Rabbits are one of the cutest and most playful pets you can own. They’re definitely fun to have as they love hopping around and exploring.
This poses two crucial questions: can rabbits climb? Is it dangerous for them to climb?
The short answer is yes! Rabbits can climb a wide range of indoor and outdoor objects, for a whole lot of reasons, from curiosity to fear.
Not only can rabbits jump up, but they also love to leap forward. However, it can be dangerous for them, as they might get injured or even escape.
Do you want to find out more? Then, you’ve come to the right place.
In today’s article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about rabbits’ climbing ability and how to keep them safe from any accidents. Let’s dive in.
Why Do Rabbits Like to Climb So Much?
Not only can rabbits jump over high objects, but they can climb at ease. Most bunnies enjoy climbing high objects.
After all, they’re so tiny, and climbing higher allows them to see the world from a different perspective!
Plus, these furry buddies are energetic and active creatures. With the help of their athletic bodies, they can climb and jump over high objects.
In the wild, rabbits climb to find food or escape predators, so it’s more of a necessity than fun in cases like this.
Surprisingly, some pet bunnies love to climb over their owners and sit on their shoulders. Most of them do this to get some much-needed love and attention.
Additionally, some bunnies do it out of curiosity about their surroundings, while others are driven to do it to assert dominance.
What Objects Can Rabbits Climb?
Sure, your bunny climbing up a chair or a high table might not be something to worry about. Yet, there are other potential spots that might concern many pet rabbit owners.
Your furry pet can climb all sorts of objects, from ladder steps to trees. They can even climb fences. Unfortunately, this can lead to many problems that people would rather avoid altogether.
Do you want to keep your bunny safe? You might want to check this list of objects that rabbits can climb:
Stairs
Most rabbits can climb the stairs up and down with ease. However, not all of them love to do that.
It also depends on the rabbit’s age, health, weight, and confidence. Another important factor to consider is the material and size of the stairs.
Some stairs tend to be too slippery for their little feet, which can be dangerous. Additionally, if the steps are higher than usual, your bunny may need to jump higher to reach the next step.
In this case, you might want to install ramps or place a carpet on the stairs to make it safer for your little pet bunnies.
Fences
Rabbits can climb fences or even jump over them if they’re short enough. For example, most bunnies can jump over a two-foot fence.
Typically, a bunny will take a running leap at the fence to reach the highest possible point. Then, the little guy can climb up the remaining part.
Wired fences are easier to climb for bunnies, as they’ll be able to grab onto them for support, just like a stepladder. However, your furry pet might be unable to climb down the fence.
In most cases, your little friend will just have to take a jump down the fence, which can be dangerous and may cause injuries to your pet bunny.
Trees
Climbing trees is a challenging task for rabbits. In the wild, rabbits usually only climb trees to look for food or if they’re in danger.
Other than that, you’ll rarely spot a bunny climbing a tree for fun. After all, it can take a long time and a lot of effort for a rabbit to climb a tree.
Plus, tall trees are extremely hard for them to climb. If the surrounding environment doesn’t provide any support for the bunnies to climb, they probably won’t be able to climb the tree.
Short trees and leaning branches, on the other hand, are easier to climb for them. If they aren’t able to find a low branch, rabbits will usually build momentum and take a big leap to reach the closest one.
It’s likely to take any smaller bunnies a few failed trials before they can successfully climb the tree, but eventually, they’ll be able to do it. Sadly, this can result in many injuries.
Luckily, you probably don’t need to worry about your pet bunny climbing larger trees in your garden.
What to Do if Your Rabbit Falls?
Despite how fast they are and how high they can jump, rabbits are delicate creatures. As a result, your little friend might get injured, even from a minor fall.
That’s why you need to rabbit-proof your house and make sure your little friend stays safe.
If your buddy falls, you need to keep a close eye on any serious symptoms. Limping, bleeding, abnormal behavior, and difficulty breathing are some of the alarming signs you should look out for.
If you spot any of these signs, you should contact your vet as soon as possible.
How Can You Keep a Rabbit From Escaping?
Rabbits can be incredibly sneaky. Not only can they climb over high fences, but they can also dig under them and run away!
That’s why preparing your home for a pet bunny is crucial, especially if you let the little guy roam freely in your yard.
Keep an Eye on Your Rabbit
The most fool-proof way to keep your little friend from escaping is to watch closely. The rabbit should have a designated playtime in the yard, with you monitoring.
This way, if your bunny is up to any mischief, you can easily catch him in the act and stop him from escaping.
Furthermore, you’ll be able to monitor your rabbit’s patterns and methods of escaping, thus being able to counter them!
You should always keep your pet bunny in a playpen when you’re not around. The playpen should be tall enough, so your little buddy can’t climb over it. Ideally, the space should have a roof, too.
