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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Escaped Bunny!

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    • pnwk
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        I have approached her a few times now very easily. She lets me get within a few feet of her and she will just continue eating, doesn’t scream at me or anything but if I try to reach out for her she starts shaking scared thenwill hop a few feet away from me : (  Today I took over hay and a cat carrier hoping to lure her in, with no luck. 

        What is the best way to get her to go into the carrier? What is absolutely irresistible to them? 

        Back story: 

        I was visiting my cousin and noticed a domesticated bunny in the yard. She said it escaped the neighbors house and then they moved without getting her back (great owners, right?) This poor little bunny has been in the woods, middle of nowhere, for 3 months now and I need to save her before a coyote or eagle gets to her. I’m really surprised she has made it this long!!! She is real sweet and adorable, a dwarf breed, she appears to be in good physical shape, maybe even a little fat cause she eats grass aaallll day long. I have done lots of research on rabbits because when I was a teen I always wanted one, so I can care for her very well when I catch her, but catching her is the hard part. I want to save her, but I want to do it in the least stressful manner for her. My brother cornered her last week so he could pet her… I’m mad at him for that. He is 26 years old and stupid obviously, now I feel like that move probably compromised this. 


      • LongEaredLions
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          I don’t think she will willingly go in the carrier. I think the best thing to do would be to get it over with and just corner her and put her in. It sounds mean, but it’s better than staying outside.
          Good luck!


        • Deleted User
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            I agree – I caught a bunny once in my front yard, and seriously, it took 2 small kids and myself to ‘corner’ him, but we did it. I know it sounds stressful, but do it with intent and quickly, then you can get on with loving and spoiling this precious bunny. Good luck! I think you may need it. Make sure you let us know how you go. Cheers.


          • pnwk
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              Okay, we will go out tomorrow to do that.

              Do you think I will have any problems with introducing her to domesticated life again? I really don’t know what type of home she came from to begin with… my cousin had barely moved in when they were getting ready to move. I know I should probably take her to a small animal vet. Get a general check, make sure she isn’t pregnant, and do they get fleas? She is probably covered in fleas if so.


            • Roberta
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                You can also try throwing a light blanket over it… Yes, it will probably freeze in fear BUT once it is in a safe place with good food and water I am sure it will recover fro the shock quickly… Other wise I would just spray myself with carrot juice and lay on the lawn till it came over and tried to eat me.
                The only other thing would be a humane small animal trap… They walk in, step on the plate next to the food and the door slams shut… The only concern with that is they may harm themselves panicking in the cage.


              • Beka27
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                  Oh gosh! I hope you can get her!

                  The light blanket or bed sheet suggestion is very good! They will typically freeze when they can’t see and then you can scoop her up with lesser risk of being scratched or bitten.

                  Please keep us posted!


                • LBJ10
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                    I agree with the others. Try working her into a corner and then throwing something over her. Make sure it isn’t so light though that it takes too long to come down. If it is floating in the air, then she might see her opening and run.


                  • LittlePuffyTail
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                      I used the light blanket method to catch a loose baby bunny. It’s sad for them to be scared for a bit but worth it if you can get him/her to safety.


                    • pnwk
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                        Thank you so much everybody! I am getting things prepared.


                      • KytKattin
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                          I caught my former bunny. She was pregnant, and when I grabbed her, she screamed for a solid minute. It was terrifying, and I thought for sure she was going to die from the fear of it. She did survive though, and we had a wonderful 5-6 years together after she was spayed. I did not have anything, nor was I able to go home and get anything, so if I did not catch her then, she was going to have to stay there. I spent about 20 minutes luring her out of some bushes with a tennis racket (why we were at the park), and when she was close enough I just grabbed her. She was a spotted Polish, so very tiny.

                          Honestly, if your brother was able to corner and pet her, that would have been the perfect time to pick her up, or as other have suggested, put a blanket over her. Once she is caught you can work on making her feel safe and comfortable.


                        • Eepster
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                            I disagree. If you haven’t had a lot of experience picking up and holding a bunny it can be difficult. Not only are they fast,but when you pick them up they will kick wildly if you haven’t got the right hold on them. They can easily injure themselves or the person who picked them up.  Also, it sounds like currently the rabbit is only a little scared of you, if you try to catch him/her and fail, she may become too  frightened of you to come anywhere near you.  If you can’t approach him/her at all, you won’t get a second chance.

                            The carrier or a small animal trap seem like safer bets. If you go with the carrier, it may take some time. I would start by putting the treat in front of the carrier, and then gradually move it closer and closer ino the carrier over the course of a few days, before trying to close the door with bunny inside. If you don’t have time to do that,go with a humane trap that has openings both in the front and back so it doesn’t seem as scary to enter. Often humane societies or local animal control will have ones they loan out.

                            Good treats for luring bunny are carrots, apples, mango, cilantro, banana. There are others, but I don’t want to make the list a mile long.


