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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Another Non-Wild Bunny in Back Yard…?

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    • Dee
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        Well I’m all overanxious today- nothing like seeing a bunny that might need help to push me right over the edge.  I have seen a gold-tan colored rabbit in my yard midmorning for the 2nd day in a row now.  Yesterday I saw him briefly and thought he was a wild cottontail (we see those too), then afterwards thought that was odd since cottontails come out dawn and dusk, not midday. There’s a word for it- diurnal?- not sure of the spelling/pronunciation. Then today I saw the bunny again-  defintely not cottontail color and he also lacks a cotton tail- lol. And again, he’s out at 11 AM- even “my” chipmunk- who lives under our walkway and possibly in the cellar- only feeds morning and evening. The rabbit has a wild body style- very thin and longlimbed with a triangular, lean head. He doesn’t move like a wild bunny- less skittish.

         I’m kinda hoping he’s a real wild bunny mixed with domestic who has been raised in the wild and can survive. But i think our neighbors may have struck again  . They had our BunBun first, and then got sick of him being in the house (he probably started spraying) they put him out in the back yard. They tried to barricade him in the kids playhouse up on a slide (poor bunny) but he kept getting loose. We found him, he spent 3 days with Animal Control while I begged/threatened my husband to let me have him- then we adopted him. Two months later we adopted Nelli and the rest is history. 

        I have put out some pellets, bananas and hay under our motorcycletrailer so he can hopefully eat in relative safety (BunBun was completely unaware of the hawk circling over his head when we found him). By the time I got outside, though, he (she?) was gone. If I see him again, I’m thinking of going outside and seeing if he’s tame. If he’s not, he’ll take off and problem solved- he’s wild. If he’s another escapee, provided he just hops into a carrier like Bunbun did, what are the proper steps to take? Is there anywhere to bring a rabbit who needs a home? I can’t keep him in the house because of my buns, and I don’t want to upset their happy home with a third party. I can see I’m gonna get a whole lot done today- my computer is next to the window overlooking the back yard. Guess the kids will be making their own dinner :p .

         


      • RabbitPam
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          That’s very frustrating, especially the part about the neighbors who continue to abuse their bunnies. By the way, animal control can fine them for repeated offenses, and it sounds like they may be crossing that line.
          That said, I still think you’re looking at a wild or feral rabbit. The wild bunnies here in FL do not have cotton tails. Just wee brown ones and are golden tan. They are a truly wild species, so I’m betting you are seeing one like those.

          Diurnal means daytime creatures and Nocturnal are nighttime ones. The word for bunnies is “crepuscular”. Could it rhyme with diurnal or nocturnal? Noooooo. That would be logical. Anyway, crepuscular animals are the dawn/dusk lovers. They feed and play at that time because there’s something about the light that makes it harder for predators to see them. (Like commuting to work driving east when your visor isn’t quite low enough.)


        • Knabbel Did It
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            I am so with you, Dee! Those were my feelings as well when I posted about the bunny under our wood pile the other day. I’m pretty sure ‘ours’ was a wild rabbit as well, but he was soooo small I just couldn’t help but want to scoop him up and bring him into the safety of our home. He was out in the late morning and stayed most of the day from what I could tell; he may even still be there. Unfortunately, the next day in the paper was a large article about small animals carrying the plague in our area, and of course, there’s a photo of a sweet bunny to go along with it : ( I just have to remind myself that he does truly belong outside and I can just hope that our wood pile is a little safe haven for him.


          • Miles and Me
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              We get bunnies that are a sandy brown and don’t have cottontails. There’s actually one that frequents my boyfriend’s front yard that he’s named Nigel and leaves lettuce for once in a while. When my boyfriend is coming or going Nigel hesitates quite a while – a few seconds at most – before scampering off. He’s definitely wild, though. There’s a whole warren of Nigel lookalikes in the woods next to the house! I hope the bunny you’re looking at is wild and not another house rabbit abandoned by the neighbors. That is AWFUL.


            • Jenna, Chubs & Comet
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                I live on the coast in Oregon and there is a town here, Cannon Beach that is known for it’s “bunny population” and they are not wild rabbits. I think someone must have let a litter loose a long time ago and I think they’ve survived because of all the vacationers and people who live there who feed them. It’s crazy…but they seem to be doing okay for this long. It makes me cringe every time someone mentions it though, there are SOOO many birds on the coast! Seagulls, Hawks, etc. Cannon Beach is tiny though and somewhat sheltered from some of the bigger birds but still! It’s maddening that people can just let animals go! Would you just release a batch of puppies?! Ugh.


              • Miles and Me
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                  I’m a horse person (too, lol) and I’ve been hearing about destitute horse owners who’ve opened up their pasture gates and let their horses go. These horses end up getting hit by cars or rounded up by animal control (and often injured – scared – in the process) and sent to auctions (sometimes slaughter via auctions). It’s disgusting what some people will resort to when they don’t know what to do with their animals. Have they not heard of humane societies, or foster homes? I mean, c’mon.


                • Dee
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                    That’s terrible about horses being let go too! I think that abandoning ANY animal is wrong, but perhaps some people could plead ignorance with a rabbit and claim they thought it could just “be wild”. But I don’t think there are too many wild horses roaming around these days! Those owners knew their horses were probably going to meet a tragic fate. One of the stables I used to work at had mostly boarders and school horses, but once in a while we would get a retired race horse and if they weren’t bought by a person, I heard they went to the killer’s, as we called it.
                    That’s bizarre about the once tame rabbits on Cannon Beach. I hope not too many get eaten by birds – I know it’s just nature but still. At least those rabbits survived. I agree that there is always a better alternative to letting them go- even if the poor animals ends up being put to sleep, it’s still more humane than them dying in the wild of starvation, disease or attack by predators.
                    Anyway, about the bunny in my back yard… I think you guys are right- it’s probably just a wild rabbit with a more golden coat than usual. My husband saw it outside yesterday and I went outside with some food for it, but it took off to the very back of the yard and seemed very wary of me. When we found BunbUn (or he found us, rather) he hopped right up to me and licked my arm, then started running in circles around me. This rabbit was not gonna go for that! So I will just leave some pellets out for it and enjoy watching it just like my chipmunk.
                    If I ever do find out that my neighbors have let loose another bunny, I will definitely report them. We’ve had BunbUn fpr so long now, they couldn’t possibly take us to court to try to get him back. Even when we first found him, I told my husband that the only way they would get BunBun away from me is if they sent the police in to physically remove him. When I think of my affectionate, sensitive little Bun all alone at night out there in the dark, it just makes my blood boil.


                  • BinkyBunny
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                      If you are able to ever get a decent photo of this bunny, we may be able to help identify if it is a wild bunny or feral domestic.


                    • LBJ10
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                        You know, I have pulled up in my driveway in the middle of the day and found our local bunny out in the yard several times. Wild bunnies don’t strictly go by the “rules” so to speak. I guess I wouldn’t find it too unusual that the bunny you are seeing is out during the day.

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                    Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Another Non-Wild Bunny in Back Yard…?