jumping

[somebunny]

hey guys, just wondering how high can bunnies jump from? hershey likes to get on the top of our couch (there is an empty walking space behind it) and she is a risk taking bunbun, i’m afraid if she decides to jump down one day she might hurt herself. the top of the couch is about 1 – 1.5 metres off the ground.

[bunnytowne]

Doggone I read about that in a book.  I can’t remember if was Lucile Moore’s or whose book.  OF course I forgot the answer to your question.  I remember reading 10 ft but I think that was long jump not a high jump. I think 4 ft is the high jump.  HOpefully someone else knows for sure waht it is.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

The highest jump was 9.8 Feet and the longest was 3.4 (compiled for my site)

Crazzy huh??

[jerseygirl]

You might not be able prevent her from jumping but perhaps if there’s carpet or a mat there to land on for traction and no obstacles to crash into, she may fare better. They seem pretty hesitant before a jump. I think it takes a while for them to gauge the depth.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

^^ True,

also depth perception is largely achieved by comparison of overlap of the two retinal images;
With humans the overlap is almost 100% (try this, close one eye, then close the other-the two images are almost the same) contrast that to a rabbit, who has almost no overlap and cannot see directly in front of them (prey animals see behind them and around them, predators see in front) and thus their depth perception is reliant on other cues, like overlap of objects (nearer objects are not obstructed) etc. so even when they do have depth perception it’s not very good.

Had to geek out there

[somebunny]

yeah there is nothing behind there, only carpet. she is definitely thinking about it because she’s always up there looking down, scoping it out! i’m scared she might slip so normally have to shoo her down.

[BinkyBunny]

I am always worried about that too. Rucy used to love to get up on high places and jump around. I was okay with her jumping from chair to chair and to other pieces of furniture but there were some daredevil acts that I would not allow her to continue (like the time I caught her doing a tightrope act on the back of the couch)   So funny how different Jack is – he is scared of high places! 

I never saw her fall, but they are are also free roaming, and one day I noticed she was breathing funny, I raced her to the vet and it was finally determined that she has a hernia.

Now the vet said this could have been congenital, but it can also come from something hitting her hard, (like an accidental bunny bunt) or her falling and landing hard on her feet. Since there had been no accidental bunny bunt, then it’s either congenital or possibly a fall when I wasn’t looking. This “chest” hernia is something she will always have, and she has learned to live with – she gets tired faster, and she definitely chooses not to go up on high places anymore. (which makes me think it may have been a fall – or it just hurts her to jump up and down so she doesn’t do it)

I think bunnies can jump high, just not sure what happens when they slip and fall, not sure if their spine structure is set up for recovery since it’s rather fragile.

So, I wouldn’t take the fun out of her wanting to climb, but now I’m a even more cautious about the “daredevil” aspects and for me, the back of the couch is scary because most couches are much more curved there, and it doesn’t offer secure flat footing.

Again, I don’t know for SURE that Rucy’s hernia came from a fall, but since the vet said it CAN come from that, then I’m just offering a heads up ao your bunny doesn’t take a tumble down.    Also we have hardwood floors, and even though we have area rugs with thick padding undearneath, it’s still not as cushy as carpet.

[Beka27]

Meadow loves the back of the couches. ours are pretty much flush with the wall, so i don’t really worry about her going up there. i do have a big cardbaord box at one end of the couch and she will jump from the couch onto the box. is there something you could put behind the couch that she could jump down to?

[somebunny]

not sure what i could put behind the couch, maybe make a ramp or something…it looks like she really wants to jump from it! i took some snaps of her being naughty today on the couch…i always have to stand behind the couch and make her jump down. she’s very clever, jumps up on the couch when i’m not watching her – she makes a run for it.

 

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[Beka27]

she is such a cutie. i was thinking just a couple boxes upside down. it wouldn’t be the most attractive thing, but it would give her a spot to jump down to.

[-Parabuteo-]

Don’t worry too much, rabbits generally know they’re limits . My rabbit (about 3.3 lb) sits on the back of the sofa and leaps down to the floor (about 5 ft up) and I havn’t had any problems, the only time was when we didnt have a rug there and he slipped and hurt his shoulder but after that he was fine.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Or a chair, you could put a chair behind the couch for her to jump onto

[somebunny]

oh yeah…a chair! great idea!

[Author]

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