home is upstairs. He did go down the stairs a couple times if all the kitties went down in front of him. Other times he just hops away from the edge of the stairs. Maybe he's scared he'll trip over his lop ears!