A big fat rat is after our rabbit - what to do?!

[HortonMarket]

We've had to move our boy inside as a rat has been digging around, underneath and eventually into his Omlet hutch and cage. Tried moving it and blocking off all the digging points but it kept coming back. Final straw was a big pile of rat droppings in his hutch. Cross about the Omlet hutch and cage, they're meant to be predator proof but they're blimmin not. There's even a hole in the plastic base where it has bitten through from underneath!
We've brought him inside and he's in a hutch with the door clearly open. Trouble is he just sits there! Never comes out. Have tried putting his food outside the door but he barely moves. Is he depressed??!
I'm sure he'd prefer being back outside but what on earth sort of hutch and run can I get for him that will keep the rat out??

Is he scared? Maybe the smell that the rat has left behind? Have you cleaned the cage too? I don’t want to scare you but can weils disease be passed onto animals?

I’d have a word with your vet if things don’t improve. Sorry, not very helpful advice but didn’t want to read and run.

Is he eating properly?

Hutches are generally not big enough and even if predator proof the rabbits can be scared by foxes etc but it needs to be secure enough to keep rodents and other creatures out

Oh poor bunny 🥲

He might feel happier if you close the door & put a blanket over one end of the cage.

Hopefully someone more experienced will be along soon.

Hi it's a different cage. Good idea about blanket. Not sure it will encourage him out tho??

Ok I was asking if he is eating as you were asking if he might be depressed

He might need to get used to being inside. He needs a calm, safe environment so ne mindful of noise and smells and letting him come out on his own terms.

I assume you have checked to ensure no bite by the rat.

Ooh god. No I haven't actually. Very thick fur. I think I'd better ring the vet and get him checked! Yes he seems to be eating ok.

I would take the rabbit to the vet asap, one that knows about rabbits, (obviously phone them first as they are operating differently due to covid) and check he's not sick and explain about the rat.

Hope he's OK, does sound like he might be sick. I'ld also throughly clean anywhere the rat has been. I'ld take vets advice on what to do, we have an indoor rabbit and he bounces along everywhere, lies on sofa and if he was hiding I would suspect he was ill.

You would know if he'd been bitten by a rat. They have nasty bites and it would bleed a lot. I don't think they'd just do one bite either. They would kill a rabbit.

Get yourself an air rifle, leave a small pile of rabbit food out as bait, then when mr rat comes along, shoot it.

Not a rabbit keeper but one of the symptoms of infection from wild rat/mice is very loose stools .
So keep a close check on your rabbits droppings .

He needs to eat , anything herbivore can be prone to gut stasis is they don;t eat fairly constantly .