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Fox killed my bunnies - my fault :(

8 replies

Sweetasstevia · 11/01/2015 13:18

I feel terribly guilty as they were in their run not in their hutch when it happened :( We adopted the bunnies 6 moths ago and I thought our garden was bunny paradise - we have a large 6 ft hutch with a huge pen (run) around it and the garden is surrounded by 20 foot walls which enabled the rabbits to roam free in the daytime and until now discouraged foxes. My mistake was putting them in to their run for the evening but not securing them in their hutch ( I'm an idiot - I wanted them to enjoy a few more hours of freedom as they didn't particularly like being locked in) .. The foxes then dug under the run and got them :( :( I miss them so much - keep looking at the empty garden and crying. Would it be fair to get another pair? Obviously I'd lock them in every night now but I'm worried they would still get harassed by foxes now they know we keep rabbits. I've heard rabbits can die of fright even when safe in a hutch if a fox is near? Is that right?

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 11/01/2015 15:24

Oh very Sad , I detest foxes they are horrible opportunist vermin Angry

All prey animals are very very wary of foxes , I don't know how much the shock would affect an indevidual bunny if it heard a fox prowling (but I have seen photos of the damage they can do and witnessed myself the damage they do in gardens, our GP2 was dug up from his secure grave, luckily he was well wrapped)

WRT new bunnies- there are 10000s out there looking for a new home and if you alter the run ( there's websites like Run-a-round and the A Hutch is Not Enough that give ideas about fox proofing) then make sure its all secure. If you get some more, (especially if you get them from a Rescue) they'll home check your accomodation

IIRC with the run, you dig a ditch round it and put a 'skirting' of wire mesh to stop them getting out too.I know rabbits do like more freedom that other small furries .

You can put a thick plastic cover over the hutch at night (our Pighouse is noisy with the rattling window frames so I don't know if my hogs would hear anything outside TBH)

Very Sad day. Poor rabbits.

Sweetasstevia · 11/01/2015 16:25

Thank you so much 70 - ds1 and I just had (another) good cry :(

OP posts:
FernieB · 11/01/2015 19:00

So sorry to hear about your bunnies. However, your set up sounds like a buns dream, so definitely go rescue some more. Hutches can be fox proofed for the future occupants as 70 says. Any rabbit would far rather spend its days in your garden than in a rescue centre, even if there are lurking foxes.

dietcokeandwine · 11/01/2015 21:52

So sorry to hear about your bunnies, OP Sad Hate foxes, we have loads round here too, I've had to chase them away from our guinea pig run in broad daylight before.

Would agree with the other girls about your getting more rescue bunnies, though. Sounds like your rabbits had an amazing place to live and there are things you can do to make hutches/runs ultra-fox-proofed.

Sweetasstevia · 13/01/2015 12:45

Thank you so much Diet and Fernie your advice to get another couple of buns has really helped cheer us up. I'm going to a rescue centre at the weekend and will get on with some fox proofing. We'll never forget Lilly and James but as you say better to help another pair of bunnies in need :)

OP posts:
midori1999 · 13/01/2015 23:36

I'm so sorry about your bunnies.

We have urban foxes here and although I've never seen them in my garden, I know they must be about. I have double meshed everything and have a 12ft x 12ft aviary as I can't risk any sort if free ranging as it would only take a fox a second to pop over the 8ft hedges sadly. I do have puppy pens that I use to extend the aviary and give them some extra space when I am cleaning then out, but I don't even pop to the loo without shutting them in again. I do feel sad that my bunnies live such a restricted life, but I feel the risk from foxes here is just too high.

It's true that foxes can scare rabbits to death. Sad my vet (a rabbit specialist) feels that double meshing will help as there's a gap between the layers of mesh which means the fox can't get so close to the bunnies if they are laying next to the mesh. Having said that, we have dogs and my bunnies aren't scared of them, although the dogs don't harass them, so they may feel differently about a fox.

You can mesh the floor of a run and turf over it, but that obviously means you can't move the run. Runaround do some good and fairly fox proof runs with mesh floors or skirts, but they are very pricey. The tunnels are excellent though (I have them for playing in and connecting my kennel/run to my aviary) and I have heard of rabbits hiding in them to escape foxes. The lady at runaround is very good with advice and happy to chat on the phone. Their customer service is outstanding.

It sounds like you have a wonderful home to offer some more bunnies. Please don't feel guilty. I had two hens taken by a fox after forgetting to shut the henhouse door one night. I did feel dreadful, beyond dreadful, but we are all only human and foxes can be very determined.

Toughasoldboots · 13/01/2015 23:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Kavanne · 22/01/2015 01:47

You can fox proof your run by attaching welded mesh on the floor, it won't hurt their feet as the grass will grow through it and welded mesh is fox proof (do not use chicken wire) :)

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