Bunny trips over ALOT!

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 4sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 6 months ago by Wick & Fable.

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- 10/16/2018 at 9:21 AM
  Lorna
  Participant
  2 posts
  Hi!
  
  I have two bunnies, one is a 1 year old mini rex called Pepper and the other is a 6 month old who I believe to be a tan but am unsure called Poppy. Poppy was listed on a animal selling site for free as the owner just couldn’t keep up with her energy (she is VERY excitable and constantly running around, bless her).
  
  I’m still in the process of bonding the rabbits so they spend 10-15 minutes together in a room and then one goes back in her cage with a run attached whilst the other roams the rest of the flat and I switch that daily to make it fair.However, when Poppy is roaming the flat and running around she is constantly tripping over her own feet, sliding into furniture or other objects ans misjudging the jump from floor to objects and I’m just a bit concerned she’s going to hurt herself.
  
  She has massive back feet, I’ve never seen any like them and huge ears which she looks far to small for.
  
  So my questions are;
  1) Should I leave her in her cage with a run attached for her own safety and not rotate them?
  & 2) Are her feet to big for her or is there likely to be another reason as to why she’s so clumsy?
  
  Any help would be appreciated!
- 10/16/2018 at 11:53 AM
  pinknfwuffy
  Participant
  660 posts
  Poppy and Pepper sound like fun buns!
  
  1. You may already know this, but if you are bonding rabbits they should both be spayed/neutered first. You didn’t mention if they are male or female so even if they are both the same sex and mating isn’t a problem, hormones can make some rabbits aggressive or territorial and it can lead to dangerous fights in the future. Fixed rabbits get along much better and may make the bonding process easier.
  
  2. When Poppy trips or falls, is it mostly when she’s zooming about? Rabbits can be a little clumsy when they reach top speeds so if it only happens when she is excited then I think it is okay. She is still young, high energy, and probably getting used to her own capabilities.
  
  3. If she is falling over all the time, regardless of speed or activity, you may want to take her to a vet to be sure her coordination/eyesight is okay. This is probably only necessary if it seems more neurological than just playful accidents.
  
  4. If you are concerned for her safety, yes, maybe confine her to a smaller run so she can get used to the space. Since she is young she may not be used to her own speed and power, especially big feet, so a reduced space would contain her wild outbursts until you can expand it in small amounts over time as she gets older.
  
  Good luck!
- 10/16/2018 at 2:39 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5835 posts
  I’m curious about the large back feet. I’m sure rabbits have proportional variations like humans, and perhaps it is a result of poor breeding or a bad roll of genetics, but do the feet seem healthy? Are there signs of them being inflamed or anything of the sort? Perhaps the tripping is because they used to be smaller, but now they’re large and she doesn’t know how to move with them. I recall when Wick’s testicles descended…. he hopped and traveled around very awkwardly until he was neutered a week later.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 10/17/2018 at 1:10 PM
  Lorna
  Participant
  2 posts
  Both bunnies are girls. Pepper is spayed but Poppy was quite undersized when I got her at 4 months so we have been waiting for her to get a bit bigger and she’s actually booked in for Friday.
  
  She seems to trip over herself whether she’s speeding or just casually hopping but she also tried to hop onto furniture and she misses a good 40%/50% of the time, so I don’t know if that’s something to worry about?
  
  I was thinking of talking to her vet when I drop her in on Friday, would you say it’s worth it?
  
  Thank you!
- 10/17/2018 at 1:45 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5835 posts
  I would most definitely bring up your observations. She could be tripping not because of her feet size, but maybe she has a vision impairment or some sort of neurological damage influencing her coordination. Those types of conditions should best be assessed by a professional rabbit-experienced vet.
  
  Now some rabbits have bad judgements, but usually they learn. It seems she’s being persistent, which can be concerning.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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