Help with catching runaway rabbit

[carobanlonac]

Over a week ago runaway pet rabbit was spotted across the main bus station in my city. Everybody expected somebody else to help and well a week later, this Tuesday, another post saying he crossed the road and is in yard of the local court popped up in my feed. I knew it's dangerous for pet bunnies to be outside so long and went out to help to try to find him and catch. Well most guards are helpful so we had fairly many tried until now, but he is healthy and not really trusty so catching him is no easy task.
From what I see he is rather young, he can tell which plants to eat and which not, he eats a lot of fresh leaves and doesn't seem too skinny. He isn't that afraid so he doesn't run away except if you approach him on walking on two feet more than 1 meter. His eyes are clean and fur is consistent. I see no sign of illness yet but am aware we have to act fast in order for it to stay that way. So far I have managed to make him eat banana out of my hand and climb onto me so he is slowly getting to trust me (after two days). What worries me, even if he does get enough trust from me, how will we catch him?

Environment is full of trees, some pines some not. A lot of grass too. I am not having any rabbit specific catching equipment. Some proposed using cage, some said to try some calming medication. I thought of using play pen fence if anybody has enough to surround him, but I doubt since area is rather open it would work. I need advice of somebody else who did it, any agency I can contact from another country that could help me out with tips.
I am from Serbia and rabbits are still rare pets here, so push is to catch him before somebody ill intented hurt him is present as well. I really wanna help him out so please, if you can, help me help him.

P.S. I am not certain of his biological sex, he seems rather young so wouldn't be surprised he didn't reach the sexual maturity yet, I am using he as in Serbian rabbit is a male gender noun. Just wanted to make it clear

 

[Blue eyes]

I've not had to tackle such a difficulty but perhaps someone who has could chime in.

If you are able to borrow an exercise pen and/or a pet carrier or even a cardboard box, any of those could help. If it were me, I'd try to use an exercise pen and have a box or carrier nearby. I'd set up the pen so that the rabbit needs to come inside the area to get to that banana. I'd situate myself so that once he's in and eating the banana from my hand, I can reach with my other hand and pull closed the open section of the pen. (I'd practice this before the rabbit comes.) This way the rabbit is within the pen. If he climbs on you, hopefully you can grab hold of him (scoop him up) and then place him in the carrier or cardboard box.

 

[carobanlonac]

Is excercise pen something dog or cat owners use too? Very few of us who keep rabbits as pets keep them free roaming in our own room that is bunny proof. So the pen should be big enough to at least accomodate me, as he seems to be ok with eating banana from me, but not too much into eating banana compared to other things. If he accidentally comes across it while looking for grass he eats it, but he has shown no high interest into finding it once I trow it away or place it further away from him.

I was thinking, once he is in fenced area, to leave the only open end with transporter (I suppose carrier is it's actual name) so he comes in it on his own. But need to see where can we even find that excercise pen or any fence alike,

 

[Diane R]

Amazing he climbs on you! Can you not just grab him and put him in a carrier when he does that?

 

[overhear]

Carrier is just the general term.

 

[Mileybun]

We run a guinea pig rescue. We've been called out a good few times to straying guinea pigs and have had success with a mixture of cardboard boxes and play pen panels, chucking a towel or blanket on them if they get close enough (they normally freeze momentarily and then we grab them), a telescopic fishing net and a humane squirrel trap (although you'd probably need a cat trap for a rabbit size wise).

Good on you for trying to catch the poor little thing. I hope you can get him safely home soon

It took us two weeks to catch one piggy that was dumped down by our local canal. We still have him now, lucky boy

 

[Blue eyes]

Is excercise pen something dog or cat owners use too? Very few of us who keep rabbits as pets keep them free roaming in our own room that is bunny proof. So the pen should be big enough to at least accomodate me, as he seems to be ok with eating banana from me, but not too much into eating banana compared to other things. If he accidentally comes across it while looking for grass he eats it, but he has shown no high interest into finding it once I trow it away or place it further away from him.

I was thinking, once he is in fenced area, to leave the only open end with transporter (I suppose carrier is it's actual name) so he comes in it on his own. But need to see where can we even find that excercise pen or any fence alike,

Yes. Dog owners will use exercise pens at times. Here is an example of a pen outside.

 

[carobanlonac]

Amazing he climbs on you! Can you not just grab him and put him in a carrier when he does that?

Well I am laying on my back and he, as soon as he feels my hand on his back, runs away. So answer is it seems really impossible. I can't really imagine how would I do that, and when people tell me grab him by the ears I feel creeped as it's something I have both never done and would never do to my own bunny.

 

[carobanlonac]

Yes. Dog owners will use exercise pens at times. Here is an example of a pen outside.

View attachment 64958

We posted it on social media and are hoping for somebody to say they have it. Seems like not many people use it in my city (their dogs are either inside or in closed yard). I am still thinking who to reach out to in order to find it... But it is the best idea I can think of so far.

 

[carobanlonac]

We run a guinea pig rescue. We've been called out a good few times to straying guinea pigs and have had success with a mixture of cardboard boxes and play pen panels, chucking a towel or blanket on them if they get close enough (they normally freeze momentarily and then we grab them), a telescopic fishing net and a humane squirrel trap (although you'd probably need a cat trap for a rabbit size wise).

Good on you for trying to catch the poor little thing. I hope you can get him safely home soon

It took us two weeks to catch one piggy that was dumped down by our local canal. We still have him now, lucky boy

We tried throwing blanket but he ran away before it fell onto him. I read fishing net could hurt him and also am not really sure where to get it. Last thing I would want is for him to get seriously hurt. I've seen cat trap and that thing is really scary, I don't know about guinea pigs but my previous bunny died out of stress (and weakened heart by illness and old age) and I don't wanna see it again. This guy is flight type of bunny, when gets scared he runs away. One of my concerns is he will run under the railroad bordering fence and we will lose him that way... We desperately need some sort of fencing I'm afraid, or absolute trust that might take too much time. Please correct me if I am wrong, got no experience with guinea pigs but been caretaker of bunny for 9 years.

