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Rabbits in the garden and the neighbours cat

Sarah298

Young Bun
Hi currently our rabbits have free range of the house except the kitchen when we're out. They also have free run of the garden too always supervised. However in the summer last year our neighbour brought home a tiny kitten, at first it wasn't a problem as it couldn't jump the fence as it was to small but now it have grown, everytime I open our back door to let the rabbits out the cat appears and does not take its eyes off them. I panic and get the rabbits in straight away as the cats tail is swinging and I don't trust the way it stares at them. Any idea what we/ I can do to stop the cat from either behaving this way or even stop it from getting on our fence completely? (We have the normal 6 x 6 fence panels). I hate the fact we struggle to have the rabbits out for 10 minutes at a time because of this cat!! :(
 
A spray bottle of water (or a supersoaker type water gun - much more fun) aimed at the cat when it enters your garden, along with a loud clapping / stamping or 'shoo' will discourage it without harming it. If you are very persistent for a while, it will (hopefully) find somewhere that is less hassle. Some rabbits are good at chasing cats out of their garden. Having a cat next door may also be stopping other cats coming round, so may have some benefits.

There's not much else you can do, but if the rabbits are supervised it should be manageable and the cat will hopefully get bored of being chased off.
 
Good idea I didn't think of that thanks. I'm just a bit nervous about how our rabbits would act if worst case scenario, the cat came into the garden whilst they were out as mum was a stray and daughter has never seen a cat (until now!). We have a cat one side who isn't bothered in the slightest, but this other one I'm guessing as it's young, it may not have seen rabbits before either is more curious. I will get a water gun!
 
We used to have lots of trouble with cats until we got this in the garden...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/3223...3D710-134428-41853-0%26rvr_id%3D1153803928038

The rabbits aren't bother by it in the slightest. Now if they see a cat, they'll run over and nudge it to set it off. The cats soon move away.

We now very rarely see the cats entering the garden, and they only try to enter when the rabbits aren't out. It's been great and I'm glad we spent the money on it.

All our neighbours have cats except one (so that's 6 cats within a few feet of our house)

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We used to have lots of trouble with cats until we got this in the garden...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/3223...3D710-134428-41853-0%26rvr_id%3D1153803928038

The rabbits aren't bother by it in the slightest. Now if they see a cat, they'll run over and nudge it to set it off. The cats soon move away.

We now very rarely see the cats entering the garden, and they only try to enter when the rabbits aren't out. It's been great and I'm glad we spent the money on it.

All our neighbours have cats except one (so that's 6 cats within a few feet of our house)

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk


That looks really interesting dp :)

It seems to detect 'all movement' in the area - how come the rabbits don't set it off?
 
Have you thought of putting something else on top of the fence panels like a lattice or those plastic 'prickles' to discourage the cat from jumping up?
 
We used to have lots of trouble with cats until we got this in the garden...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/3223...3D710-134428-41853-0%26rvr_id%3D1153803928038

The rabbits aren't bother by it in the slightest. Now if they see a cat, they'll run over and nudge it to set it off. The cats soon move away.

We now very rarely see the cats entering the garden, and they only try to enter when the rabbits aren't out. It's been great and I'm glad we spent the money on it.

All our neighbours have cats except one (so that's 6 cats within a few feet of our house)

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

Awww clever rabbits!
 
Thanks Daphnephoebe, I will have a look at those. I always thought the rabbits would have been affected by it but good to hear they aren't, will look into getting a couple :).

Pippin's Mum - I thought of wire but thought it might not look very nice but I like the idea of the lattice panels things, I will have a look online and see what there is. Thanks for the suggestion!
 
Thanks Daphnephoebe, I will have a look at those. I always thought the rabbits would have been affected by it but good to hear they aren't, will look into getting a couple :).

Pippin's Mum - I thought of wire but thought it might not look very nice but I like the idea of the lattice panels things, I will have a look online and see what there is. Thanks for the suggestion!
It's been brilliant. I think they hear it - even I can hear it when set off but it doesn't appear to bother them in the slightest.
That looks really interesting dp :)

It seems to detect 'all movement' in the area - how come the rabbits don't set it off?
The rabbits do set it off - but it doesn't bother them.
I think they give it an extra nudge when the cats are around just to be evil bunnies.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
It's been brilliant. I think they hear it - even I can hear it when set off but it doesn't appear to bother them in the slightest.

The rabbits do set it off - but it doesn't bother them.
I think they give it an extra nudge when the cats are around just to be evil bunnies.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

I'll look into it, as I have cats in my garden quite often, and they scare the life out of my rabbits, even when the rabbits are indoors!

I'm surprised the cats don't ignore it as the rabbits do then. Perhaps I'll buy one to try it out :D
 
I'll look into it, as I have cats in my garden quite often, and they scare the life out of my rabbits, even when the rabbits are indoors!

I'm surprised the cats don't ignore it as the rabbits do then. Perhaps I'll buy one to try it out :D
I'll try to get a video of the girls sitting by it etc and set it off to show they aren't bothered.

(Will have to wait until OHs mum leaves as I can't keep the back door open while she's here).

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Super soaker water guns..right up the moggies "one eye"! My buns were house rabbits even though I had a garden.Too many urban foxes and sadly two legged human vermin.My garden could be seen from the road and couldn't be bunny proofed etc.I still chase the cats because I have bird feeders etc.
 
we had a sonic thing years ago but they may have been made better now, once it rained despite being rainproof they let rain in it effected the noise and we could all hear it :oops:
now use those plastic fence spikes
 
There are ways you can deter cats but the only way to be certain it can't get near your rabbits would be a secure run. What does your backdoor open on to? If it's a side area you could roof it with mesh and add a door each end - or if on to the back garden a mesh covered pergola.
 
Our back door opens onto chippings and then grass and then a patio at the far end. I was thinking I might have to end up making them some sort of run and accept the cat has spoilt their fun.. but obviously best to be safe! I'm going to give water guns and the sensor things a go and try and put some sort of trellis on top of the fence in the summer and see how I get on with that. I'm hoping the cat loses interest and finds somewhere else to go.
 
I have no problem with cats in my garden thanks to "thugs bunny" Ronnie. He is very protective of his territory, any cats come in our garden, he launches at them with his head down and butts them! ;)
 
We've had cats move in next door: bunnies went mental but calmed down after a bit. Now Bandit (the only cat of the three who takes any notice of them) is mostly bored by them: he likes to come and see they're still there and if they want to play (they don't: I do feel a bit sorry for Bandit! Although the bunnies weigh twice as much as he does cos he's teenytiny so it's probably for the best :lol:) and sometimes they run off or thump, but it doesn't last long and we've never had (and we feel blessed) longterm effects (stasis etc.).

HOWEVER! They are in an enclosed run, hutch and playhouse complex. We haven't tried letting them out in the open-topped pen yet. THAT is a much bigger problem :S Equally we don't want to discourage the cats really: there's two gardens in our street: next door's postage-stamp paved area and ours. The rest is an industrial estate. Poor things need somewhere to watch the birds!
 
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