3 domestic rabbits escaped, what can i do?

meritaten · 24 November 2013 at 1:25AM

But, these are domestic rabbits which SHOULD have been in their hutches in their owners garden! NOT wild animals. the OP has informed the owner they have got out...............and to the OPs credit she/he is concerned the bunnies are not being looked for.
I too would be looking out for them - and if on finding one putting it in the bathroom for the night. but, if the bunny owners are not that concerned about losing them .............could you be on 'bunny watch' every night?

Notsosharp · 24 November 2013 at 2:23AM

Robisere wrote: »

There should be no concern about the cold, how do you think rabbits live outdoors? Some fox or cat will eat well tonight, I would imagine. If the keeper of these rabbits is not concerned, why would you be?

Last night something contacted the underside of my car as I traveled in the dark between 2 villages in my rural area. A car some 100 yards in front must have already gone over it, I saw his brake lights flash. It made a hell of a bang and I did not see it until the last minute, it was just lying in the road.

On my return, I pulled over to walk across and see what it was. In the dark, I trod in something soft. That was a dead fox. What I had hit was the dead body of a small Deer, by the appearance of the 2 animals it seemed that the fox was chasing the deer. Both animals were heavily damaged, having been struck some time ago by a large vehicle, probably one of the dozens of trucks on the way to a local construction site.

At home, I had the messy job of cleaning animal remains from my shoe. This morning I had to pressure wash the underside of my car.

The result will be some well-fed crows, magpies, stoats, weasels, rats and probably another fox. What is death for some, is life for another. We get quite a lot of road kill here in rural Lincolnshire, but not always as large as that.

That's life in nature.

These aren't wild rabbits, they are kept as pets and the people who decide to keep them as pets have a responsibility to keep them safe!

In no way shape or form are these rabbits "natural" and it's not "nature" for a pet animal to be killed when someone has taken on the responsibility to care for them otherwise why bother?

Kavanne · 24 November 2013 at 6:50AM

What happened here? I hope they are OK

kizzie_nikita · 28 November 2013 at 3:06AM

Honesty? I'm not 100% sure what happened to the two babies. I went out, and tried to find all 3 but it was impossible, these rabbits do not like humans, i couldn't even get closer than atleast 12 feet to them before they pelted off in to the darkness.

The morning after i saw the adult one hopping around still, the parents sent a brigade of 10 kids (ages 6 to 10?) to chase this poor thing around for 45 minuets, before they gave up. Not once did the parents leave the house to look for them

Last night, i saw 2 different rabbits out (also theirs), and as there was ice on the cars and floor i wen't out to try get them, no luck again. I've never seen a rabbit run so fast in my life, and i was walking/crouching very slow.

I put a little bit of rabbit food down, had another look for them (couldn't see a thing) then returned home.

Looking out my window today, i didn't see any. They may be back in their garden, but i have no doubt, others will be out tomorrow.

They don't really live in 'hutches' they have a somewhat free range of the garden, with a tree in one corner for shelter and a gazebo on the other side with a light, there is 3 small hutches without doors, a couple wire pens and some hey/straw. I can only guess there's atleast 6 at the very minimum. They're not human friendly, i'm pretty sure they don't even get handled, the mother has nothing to do with them, and the father goes out to the garden to feed them, but i've never seen any of them get picked up. It's pretty sad.

I understand they are rabbits and some live outside, and these more than most as they live in the garden in the cold would be less vulnerable, but they're not used to not having any warmth or shelter. At least in the garden they have their siblings and hay to keep them warm, not am empty grass field. I'm not sure how the grown up bunny survived, as i saw multiple cats and even a dog roaming on it's own.