I had a 'run-in' last nite, with a fox!

In bed, just dozing off when I heard a loud thump, got the torch (always on bedroom windowsill) looked out to see a fox staring up at me right near M&M's hutch,
I made some weird 'shooing' noises that it took no notice of :roll: so down I went and chased it across the grass, it jumped over next doors fence,.. so I went back to bed.

round two....
Just dozing again and the same thing happened, only this time I went straight down and it was sitting right next to the hutch & run,
It was Malc doing the thumping (so loud) but because its a fenced off area the fox dare not go past me (in my bright red dressing gown - looking like Santa :shock

so he shot behind the hutch & run getting stuck between that and the fence!

Malc is frantic, Maud lay in the doorway with her head hanging down the ramp as if to say..''are foxes a problem then?'' .. (ive never met a more laid back bun in all my years!) and mr fox laid down on the floor staring straight at me and curling his lip!!!
so. I fetched the broom and gave him 'what for'!
I gave him a couple of good prods before he ran, then I calmed Malc and went to bed..only to be 'told off' by hubby??? :shock:
Roll on tonight?!!!

:shock: What a shock! Bet you were worried you go to sleep after!
What did you husband tell you off for? :? x

U oh, that's too close to your fur babies for comfort. Maybe you could keep a bucket of water handy, to throw over him if you see him again. Yeah it's cruel but you really want to discourage him from coming back.

abi2047 said:

:shock: What a shock! Bet you were worried you go to sleep after!
What did you husband tell you off for? :? x

Click to expand...

For tackling the fox - it could have gone for me :shock:

Lops said:

For tackling the fox - it could have gone for me :shock:

Click to expand...

Maybe next time there is a fox in the garden send him down and see how he gets the fox out of the garden and away from your bunnies :roll: xx

Hoppit! said:

U oh, that's too close to your fur babies for comfort. Maybe you could keep a bucket of water handy, to throw over him if you see him again. Yeah it's cruel but you really want to discourage him from coming back.

Click to expand...

I did think of water but I didn't want the poor thing to freeze,
...tho on reflection... :roll:

it might not have bothered them but you did right any way to bring them in on a night in a shed or something while you have a night time visitor ?
oh you must take photos i love foxes

jazzywoo said:

it might not have bothered them but you did right any way to bring them in on a night in a shed or something while you have a night time visitor ?
oh you must take photos i love foxes

Click to expand...

I didn't bring them in but I did make sure they were ok before I went back to bed
Today I found a big hole in the fence thru to next doors, I know mr fox will still get in somewhere but not thru that hole now cuz we've fixed it!
We live opposite fields so we get a lot of foxes in the garden at night, always have done, you just have to make it as safe as you possible can eh?

Poor you.
I'm sorry to say this, but the truth is that once a fox has found our buns they keep comming back for an easy meal whatever you do. They can jump a 6'fence effortlessly. Can you bring your buns into a secure shed, garage or even an unheated room in the house until you can get something sorted out for them?

I've kept bunnies as pets for over 25 years and always had foxes in the garden - I agree 100% that they come back but you have to make things hard for them so that they want to 'eat' elswhere!

My neighbours lost a bunny to a fox but that was because they left him out - a very easy meal for mr fox!

I check the hutch and wire (fox proof??) regulary, and on tuesday I have a playhouse arriving - tho I have to say I'm a little more worried about them being in that, as they will be lower to the ground than in a hutch :shock:

Oh what a worry :?

I'm not very good at using "search" on RU.
The expert on foxes & fox proofing on RU is Parsnipbun who wrote an article for the RWA "Rabbiting on" as Dr. Twigs. There is a thread with her summary, but I can't find it.

I found this suggestion http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=244219&highlight=proofing

Foxes are highly intelligent & learn fast. Urban foxes have lost their fear of man.
Population density is high just now, & the years' young will have to establish their own territory as the natural food supply of mice/voles dwindles. So they are more desperate for food. Foxes which normally hunt by night can easily hunt by day in these circumstances. They move fast just at a purposeful trot. They can cross 45' (the width of my garden) in 2 secs. So we can be unaware of the extent of the problem, unless there is snow.
There even a few isolated, rare cases of foxes coming into peoples homes & kill a rabbit, as experienced by Jack's Jane.

Last year, Thumps started to refuse to go out to free range with me out there with him. I then saw 3 different foxes cross my garden between 9.00am & 3.00pm. How many didn't I see? [I also thought I had rural foxes & only at night.]

As you have noticed our rabbits vary a lot in their response to the proximity of foxes. My rabbit runs upstairs to where he feels safe in terror, although he is perfectly safe indoors with windows & doors closed. They can die from fear, & certainly get stasis issues.

I honestly don't want to alarm people rather the opposite. I strongly recommend that you look at Parsnipbun's threads & posts on foxes - in late 2009 early 2010.

Would a motion sensor light deter a fox once you have the shed? I also know you can get shed alarms that are like house alarms and go off if the door is opened and a password not given if your worried about the door?

I am so glad mine are inside, its such a worry! :-/