Rabbits and hardwood floors?

[Carla]

Can bunnies run around easily on hardwood floors?

I just moved into my condo and I had the carpet removed and the hardwood floors refinished. I have a small rug in front of Timmy's cage so he can eat his salad there without soiling the floor but he wont' step off the rug. He put his front paws on it and slid forward, got scared and backed up.

I put the "cage diapers" in his cage because of the same problem...he slides on the steel cage floor. He also wouldn't go on the linoleum floor in my old apt.

Even if I put a 8x10 rug near the cage, that doesnt give him that much running room. I was going to give him the dining area (8x10) and a long hallway to hang out in now and then eventually the entire living room.

Can and should the fur underneath the paws be trimmed to help him not slide? what can I do?

[Fane81]

Hello.

i don't think trimming the fur on his paws will help him to not slide. buns just generally don't like the solid surfaces because they are so timid and easily scared - they don't understand what they are walking on and try to get back on "solid ground" immediately.

maybe some rabbits are exceptions to this- i don't know. i've never met a rabbit who doesn't prefer carpet. i know my rabbits HATE the linoleum floors in my kitchen and bathroom. they freak out once they step onto it. (i guess it works well for my cats who can only get rabbit-free time in the kitchen. hehehe )

anyway- its too bad rabbits don't like hard sufaces it would be healthier as far as chewing the carpets go. my buns seem to think my carpets are 'meadows' that they can 'graze' in. i have little bunny bare spots all over the place. hehe.

anyway! the point of my long tangeant- i don't think there's anything you can do but put down some area rugs for your bun.

[Millimi]

My buns can run on hardwood floors and linoleom, their playpen is covered in linoleum. Harry has been used to that since I got him, but Charlie had to get used to it for awhile. She learned how to not slip around on the floor and now she loves it. It took her about half a day to adjust to "slipppery" flooring.

[Purplebunny]

My bunnies tend to slide on my wooden floors, they look a bit like Bambi when he was on ice..
I would not trim the fur on their feet, its probably there to protect them(the feet that is)..

[Carla]

Thanks for the input everyone. I guess i was getting worried. He used to do bunny 500's in my old apt and now he seems so scared of the floor. I hope he'll get used to the hardwood.

[RSbunny]

Give him time, he'll get used to it. We moved from a house with carpet to a house with hard floors and the rabbit we had at the time got used to it...just make sure your rabbits claws aren't too long cause that will make it harder to grip...the good news is, now you don't have to worry about your rabbit digesting carpet!

[Sasami]

He should get used to it . We don't have hardwood floors but I know that half the rabbits (Sakura, Stash, and Kioko) won't normally go in the kitchen or on the slate at the front door because of the textures of the floor.

But if we had hardwood flooring everywhere then eventually curiosity would get the best of them and they'd brave it!