 

[carobanlonac]

Another idea crossed my mind: if we found fence and left transporter in fenced area, could it make him get used to transporter being safe place and once we close the fence make him more into idea of getting into transporter?

 

[Mileybun]

No you're not wrong at all
Guinea pigs and rabbits are of course different and rabbits as you say can be very flighty. Just some ideas for you.

Yes your idea may work! Place some hya and some nice tasty treats in there to make it a nice safe space for him. He should hopefully choose to go in of his own free will, then you can close the fence!

Best of luck!

 

[JBun]

Yes, do not use a fishing net. It could cause serious injuries if a foot gets tangled or he freaks out and tries to escape. And definitely do not pick him up by his ears. Rabbits should never be picked up by their ears as this can cause pain and damage to the ears.

A pen, a drop trap, or maybe luring him into a box or crate, is probably going to be the best way to safely trap him. I would try a drop trap if you don't have a pet pen you can use. If he's not super enthusiastic about banana, maybe try a little bit of apple, carrot, or rolled oats. Though you don't want him to end up eating too much of the treat, as sugary high starch foods can result in digestive problems if too much is consumed.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Handling

 

[Diane R]

Well I am laying on my back and he, as soon as he feels my hand on his back, runs away. So answer is it seems really impossible. I can't really imagine how would I do that, and when people tell me grab him by the ears I feel creeped as it's something I have both never done and would never do to my own bunny.

Try sitting on your knees (easier to lean over and restrain him) and get him to come over for treats. Then just grab him, not by the ears, but grab him any other way you can, scruffing is not at all ideal but in these circumstances I would do it if I had to.

 

[carobanlonac]

Thank you all for the ideas. I am going with some apple and bananas and gonna try to get him to come to me on my knees. Will see how it goes. Not even sure good guard is there today but wanna at least try,

 

[Mom to Minx]

Thank you all for the ideas. I am going with some apple and bananas and gonna try to get him to come to me on my knees. Will see how it goes. Not even sure good guard is there today but wanna at least try,

Oh bless your heart!! So many would have given up by now! Thank you for doing all you are doing to save this little bun! We are all rooting for you for success and saving this precious bunny!
thank you…thank you!

 

[carobanlonac]

Oh bless your heart!! So many would have given up by now! Thank you for doing all you are doing to save this little bun! We are all rooting for you for success and saving this precious bunny!
thank you…thank you!

I keep thinking of what it would be if it was my Vito. Had emotional roler coaster tonight, he was nowhere to be seen for over 30 mins since I came. I thought he died, went through whole grievining process, calmed down telling him my final letter just for him to jump across the parking lot straight to place next to my transporter and my banana packed backpack. He came to me as I took banana and was even less scared than two evenings ago. I left opened transporter with some banana and water bowl in his hiding area in hope he gets used to going in and out. I laid next to transporter with banana and managed to barely kiss his face twice . He showed interest in both. I'm truly hopeful now that he will get used to transporter so I will be able to just cut the thread I used to tie door so it stays open and take him to the vet in few days .

 

[carobanlonac]

Yes, do not use a fishing net. It could cause serious injuries if a foot gets tangled or he freaks out and tries to escape. And definitely do not pick him up by his ears. Rabbits should never be picked up by their ears as this can cause pain and damage to the ears.

A pen, a drop trap, or maybe luring him into a box or crate, is probably going to be the best way to safely trap him. I would try a drop trap if you don't have a pet pen you can use. If he's not super enthusiastic about banana, maybe try a little bit of apple, carrot, or rolled oats. Though you don't want him to end up eating too much of the treat, as sugary high starch foods can result in digestive problems if too much is consumed.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Handling
View attachment 64959

I'm thinking about what you said and that is true, but for home rabbits. This guy eats basically only fresh greens like leaves so he is unlikely to get diagestion issues (our pets eat mostly hay that is dry so are more prone to it). At least that is how I understand it.

 

[carobanlonac]

Try sitting on your knees (easier to lean over and restrain him) and get him to come over for treats. Then just grab him, not by the ears, but grab him any other way you can, scruffing is not at all ideal but in these circumstances I would do it if I had to.

I'd leave this is plan B if he doesn't go willingly in transporter. I am worried he might run away though and I would love to cause him least possible level of stress considering his next station is vet that everyone is afraid of

 

[Mom to Minx]

I keep thinking of what it would be if it was my Vito. Had emotional roler coaster tonight, he was nowhere to be seen for over 30 mins since I came. I thought he died, went through whole grievining process, calmed down telling him my final letter just for him to jump across the parking lot straight to place next to my transporter and my banana packed backpack. He came to me as I took banana and was even less scared than two evenings ago. I left opened transporter with some banana and water bowl in his hiding area in hope he gets used to going in and out. I laid next to transporter with banana and managed to barely kiss his face twice . He showed interest in both. I'm truly hopeful now that he will get used to transporter so I will be able to just cut the thread I used to tie door so it stays open and take him to the vet in few days .

Oh my goodness your kindness makes me cry…you kissed his face??? You are so kind and gentle! The best thing for this bun is to ge caught by you and taken home. He will never find a better home or better caregiver!
I am praying very soon you can hold him in your arms and take him to his new home where he will be loved and protected! You are the best thing that has ever happened to this bunny! Again I thank you for your care and concern and amazing patience and determination!!