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Rat attack?????

L

lucycat

Warren Scout
This is turning into a succession of postings - sorry folks.

But.......whilst improving fox defences today lots of wire involved. I noticed a small 1 1/2 inch hole under Dylans hutch obviously dug right in the middle which is where I put his food.

I have split my bunnies up and blamed Dylan for biting silky's nose but now Im thinking maybe its a rat and not Dylan.

I would understand this more as the original fights always involved no fur and Silkys nose biting came out of the blue as they always seem to get one in a kind of shes devoted he tolerates her without violence fashion.

Anyone any views on rats.
 
hi

good point! Never thought about rats - I nearly trod on a dead one at the bottom of my garden today - gross! You are possibly onto the truth, but there's no way of knowing till you put them back together - if only they could talk! :?
 
It could have been a rat. It is much more common for a rabbit to bite anothers nose if they are on either side of a fence rather than living together. But if a rabbit stuck out its nose to sniff at a rat it could well happen.

A couple of years ago there was a rat in the garden and I am sure it bit one of my guineas noses. Beatrice had a clean slice taken off her nose after she had been down the rabbit hole. I now never let the guineas in the run with the huge diggings just in case. I haven't seen a rat again though, just mice. That rat was very cheeky. I saw it go into the guinea hutch and drink from their water bottle :shock: But I blocked its holes and dismantled the nest it had built under a hutch and now there is small gauge wire everywhere so I think it moved on.
 
It could be, rats can have very nasty bites when they want to (I have the scars to show - and they were domesticated [if a little crazy], not wild!) and do have a habit of lunging at things when their teeth when they do decide to bite!
 
We had to fortify our run last year, as rats were burrowing in to steal the food. No damage to the buns fortunately, but the holes were maybe 2" across. We still see the occasional attempt to get in, but the run now stands on paving slabs and mesh - no chance!
 
maybe set a humane rat trap, see if you have rats or do you know that you have rats already?
 
Someone I know who breeds french lops had a litter of babies in a hutch with their mum, a rat chewed through the hutch and took 2 babies away with it!
 
Thanks folks. I actually rang the local rat rescue and the guy there said it was possible hed seen even giant type rabbits petrified of a rate and to look under the hutch. When we did there was a clear channel under the hutch and up to the middle where I put Dyls food. Id say an inch and a half wide.

I have had them inside together and he has been very tolerant of her and quite happy to let her snuggle up, munch hay next to him, share food everything. She also seems more confident inside but I have to supervise my wires (not all are bunny proofed just the electric ones ie speaker wire computer modem is a free picking).

I have wired all over the floor of both runs although more to do still blocked up the gaps between the hutches and the two runs and plan to buy some slabs next weekend to stand both hutches on. Rat and Fox obsessed now. Thanks folks
 
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