                          • pnwk
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                              Still no bun I’ve went out the past three days and have not been able to see her in the open! And have had no luck luring her out of the strip of woods she lives in. Tried hay, kale, carrots chunks and apple chunks. All she took was the apple. But of course not when I was present lol.

                               Next week I will be staying at my cousins house and will have a much better chance at getting her. Makes sense though – right when I get things set up, she doesn’t show herself when I’m there .

                              here is her temporary pen. I added a second story cube, so she can jump onto her house then jump onto the other side.

                               photo 20140611_175213_zpse5a7742c.jpeg


                            • Nora
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                                Oh no, poor thing! It is so cruel when people release their domesticated rabbits outside. FWIW, Pippin doesn’t go for carrots or strawberries or mangoes, but he loves raisins and banana chips, so you might try those. Although he won’t follow them into a carrier. He is really good at stretching out verrrrrry long and keeping just enough traction to jump away when he sees the door closing. Sigh. And that’s for a bunny who lets me pick him up (sometimes) and pet him! Good luck trying to catch her, I can only imagine how skittish she is right now!


                              • LBJ10
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                                  If you had some dog xpens then you could make one giant pen to lure her into. It might seem less scary if it’s big. Once she comes in for the treat, you could close the pen.


                                • manic_muncher
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                                    I like LBJs idea. I would try fresh banana, since they are so aromatic. They have such keen senses of smell, if you could waft the smell on a breeze I can’t imagine her passing that up.


                                  • Deleted User
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                                      TRUE! Henry can be fast asleep under the bed in another room and as soon as the hubby peels a banana (give it a few seconds for the aroma to drift) and Henry is at his feet! Yep, go the banana – super ripe! (and smelly).


                                    • Standard_Procedure
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                                        Why do you insist on capturing the rabbit? Looks like the bun already made a home. If I were you I’d just bring it fresh food every day and sit afar. The rabbit will eventually come over to make sure you’re not a threat.


                                      • Deleted User
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                                          No it won’t! Lol….


                                        • Beka27
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                                            There is a big risk from predators and pests. Domestic rabbits are not intended to be “wild” so it really is in her best interest to be rescued from these conditions. Especially since it sounds like right not she is still tame enough to be a fantastic indoor companion. Also, right now in many places the weather is still mild, but the heat of summer is dangerous, and then of course the cold of winter is a major threat.


                                          • Roberta
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                                              Bring her home pnwk… Poor bub is probably terrified of living in the woods and the wild buns would not be making her welcome… They probably attack if she goes near the warren… You are on the right track… Vibes that she will see you are trying to help and will come to you.


                                            • Eepster
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                                                Posted By Standard_Procedure on 6/12/2014 6:03 AM

                                                Why do you insist on capturing the rabbit? Looks like the bun already made a home. If I were you I’d just bring it fresh food every day and sit afar. The rabbit will eventually come over to make sure you’re not a threat.

                                                Assuming the OP lives in the US.  It’s still spring and reasonably nice out. but soon it will be summer, and get hot.  This is a domesticated rabbit decended from European bunnies.  It’s not a wild rabbit that is adapted to living in the wild.

                                                Feral rabbits do OK, but not great.

                                                Feral domestic animals also often harm native wild animal and plant populations.


                                              • pnwk
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                                                  You know, I’m not gonna lie, I have extensively thought and fought myself because I am sure that she is pretty happy, she has the whole woods to roam! But she is still a domesticated rabbit and there are scary things out there. Plus there is no doubt in my mind she is infested with fleas, getting eaten alive by the massive amount of mosquitoes out here in Yelm Washington (middle of nowhere, we are within walking distance to Nisqually river and a nasty swamp nearby) there are coyotes, bald eagles, and my cousins two 100lb black labs would rip her  to pieces if they ever got out of the fence. When they see her, they go absolutely ballistic. Then there is the weather. It has been mid 70s the past week, it’s gonna be a hot summer for sure. 

                                                  So her free roaming life doesn’t seem to make up for those threats in my opinion as an animal lover. And IF she even made it to winter, she’d prob die out there anyway with no food. I don’t like thinking about that. 


                                                  I can give her a safe home, I can build her a big cage and dedicate plenty of play time for her, I can take her to the vet when she is ill, I can always give her good food and love.  She won’t ever be scared, hot, or worry about being eaten ever again, and she can live a full life. She hasn’t shown one bit of aggression towards my family members who have approached her. I really think once I get her home, give her a little time to adjust, she will be very good and happy bunny. 


                                                • JackRabbit
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                                                    By all means, catch the poor bunny and give it a safe and happy home! Poor thing is probably scared and lonely.


                                                  • LongEaredLions
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                                                      I think she will make a great pet and you will make a wonderful owner!


