A couple weeks ago I traumatized a few young rabbits when I mowed near their nest. They hopped out and off and I left a patch of long grass in my otherwise perfect yard 🙂 A couple hours later I noticed this:

I decided to do nothing. This rabbit got in through some open space next to the house and I presumed would find its way out. But when I checked to see if the rabbit was still there an hour later the rabbit had fallen into the window well and couldn’t hop high enough to get out.

Problem: Rabbit in window well that doesn’t appear to be able to get out without help.

Plan: Create a ramp. Hypothesis being that the rabbit could crawl out.

First experiment:

Plan: Use the green item in the picture as a ramp.

Do: I put the item in the window well as a ramp.

Study: Based on the angle of the ramp and the numerous physics classes I have taken (or common sense not sure which 😉 I could see that the rabbit would not be able to climb out. I would need something that could be a more gradual ramp.

Adjust: Experiment 2:

Plan: Use a piece of cardboard that I could cut or bend to fit to have the most gradual ramp given the dimensions of the window well.

Do: I made the ramp in the window well. And left, so the rabbit could climb out in peace.

Study: 10 minutes later I came out to see if the rabbit was gone. I could hear the rabbit attempting to climb up, but was sliding down after a few inches. We had a traction problem.

Adjust: Experiment 3

Plan: Put a rug pad over the cardboard to allow the rabbit to get traction and climb out.

Do: I threw the rug pad over the cardboard. And left, so the rabbit could climb out in peace.

Study: 10 minutes later I came out to see if the rabbit was gone. I noticed the rug pad and gotten folded over towards the top. I presumed the rabbit was under the fold, but needed more information to know for sure.

Adjust: Experiment 4.

Plan: Get a stick and unfold the rug pad. This would allow me to see if the rabbit was in the fold of the rug pad and if so to adjust it, so the rabbit could climb out.

Do: I used a stick and saw the rabbit under the fold and smoothed the rug pad out. And left, so the rabbit could climb out in peace.

Study: 10 minutes later I came back and saw the rabbit in my yard 🙂 The experiment worked and the problem was solved 🙂

The next day I realized I had done several PDSA cycles and then used it as an example when teaching PDSA the following day. It is just a fun example of quickly learning and adjusting to solve a problem.