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Rabbit vs Fox...

A

AJ77

New Kit
My rabbit Merlin has been located by the local foxes, not helped my friend getting some chickens so it's fox heaven in the garden...

Anyway for for the last two nights he's lost fur now as a fox has got to him, he refuses to go inside at night, the first night my friend who feeds him in the morning didn't tell me and only when I came home tonight after work did I find a lump of fur that she had found in his run this morning, we've had a look and there's no sign of where the fur came from and he's acting normally, which I know he would unless he was very ill,I'm taking him to the vet in the morning.

Any advice would help, we is now safe from the foxes as he the panels from his playpen up where the foxes were getting to him, the other panels are fox proof.

Rach
 
I would be very careful that those panels are fox proof. Foxes can jump and have little paws that can manipulate things well. They are also rather clever.

I would definitely have him checked out at the vet. Foxes can carry a number of diseases (including rabies in the US, I'm not sure about the UK).

Also, I had a friend whose rabbit was chased by a dog, and even though the dog never caught the rabbit, he died a few hours later. The best explanation was that the rabbit died from fright, possibly aggravated by a heart condition. Rabbits can definitely scare to death.

I don't mean to scare you, but I would be very very careful around wild animals.
 
Sidereus said it all ...

Maybe it is best to put your rabbit in a secured place because there will be no chance at all for your bun if he get caught.. Fox can climb, can dig, and get rid off the most sophisticated enclosure to reach their target... domestic pets have no chance at all to escape a predator
 
Thanks for the help, Merlin will have to stay outside tonight, but I plan to bring him in at night after he's been to the vets tomorrow.

My friend/landlady has been very laid back about this which doesn't help.

Rach
 
I could not sleep knowing my bun was outside and at the risk of being killed by foxes. PLease make sure bun is safe tonight, I would hate anything to happen x x x
 
Merlin is safetly tucked up hutch for night

Hi,

I've got Merlin into his hutch for the night where he's safe from the foxes with a bit of luck he'll be in the conservatory from tomorrow evening until his run is re-fox proofed.

I can sleep now else I'd be worrying about him all night, I'll properly still worry about but at least I know he'll hopefully be fast asleep in his hutch while I stay awake worrying about him, catching him for the vet in the morning could be fun but I'd rather that than him injuried overnight.

Rachel
 
If you're worried about making the run fox-proof enough, then people could give advice if you post some pics.

As you're having trouble getting him into the hutch at night, have you tried feeding him in there at bedtime? My two bunnies have free range for a couple of hours a day but they take themsleves back into their hutch when I shake their bowl of pellets.
 
We have a fox in our garden again,this is the first time in over two years.My neighbour found a bunny with his head eaten away the other day then he said he went for a pee at 4 in the morning and saw the fox sat on our lawn.When i looked through the security cameras I saw the blighter sat outside the bunny shed.
If your bun is in a hutch please make sure the doors are secure as a fox will have no problems opening the doors
 
it's terrible when foxes are around having spotted a free easy meal, nothing will deter them to go away.. maybe a good big dog might frighten them away ; in addition foxes are opportunist and would eat anything, in France we have some very near Paris, scavenging bins and other easy meals... In the US they have coyotte coming near by houses in the same approach.. they easily get unfraid of human and very daring to approach them..
 
Could you also raise the hutch off the floor by a few feet? And put covers over at night? We had ours about 2 feet off the ground ontop of a run that was closed off at night.

You could always try a PIR light not sure if these scare foxes away - perhaps other members may be able to advise?

We have foxes near but haven't had them in the garden (touching huge chunks of wood as she speaks!) but then we have dogs both sides of our garden (fiesty westies one side and snarling staffies who want to eat our cats, the other!) and an 8 foot wall at the bottom, so maybe this is why I haven't seen foxes about our garden. Usually they leave lovely black poo for you to find (at our old house they did this in our garden..and we didn't even have any rabbits then.. nice!)

I do hope you can get rid of the foxes and make your bun feel safe again! Just the shock of seeing a fox prowling outside the hutch can kill a bunny.
 
linzi1loveanimals said:
You could always try a PIR light not sure if these scare foxes away - perhaps other members may be able to advise?
Click to expand...

I don't think the light helps at all - our next door neighbours have one & I saw it go on once at about 3am. When I looked out of the window, the fox was in next door's garden, prowling around their fish pond, completely unbothered by the light.
 
That's a bummer.. just an idea. I guess the fox is not as easily freaked as I hoped!

You can buy branded cat repellent type thing which I am sure has lion pee extracts or something like - not sure what it is called - someone on the forum mentioned it before.. (or I dreamt it :oops:) would something like this work?

Apart from injuring and killing them what do farmers use - any farmers on RU?

We have a Shires store near here which sells all manor of mole traps, poisons and the like - didn't know if there was something humane but effective for foxes?
 
linzi1loveanimals said:
That's a bummer.. just an idea. I guess the fox is not as easily freaked as I hoped!
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I know. :( The fox I saw wasn't scared of the light but sprinted off through 3 gardens when he heard me open the window. :shock::roll:

People have mentioned those sonic repellant things, although there have been mixed views about whether bunnies can hear it and would be bothered. Will try and find the thread. :)

ETA: Here it is :)

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=169439&highlight=foxwatch
 
Thanks for the help.

I've taken Merlin to the vet and he had wound on back leg where the fox got him, he's had antibiotic injection and I've got antiboitic medication to give hime twice a day, he is going back on Tuesday for a checkup.

Rach
 
Glad it is only a minor injury :D and I hope Merlin is better soon x x

With the sonic thingy.. I have read the thread linked.. and aside of the buns possibly hearing it - it seems humans can.. I tend to hear high pitched noises, even bats my OH can't hear either! I think the sonic thing would do my head in first! I bought one for insects.. and worried incase the buns could hear it -as I can and it drives me insane!

The Fox one can be heard by dogs.. crafty thought here as our neighbours dogs savaged our 2 cats once.. ripping all our princess jades claws to bloody stumps as they dragged her across tarmac... hmm revenge on the neighbours is tempting?

I might try the insect one I bought, around the buns to see, If they are ok with this then I will invest in the fox one (not really for revenge on the dogs next door honest.. :lol:) but as I am starting to worry now this is the second post I have seen on foxes today...
 
Last edited:
My buns didn't seem bothered at all by my fox deterrent- but I was.
It didn't completely stop foxes visiting and I wouldn't rely on it but I think it helped abit as the foxes always seemed to come back when the batteries went flat (I could smell them)
 
lilbun said:
My buns didn't seem bothered at all by my fox deterrent- but I was.
It didn't completely stop foxes visiting and I wouldn't rely on it but I think it helped abit as the foxes always seemed to come back when the batteries went flat (I could smell them)
Click to expand...

:wave: It's worth buying the mains adapter.
 
Pleeeeeease see my website below and look at the bit about damage to my runs by 2 dogs (3 rabbits hadn't actually been got at, but died from fright, one rabbit attacked and killed).

I just wouldn't want this to happen to you. xx
 
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