Jumping up on high surfaces

[Pipper]

My bun Pipper is 3 months old. She's a Himalayan and is very small (about 1 pound). The breeder we got her from said to treat her like a Dachshund and not let her hop up on the couch - to pick her up and place her there if she looks like she's going to jump.

Well, I tried this for about a week, but she's just too fast for me. Is there actually a problem with her jumping up on couches? She made it seem like it was bad for their joints or something, and I can only assume it's because she's so tiny, as my Rex rabbit Weiser used to jump up on anything!

Was she just being too cautious or is there something to it? Thoughts?

 

[elrohwen]

I've never heard that this would be a problem for any small rabbit. If anything, doing a lot of jumping could be bad for the joints of a large heavy rabbit, like a flemmie, more so than a small agile bun.

 

[slavetoabunny]

Couches aren't that high. My buns jump on and off all of the time. I wouldn't worry.

 

[BaileysMom]

I have never heard of such a thing, weren't rabbits made to jump ? lol
I have a netherland dwarf who jumped, 1/2 way up an exercise pen and then proceeded to clime the cage it was by, and that was higher then a couch seat. I'd say let him hop around and be happy, but someone else might know more about the topic.

 

[tamsin]

Jumping is normal rabbit behaviour and shouldn't cause any harm. It's possible for an accident to happen but that's no different to a person accidentally falling down stairs - doesn't mean everyone should avoid them.

I've heard breeders recommend things like confining exercise space because a rabbit will hurt themselves if they have too much room! I think it's most likely a result of rabbits living in confined areas, not building up muscle or bone density and then injuring themselves when they are suddenly given extra space and try running and jumping for the first time.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:

 

[Pipper]

That's what I figured. Just thought I'd ask, since she seemed pretty rigid in her thoughts. Pip has free roam when in sight, and she jumps up on everything. I didn't want to restrict her if it wasn't necessary, so thanks for the confirmations!!

 

[Tweetiepy]

I'd only be worried if the floor is slippery (and they could hurt themselves if they slip)

 

[Kipcha]

I highly doubt that any problems will come from jumping on and off the couch. I've never had a problem, injury or things being brought on later in life, from this. Willow, my oldest guy, still loves jumping on and off the couch, I couldn't stop him if I tried.

Unless it's slippery or something, I don't think it's an issue.

 

[Pipper]

Yeah, my Rex, Weiser, was always fine, but I wasn't sure if it was different with smaller breeds. I figured this wasn't the case, so thanks for the confirmation. She's doing perfectly fine, just the fact that her breeder mentioned it, I thought I'd reassure myself of what I knew. Thanks for the feedback!!