                                                    • tobyluv
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                                                        I hope that you can catch this bunny. Living outdoors, all alone, is no place for a domestic rabbit to be. Besides parasites and predators, there is lack of proper food, and no medical care when needed. There are cars to contend with. The rabbit many not stay in the woods and could stray onto a road. I was involved in a weeks long rescue of multiple rabbits last year. On the second visit, we found out that one of the rabbits had been hit and killed by a car. There are also bad people to contend with. I volunteer at a rabbit sanctuary. A rabbit that came in last year, after being rescued in the outdoors, had BB’s lodged in her neck. Someone had been using her for target practice. And there is just a general fright and uneasiness at being alone in the wild. A domestic rabbit should be safe and happy indoors.


                                                      • pnwk
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                                                          What a relentless, stubborn, yet oh so smart bunny. She has broken my heart and I don’t know what, if anything, else I can do. 


                                                          Still have tried a few more times without luck. Her attitude has not changed, she still lets me close but is so smart and she knows what I’m trying to do I swear. I have now currently tried luring into carrier, luring into humane trap with banana/bunny honey grain stick/carrots, throwing a blanket over her. (she didn’t freeze when I threw it over her, she just hopped out from under it, not scared, but didn’t really care and looked at me like “wtf”)

                                                          Tried setting up a C shaped fence but it was really noisy and she stayed away from it after we put it up plus couldn’t keep it there for longer than a few hours.


                                                          Ugh. But here is a picture. She is so cute.


                                                        • JackRabbit
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                                                            Please don’t give up on her. I know it’s easier said than done, but if she didn’t want you around, she wouldn’t come out where you can see her. As soon as she saw you coming she would run and hide. Keep trying. Your moment is coming.


                                                          • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                              She’s so cute. Poor little thing. It’s amazing she’s stayed alive this long.

                                                              Please don’t give up on her!!!!


                                                            • pnwk
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                                                                I won’t give up. I think about her every day and wonder what she’s doin, I’m going back on Sunday to watch my cousins dogs so will have another full day opportunity.


                                                              • JackRabbit
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                                                                  Fingers and toes crossed that you are able to catch her this time!


                                                                • Roberta
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                                                                    There was a bunny loose down the road from me, it was there for over a year and no one could catch it incl the local rabbit rescue which was on that road… Then one afternoon Kel came home and was getting the mail and left the driveway gates open and the little munchkin hopped up the driveway happily munching on the trail of hay that led to the rescue doors. Kel couldn’t believe her luck and just swooped in and scooped her up. They named her Chance. So never give up, one day she is just going to be so use to seeing you she is going to forget and let her guard down.


                                                                  • JackRabbit
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                                                                      Did you have any luck catching her?


                                                                    • pnwk
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                                                                        I almost got her last night, next time i will have her. I have a new plan and it was well exectued, but I may have been too cautious.

                                                                        How easily do rabbits have heart attacks?

                                                                        I opened up the gate to my cousins back yard and herded her in there. My brother held a towel and I had the carrier and we slowly moved her into a corner of about 2 feet x 2 feet. I tried feeding her a carrot and she didnt take it but ate grass in front of us. She was calm. Until we tried to scoot her in the carrier she freaked out a few times and tried to dart…which scared me cause I didnt want to be fast and grab her and give her a heart attack. She hopped right over the carrier

                                                                        Am I being too cautious? Next time should I just put the net over her and quickly put her in the carrier? Im so worried about getting her and then killing her because I scared her!


                                                                      • Sarita
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                                                                          I think you are being too cautious. I hope you catch her.


                                                                        • Eepster
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                                                                            They aren’t that fragile. They don’t die of fright when we pick them up and trim their claws. She won’t die of fright b/c you grab her and put her in a carrier.


                                                                          • JackRabbit
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                                                                              Dangit! I got excited when I saw this thread pop up and thought you caught her!

                                                                              Here’s some vibes for next time ((((((catch the bunny and bring her home))))))


                                                                            • LongEaredLions
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                                                                                So close.
                                                                                I think you are being a bit too cautious-it’s better for you to catch her quickly than her being alone outdoors. She is so cute, I hope you can catch her!


                                                                              • JackRabbit
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                                                                                  Any update?


                                                                                • pnwk
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                                                                                    I injured myself pretty bad while working on the cage and haven’t been able to do much for the past 2 weeks, stabbed myself really deep cutting a zip tie! Stitches just came out and I can make another rescue attempt in the next few days.


                                                                                  • manic_muncher
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                                                                                      Good luck! Glad you are ok!


                                                                                    • JackRabbit
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                                                                                        Fingers crossed!


                                                                                      • Samicles
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                                                                                          Geez, you’re literally putting your blood sweat and tears into catching this bunny. Good luck, I hope you catch him/her! Maybe next time you lure her into the fenced yard you could already have a trap set up for it? And try and lead her into it?


                                                                                        • Samicles
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                                                                                            Geez, you’re literally putting your blood sweat and tears into catching this bunny. Good luck, I hope you catch him/her! Maybe next time you lure her into the fenced yard you could already have a trap set up for it? And try and lead her into it?

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                                                                                        Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Escaped Bunny!