Fox + rabbit in shock?

Dont know if this is in the right thread.

But anyhow, a fox tried to eat my little flopsy today. Lucky she was in a run, and just ran back an forth trying to get away from it. But she was really scared. Kept stamping her poor little feet. Lucky we were eating dinner at the time, and my boyfriend ran out to chase the evil thing away from my baby.

I'm scared she might die of shock, it's been a few hours since the incident. And she normally comes to the bars of her hutch so i can stroke her face. But she wouldn't. What should I be looking out for?

Don't know if I can let my babies out in the run anymore, just so scared The weather is awful, and I can't run fast as I'm pregnant. So I won't be able to stay out for long to supourvise them. Just terrified that the fox will get them next time.

And what are the chances of him getting in to there hutches? I sound paranoid, but I'd be deverstated without my cute babies. It just seems I've moved my babies to a new area, just to be eaten by a mean old fox

hi there sorryfor your scare today.like a human in shock abun in shock should be kept warm and quiet. how are you run/hutch constructed? i would suggest if not already that you ensure that weld mesh is used on the run/hutch doors and that the run has a lid which canbe padlocked down that the run attatches to the hutch and the hutch doors each can be padlocked too as well as bolted shut.. put a cover over the hutch at night to stop bun seeing fox if run is attatched to hutch then if buns are in hutch then the run will form an additional barrier if they are seperate then you could try putting the hutch into a shed as an extra barrier and letting bun have run of shed leaving hutch doors open(nb the shed would need locking also) if seperates then you could put a mesh frame (Additional) over the hutch.ensure the hutch is raised off the ground a good foot ideally. also try putting a base under run ie either run on concrete or if on grass dig up grass lay paving slabs then put grass/turf back this stops the foxes digging in. i would keep an eye on bun unfortunatly once a fox knows bun is tehre they often come back i have heard that a man weeing around the area will stop a fox coming tho it isnt a very pleasent thought if you are worried you could bring bun indoors? but be careful of temperature changes xx

the best thing to do is bring her inside and keep her warm. You can give her a rice sock, or similar, to help her keep her heat in. That's the first thing to do, and then, maybe tomorrow, have a look at the hutches and area as to what you need to do to make it safer.

I understand how worrying this is we have brought all of our furries in as the foxes had found them. Unfortunately once the foxes know they are there they keep coming back If I were you I would bring them in the house over night (into a not too centrally heated room if possible) then in the light tomo assess. Some believe nothing will stop a determined fox so you need to be super vigilant with padlocks, weldmesh, cover everything at night so the buns can't see the fox if they come back to avoid shock. It's a horrible situation

I agree with the others, if you can then i would get her inside and try to keep her comfortable & warm.
What a shame for the wee baby.....hope she gets over it ok

So sorry for your scare, must be awful.
What sort of set-up do you have?

I too would bring them inside tonight and then see what you can do to avoid.
Like others have said once Mr Fox knows the buns are there, he will probably come back.......

sadly bringing her in is not an option at the moment anyhow. As my partners family have had rabbits etc before, and a fox has never eaten or gotten in to teh cages. So they seem to think I'm paranoid. Before i moved here I kept saying the fox will get them. But I was over reacting, and nothing would happen. And this happens. So i do plan on checking on her a lot tonight.

the run is a huge home made run, lucky the fox did not get in the door. So we do plan on getting the door made more secure. But till then I'll be outside with them.

Thankfully the hutches are near the house, which is the other side of the garden to where the rabbit run is. I can take pictures in the morning, so you can offer more ideas.

the cages have a heavy cover over them as well. I find it hard lifting it every morning,

Then you definitely need to give her something to keep her warm because that can help prevent the shock she is probably going into. You will also need to go out sporadically through the night to reheat whatever it is, so that she doesn't get cold.

Could you not show your partners family this thread to let them see that your not over reacting?

You probably wont get much sleep tonight then, cos i think youll need to be checking her alot and making sure she is warm and mr fox isnt about!

My buns occasionally see a fox (in their hutches rather than out in runs). They do get frightened, but some are equally frightened of cats. One of my former buns was chased around the garden by a cat once, and was pretty shaken up for a few days, but he gradually recovered his confidence.

Definitely check the security of your hutches, etc, and try to cover the front of hutches at night so that foxes can't see in...this will help your bun feel more secure.

how is little bun doing today? hope she alright. what sthe plan to secure hutches and run?

*also wonders how your little bunner is today*

Flopsy is fine! She is back to her normal self again today. Which is cuddling and stuffing her face. I've rang the place where i got the cages from, and they have said as long as I screw the heart locks tight. They will be fox proof. Then I have the thick blue thing to cover them with when it's night time. With wood on top of the cages to keep it on, and wood at teh bottom as well now, incase the fox does come closer to the house.

But my boyfriends family do plan on putting something around the hutches to protect them from the dog they babysit sometimes. So hopefully they'll do it sooner rather than later.

The main problem is the run, the door isn't safe. Normally I just put a trowl in the ground to keep the door closed. But that wouldn't stop a fox, not with my cute bunnys. So my boyfriend is going to get a real lock for the door. I also read that fox's can dig, so the run has that problem too. Yet I've never bought/seen a rabbit run with a bottom. So Not really sure how to deal with that worry.

What you really need to do is get wire mesh and dig it into the grass under the run to stop the fox getting in, or the buns getting out!

when you say heart shaped clasps for the door do you mean blocks of wood that slide across? if so no even screwed tight they are not fox proof you will need bolts and ideally a padlock too. regarding runs you dont want to put a metal mesh base directly on a run as the buns will get sore hocks from it what you need to do is dig up the ground beloow the run lay either mesh or paving then replace the turf you dug up this was nothing can dig under.do you have aphoto of your hutch and run set up ? maybe we can offer additional ideas for you?

Can gardens not be fox proofed?

Im glad your little girl is feeling better, must of been such a fright for her and you xx

You are right to not underestimate foxes - they climb pretty much anything and will certainly dig under pens. Infortunately 17% of an urban fox's diet is domestic pets. I just want to agreed with what everyone says - you need paving slabs under the pen and proper locks on the door or the fox WILL get your rabbit sooner or later.

I think that as long as the rabbit's accomodation is secure and the rabbit has somewhere to hide out of sight of the fox I think they ought to be able to cope with a fox in the neighbourhood - after all that is the normal state of events in the wild. I Also think that the fox will give up fairly quickly and only retry from time to time or when there is a new fox in the neighbourhood - they are not stupid. I have had rabbits in a secure outdoor pen for years and they all seem OK although they do have a stamping sessoion from time to time. The local fox has tried to break in but has no chance of sucess.

Hopper said:

Can gardens not be fox proofed?

Im glad your little girl is feeling better, must of been such a fright for her and you xx

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only by roofing them over with a mesh roof. and having mesh dug down around the boarders of the fences otherwise sadly not. x

Yikes, I didnt realise they could get in gardens so easy.

a few drops of rescue remedy in her water can work wonders in helping with the shock of it all..