Help catching a stray UPDATE...

THIS IS A VERY OLD THREAD, PLEASE DON'T POST TO IT, JUST READ FOR INFO ONLY, THANKS.

UPDATE!

I CAUGHT THE RABBIT! see next page for the story...

(pics etc to be posted here): http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/tam/viewtopic.php?t=16715


ORIGINAL POST:

Hi, there is a stray rabbit around the neighbourhood and I'm hoping for some tips to catch her...

We first saw her a few months ago, (last summer time ish), she'd escaped from her owners and they don't want her back. She was quick and vanished and we didn't see her again until a couple of months ago, she was always around in the mornings before we went to work.

So anyway, I've been leaving food out for her and she comes regularly now throughout the day, but she's been tending to run and hide under one of the cars whenever she sees us. I've been trying to get her to take food from my hand by sitting on the floor and tempting her, and today she did, in fact she charged at me for the carrot, and scared me, then she charged and took a piece of pear and ran away with it - then she came back a bit more calm and sat there taking cabbage off me. (until the birds scared her and she went away).

Trouble is, I bought a hutch and run and put food inside hoping to trap her, but she wouldn't go in (we hid and watched ready to close her in).

She's quick, and too clever, so I've bought a trap off trapman, but I want to use that as a last resort because she'll get stressed in there and I don't want to kill her through fear!

Here are some photos I took of her today on my mobile - she's looking really healthy and no-one can believe she's been alive all this time!

Any tips appreciated - thanks... Teresa

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shes very cute. The only thing i could suggest is when she is sat eating if someone could sneak up behind her and throw a towel or blanket over her as they will normally not run when they are covered up. It will make it easier to scoop her up if she is in a towel too. The only downside is if she runs before the towel lands on the floor, then she might not be so trusting with the food. I hope you can catch her before she gets into any danger!

Estelle said:

shes very cute. The only thing i could suggest is when she is sat eating if someone could sneak up behind her and throw a towel or blanket over her as they will normally not run when they are covered up. It will make it easier to scoop her up if she is in a towel too. The only downside is if she runs before the towel lands on the floor, then she might not be so trusting with the food. I hope you can catch her before she gets into any danger!

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I agree with this the towel trick will work,you must get her in if you can id be worryed about foxes and dogs!! :shock: let us know when you catch her,fingers crossed,

Yeah, I've been very worried about foxes and dogs, but she's been so lucky up until now - I was outside watching her the other night and a dog passed and she just sat there, and the dog didn't even notice she was there! In the months she's been out (nearer a year now!), she's survived the cold, the rain, the snow, and everything else, she's a true survivor. The birds did scare her this morning though, they must have seen me taking food down - they scared me too... stupid crows.

At least she seems to trust me more now - she was really funny today hopping around, being nosey and looking at what I was doing. I was gobsmacked when she came right up to me, it's so unlike her - I'll try the towel tip when she's a bit more trusting, which shouldn't take long!

Thanks for the tip - I've never owned a rabbit before so I'm clueless apart from what I've found on the internet these last few weeks.

Oh please please try and get her - Is she coming to your front or back door for food? Is there anyway of securing the area once she is with you eating?

It might take a few of you but fence panels held by 2 or 3 people might be able to corner her?

I understand your fear that if you dont get her the first time she wont come back. Please keep us updated & good luck.

Where has she been sleeping all this time??keep a towel on you when your near her like hook it in your pocket so its hanging and easy to pull out when you need it,good luck

bunnyloopy said:

Oh please please try and get her - Is she coming to your front or back door for food? Is there anyway of securing the area once she is with you eating?

It might take a few of you but fence panels held by 2 or 3 people might be able to corner her?

I understand your fear that if you dont get her the first time she wont come back. Please keep us updated & good luck.

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She comes to the driveway for food which is open, she won't go up the steps to the garden (which is secure) and the garden is very long so she's quite far from the house. I've ordered 33ft of wire fencing which should be back soon, so I can trap her in the drive - but I'll have to be quick!


She sleeps/nests etc 3 doors down the lane - under 2 scrap cars. She's lucky that the back lane is for residents access so there's hardly any traffic/people, but there are stray dogs etc about so I am anxious to catch her asap. I don't want to bother her under those cars for 2 reasons:

1. the people living there haven't been living here that long and I don't know them enough to poke around on their property.

2. She feels safe there because only me and my immediate family know she is hiding there, and I want her to feel safe there or she may relocate herself somewhere else, so the trap has to be on my property.

Will definately keep you posted! don't think it'll be too long now

What a worry,bet your be relieved when you get her,keep us posted

Hi, try speaking to your local Cats Protection branch (or other cat charity). They may be able to lend you a cat trap.

aaww what a beauty.. i hope you manage to catch her soon. Its amazing that she has survived for so long!
Where abouts do you live? Maybe there is someone on here local to you who would be able to give you some help

Hiya!

She's the spit of my Lovage

See if you can borrow a keep net with a handle(for fishing) off somebody as these are a good size net huge enough to easily capture her.
If you can get someone to hide close enough to sneak up behind whilst you hand feed her the other person should easily be able to whip it over her safely.
They are only about £10-15 to buy from a fishing tackle shop if you can't borrow one.

I have used my boyfriends to catch all sorts including geese!!!

leanne said:

Hiya!

See if you can borrow a keep net with a handle(for fishing) off somebody as these are a good size net huge enough to easily capture her.
If you can get someone to hide close enough to sneak up behind whilst you hand feed her the other person should easily be able to whip it over her safely.

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I have used one of these to catch a bunny, when I had outdoor buns before. Hope you catch her soon.

OMG today she was so cute, I sat outside and waited for her when I came home from work, and she was weary at first but she came to me for food, I stayed out a couple of hours talking to her. I was sat on the floor with my legs stretched out and she sniffed my shoe, then my leg, then my arm, and ran away and came back, she repeated this a few times.

Then she started showing off - jumping over my legs, so I lifted one of my legs and she jumped over that - then she came right up to me looking chuffed with herself!

A dog came and scared her then so she ran off.

I think I've made real progress, and I know she'll come back because he scared her before, but she'll risk everything for that carrot!

Oh Yeah, the local Rspca offered to loan me a trap, but I've bought my own now, and I'm hoping I don't need it. I considered getting a net but I don't think I'd be really good using it! She's far too quick for me to catch like that!

Hope you catch her soon,will keep looking back at this post and hopefully next time your have her and we get to see some more piccys

Any luck on catching her yet?

Not ideal, but could you lay a net on the ground, with food on, and then lift the net with bunny inside?
I really hope you catch her soon.

Any update on this bunny?

have you got her??

Haven't got her yet but my trap came back and it's looks good - bigger and better than I thought and should work, I'm expecting to catch her in the next couple of days, and if the trap don't work I'll have to take a chance and grab her, but she won't thank me for it.