Cat problems

This is rabbit related, honest, despite the title

Is there any easy way to disuade cats from coming into somewhere where there's loose rabbits? I let my rabbits out in my back yard which isn't exactly huge, but it's plenty big enough for them to have a run round in and they love being outside in the sunshine and playing with toys.

Problem is, my neighbours have a cat. This cat never, ever used to bother with my yard and was never even seen at the back of the houses until my rabbits started going out - now it's the most exciting place he's ever seen. I've just found him sitting on the top of the rabbit hutches staring at the rabbits which are out :?

I can't assume he's ok with them as he doesn't live with rabbits. The rabbits can get under one of the hutches and he wouldn't be able to, but I have no idea how persistant he'd be in trying to get at them. I'm also not sure if him hanging around will attract all the other neighbourhood cats who may be less well mannered :?

Is there anything I can do that would put him off coming in but wouldn't affect them? I used to let them out in a run which I could cover, but they are so much happier having the run of the place and they have so much more room now that I really don't want to go back to that unless I have to. He has to come over a relatively small section of wall or the gate, so is there something I can put on there that he wouldn't like?

Hi :wave:

There are deterent sprays that you can use, but it does depend on how large your bunnies are as to how much danger they are in. I have a cat and 4 bunnies that are more than capable of defending themselves if the cat got too close! :lol: Mind you, the cat and the 2 bigger buns roll around and play together!

THe cat is probably just curious and will get bored soon, but a water pistol will deter it too, as well as the cat and dog deterent sprays you can buy. THey are citrus scented and cats hate them.

Throwing something usually works... Various items are

Baking Potato (any round vegetable should do)
Flip Flop
Spatula

Basically anything you have to hand whilst in the kitchen looking out over the garden (not knives though)
These are just a few of the things thrown in the vicinity of the numerous cats we used to have in our back garden when i lived with my parents...
They used to keep occasionally coming over when they thought we weren't there but once they heard the back door open they fled like there was no tomorrow... this was after about 2 weeks of warfare...
No cats were hurt and we are peace loving people (for all you cat people out there) but no way was i letting them scare my rabbits...
If there is a cat out there and your rabbits run loose my advice would be to build them a big enclosed run... Can never be too careful my aunties cats used to bring in wild rabbits it caught in the fields...

There is a large black and white cat that scared Arthur yesterday. It had no fear and was standing cool and calm on the back fence when I shoo'd it. I had to tear down the garden like a loon waving my arms to get it to go away!

I will be investing in some Cat away products. I was thinking of one of the cat silolettes you can get. I don't like sprays. Arthur would give it a big bite but even he was scared and little Dylan flew into his cardboard box and stayed there for an hour! poor little mite.

Kay said:

There is a large black and white cat that scared Arthur yesterday. It had no fear and was standing cool and calm on the back fence when I shoo'd it. I had to tear down the garden like a loon waving my arms to get it to go away!

I will be investing in some Cat away products. I was thinking of one of the cat silolettes you can get. I don't like sprays. Arthur would give it a big bite but even he was scared and little Dylan flew into his cardboard box and stayed there for an hour! poor little mite.

Click to expand...

Ah the fearless cat... They are the enemy here... :lol:
Having replied to this post earlier i went outside to do some work on the patio i have layed for the buns sheds and found that a cat had had a dump in the earth by the side of it and it STUNK... That little gap under my fence is Being blocked up TODAY...:evil:

The bunnies range in size from a dwarf to a large dutch cross, who I think could probably hold his own! I think you're right in that the cat is curious more than anything else, and he's certainly easy enough to get rid of by shouting at him. I'll see how it goes for a while as there's no way he can get under the hutches. Hopefully they're just novelty value at the moment and he'll rapidly get bored with them.

:shock:my cats still stare and watch the bunnies - especially when they are babies like foxglove - but if the rabbits go near the cats they are up and off. my cats go into their run with them outside and also inside and and in the dog crate and sit there for ages watching from a safe distance. The other day there was rustling i found Canna curled up in Foxgloves tiny bed in the hutch!:shock: But yes i think cats just find them fascinating. I am sure some cats would have a go with a tiny bunny but i think the fact that most bunnies seem to be fearless and run at the cats rather than away helps a lot too. even foxglove when she was only a few hundred grams and had only been here a few days was seeing the cats off!

I chucked a jug of water over the local cats a few times and they are quite wary now - as soon as I go to the door they run for it, and the old tom cat doesn't come in at all now