Attempted Attack On Bunnies!!!!! Help...

[BunnyCrazy]

I wasn’t really sure where to put this and the only reason I didn’t put it in my other thread was because I need immediate answers!! This morning I found one of our rabbit hutches severely damaged! I will try to include pictures... one side panel was torn up, the wire was pulled down and the wood was completely chewed/raked off. There are digging marks all around the back end of the hutch. We have two dogs, but I highly DO NOT suspect them... they have been living around the bunnies for the past two years and have always been very gentle... We also found a section of wire fencing flattened out, it leans against out back fence and when flattened, pretty much makes a small ramp up the fence ( for something lighter) We haven’t had reports of raccoons or foxes or anything for a long time so I am totally clueless Could it be a cat? Or a raccoon or something... or is it really my dogs? I’ll try to get some pictures up... I really want to fix this up, Incase whatever it was true to attack again tonight... this is the torn panel^

It was actually ripped apart
These bite marks also look a bit small for my dogs teeth...
Digging^
All the bunnies are fine... thank goodness!! Is it coincidental that whatever it was attacked the hutch with a mama bunny and her babies?On the bright side, the baby bunnies opened their eyes today!!

 

[Mariam+Theo]

I think it was a raccoon, opossum, or fox. I'm thinking a fox because the digging and the tiny teeth marks. They would have gone for the hutch with the mom and babies because the babies were more venerable. I'm glad they are all safe!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

My mom and dad lived in Sonora. We double walled the wire and built the coop much heavier and used tin around the bottom to prevent digging and we weren't worried about dogs.

 

[JBun]

Doubtful a racoon would cause that type of damage. Fox or coyote seems the most likely culprit.

 

[BunnyCrazy]

In that case it was most likely a fox... we don’t have any coyotes in our area... That’s a good idea Nancy Thanks a lot you guys!! I’m gonna have to fix up the hitch and keep a look out, hopefully it won’t comeback... Three of our young rabbits are in a much more exposed run Thanks again for the help!!

 

[bright_eyes]

Maybe a fox, although I'd still be highly suspicious of the dogs. Would your dogs allow a fox to enter your yard without chasing it or barking at it?

Even if the dogs are gentle when you're home, their behavior can change when they aren't being supervised. It's easy to forget that they're predators! So much as a quick movement or little noise can "turn on" that side of them, especially when they're bored.

At our old house, our dogs had access around the rabbit pen (although it was well predator-proofed, even a bear couldn't get into it). As puppies, they were raised around the rabbits and are still to this day very polite around them. However, our game cameras showed them (not frequently, but on more than one occasion) barking and pawing at the pen when we were not home. The rabbits trust the dogs, so they weren't rattled by it- but I put a stop to it as soon as we moved. Now at the new place, they have no access to the rabbits at all.

 

[Preitler]

I don't suspect the dogs, imho barking and pawing at the pen is something different, like yearning for attention. This here was a determined predator. Can't tell what, since the only serious predators I've got here are rats, fox and marten. Never had a problem with marten, they are here, but no problem so far. Only had to deal twice with foxes, I got the one which killed 5 of my rabbits, trapped the other, young one for some hours and never saw it again. Rats, on the other hand, are my biggest problem now.

 

[BunnyCrazy]

We managed to fix up the hutch... I don’t think really suspect the dogs, our rabbits have gotten loose beforehand and they just sat around and watched them... We found out this morning that two of the seven baby bunnies are missing We looked all over and couldn’t find anything... I’m guessing that they were stolen last night I highly suspect a fox, as we don’t have any rats in our cat infested area...Our dogs are rather old and sleep in a totally different area of the yard, they often don’t here when I come into the yard...

 

[Mariam+Theo]

Oh no! That evil fox . Was there any way that a fox could have gotten to those 2?

 

[BunnyCrazy]

It’s possible it got them on the night of the attack... I didn’t take out all seven of them to count them after, even though it really looked like they were all there... they are pretty big now and each is recognizable... I just have to hope that it doesn’t get the others... I may bring the mother and babies inside for tonight and see if anything happens.

 

[Pumpkin]

Oh no! That's really scary. It might be smart to keep them inside until you find out what's going on and fully predator-proof it. Some bunnies can have heart attacks from predators rattling their cages so it's a good thing they were OK. That is so weird why 2 of the bunnies are missing. Why would the predator only take only two babies and not all?