Rabbit-Proof Your Fence
Since rabbits can easily escape fences, either by climbing over or digging under them, an easy solution would be to rabbit-proof your fence.
The taller the fence, the more effort the bunny has to make to climb it. If you have a domesticated rabbit, it’s highly likely that the bunny won’t attempt to climb a tall fence.
In addition, your fence shouldn’t have any gaps the little fellow can slip through. So, if you have a wood fence, make sure the panels are close together.
Alternatively, if your fence is metal, the mesh should be tightly woven.
Keeping your rabbit from digging under the fence is a hard task, though. Yet, you can easily stop this habit.
First, you’ll need to find any tunnels your pet has already made and bury them. Then, you’ll need to bury something solid under the fence.
Most people recommend burying bricks because they’re too heavy for rabbits to move. This way, your pet bunny will need to dig substantially deep to escape the rabbit-proof fence!
Close All Exits
Your rabbit can still escape if you keep it indoors and out of the playpen. For this reason, you should make sure to close all exits.
However, this is easier said than done. After all, it’s impractical to always keep all windows in your home closed.
So, an easy way around this would be to install mesh screens for your windows. Not only can these screens keep flies and insects out, but they also keep any curious pets indoors!
Get a Companion For Your Bunny
If you keep your pet bunnies in a comfortable environment, they might not even feel the need to escape.
After all, rabbits are more likely to escape if they’re stressed. So, while you might think of rabbits as cute, low-maintenance pets, they need a lot of care.
Most rabbits escape due to loneliness. They’re incredibly social creatures and need to be around other bunnies often.
In fact, they’re much happier in larger groups. That’s why if you get another friend for your bunny, they could just prefer the company and halt the escape plans altogether!
How Can You Help a Rabbit Reach High Areas?
If you want your buddies to reach higher areas, you can quickly train them to jump higher. When you’re done, you can even enroll them in rabbit jumping competitions to show off their impressive talent.
Even though rabbits are incredibly intelligent animals, training them requires a lot of patience. Still, your pet will enjoy the physical and mental stimulation.
To help your rabbits reach high areas, you simply need to encourage them to jump. You should do this gradually, starting with lower areas.
Once your bunnies have mastered reaching a specific height, you can move over to tougher challenges. Still, you should be realistic about the abilities of your pets.
Alternatively, you can use hurdles of various heights in an obstacle course for your rabbit. This can be a particularly enjoyable experience for bunnies since they love burrowing and leaping.
Just keep in mind that it can take a lot of time for your rabbit to reach high areas. So, here are some tips to help you teach your little buddy how to climb:
- Lure your rabbit to jump over an object using treats or a toy.
- Use easy verbal cues that your bunny can pick up on, like ’Jump’ or ’Up.’
- Use positive reinforcement, with treats, when your rabbit jumps higher.
- Clickers can help greatly in training your pets.
- Avoid training your rabbit to jump in slippery areas and choose carpeted locations instead.
- Don’t force young pets to jump if they’re not ready yet.
- Never punish your rabbit when training.
Do All Rabbits Climb?
While all rabbits have the ability to climb and jump, not all of them will have the same level of skill. In other words, some rabbits are better climbers than others.
Yet, their physical structure allows them to be good jumpers by default. In fact, most rabbits prefer to hop around on all fours instead of walking normally.
They have strong hind legs that enable them to jump to high altitudes with a single push.
In many cases, rabbits can jump so high that they don’t even need to climb the object they want to get on top of.
Rabbits’ back legs are too long, though. So, they need to land on their front legs to balance themselves.
Still, they can tread normally on all four feet. However, they only do that when they’re anxious, for example, when they’re exploring new places.
How High Do Rabbits Jump?
Bunnies can jump four feet into the air. Yet, with proper training, they can jump even higher!
As for leaping forward, they can hop for about ten feet, making them fast runners. You should note that this is an average estimation, as rabbits’ jumping ability depends on their exact type.
For example, wild jackrabbits have much stronger hind legs, which allows them to jump about five feet.
Cottontail rabbits, on the other hand, can rarely jump over two feet without previous training.
You should also note that domesticated pets are different from wild rabbits. Usually, domesticated ones can’t jump as high. That’s only natural since they’re kept in a confined space.
Final Thoughts
So, can rabbits climb?
The answer is yes! Rabbits can climb all kinds of objects for a variety of reasons.
For one, they can climb over tall objects like trees if they need to hide from a threat or seek food. When it comes to wired fences, they’re an easy climb for the bunnies.
However, climbing over high objects can be dangerous, as your little friend might get injured. So, it’s best to rabbit-proof your home and backyard to keep your pet out of trouble!
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.