Rabbits are often kept in hutch those are kept outside. There are several types of predators which can attack your pet and try to kill it. It actually is risky to keep pet rabbits outdoor for a long time without any supervision. The solution to this problem is not that you will not keep the hutch outside but to keep the hutch in such a safe way that the rabbits will live happily and safely even when they are left outside.
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How can I protect my rabbit from outside?
Keeping the hutch of the rabbits covered with a blanket is a good way to keep them safe from the bad weather as well as the predators. Sometimes old carpets come in handy for this purpose. A piece of carpet can be placed on the top of the rabbit hutch at night time so there will be no chance that the predators come and visit the rabbits at night time.
There should be hiding places in the garden when the rabbits will be left to play. You may make a solid wooden wall or different kinds of structures that will have empty space near or around it. The rabbits, in the daytime, can take shelter behind or under it when they fear any attack from their predators.
How rabbits can be protected from aerial predators?
Birds like vultures, hawks, etc. are pretty big in size and carnivores. They can hunt for rabbits if they get a chance and in the wilderness, they actually attack and kill the baby or the matured rabbits. A chain-link roof on the hutch of the rabbits will help you to keep your pets safe from these birds.
Not only on their hutch but also the open area where the rabbits are left to play with each other should be covered with a chain-link roof which will be opened when the rabbits are playing without any disturbance and can be covered from the top when you see any such birds moving near them on the sky.
Are raccoons harmful to pet rabbits?
Yes, raccoons act as predators for pet rabbits. When the rabbits are kept outdoors, within or with a hutch, they can be attacked by wild raccoons that are usually found in random places like forests or ground near the area. Rabbits can look after themselves and can protect themselves when they are the wild ones. But when the rabbits are domesticated there are fewer creatures that are an easier target for the carnivores.
How can you build a predator-safe hutch for the pet rabbits?
The hutch that you get from the commercial stores both online or offline may not be full-proof and subsequently less useful for the rabbits’ protection purpose. There are two kinds of predators that can harm your rabbits. Some actually can come from the top and some can reach the rabbits by digging a burrow in the ground. So to make sure that the rabbits stay safe you need to look for both perspectives.
The sides of the cage should be made of solid ply or wood. The strength of the walls would keep the rabbits safe and will not be damaged due to the weathering. When you search for the right kind of wood, think of pine, this is a solid choice of wood for rabbit hutch making.
Chain link or wire mesh is something very much required by the cages of the rabbits. Wire mesh has multipurpose facilities. You can use this on the side of the cage or at the top and bottom. This will allow the light and air to enter the cage whereas it will always protect your pets from predators. It will not be dilapidated by the harsh weather as well.
But while choosing wire or mesh you must not compromise with the budget and provide chicken wire mesh as that is not suitable and would harm the paws of the rabbits.
Bolts of the gates should be sturdy and safe. Usually, in a single hutch, there are multiple doors. The top ones, as well as the side ones, are there so the pet can enter the cage by the side doors and the owner can feed them or clean the cage by the top ones. These doors will all have hinges that are useful and not easily broken.
The hutch should be kept at least 2 feet high from the ground. When you keep the hutch on the earth it will give the predators a chance to dig through the soil and reach the cage. Snakes can specifically attack the cage of the rabbits this way. If you find that there are raccoons and weasels around the vicinity you should add some plastic sheets to cover the back of the cage as the wooden cage can be chewed by these creatures.
Why rabbits are frequently attacked by predators?
Rabbits are naturally docile and not aggressive in nature, which is one of the most important causes, that they get attacked by predators often when in the wilderness or when domesticated. Among its predators, there are raccoons, dogs, cats, weasels, snakes, foxes, and rats. All these creatures are carnivores and their way of attacking is different than each other.
Rabbits have sharp teeth and claws but they are not attacking or aggressive by nature. Even when they are attacked, they seldom use their teeth and claw for their survival. Rather they hide in some safe place. As they are not defensive enough to fight back, they become easy prey for various carnivorous creatures.
How can you keep the dogs away from the rabbit cage?
Dogs are not always on friendly terms with the rabbits, as some dog breeds were usually adopted to hunt rabbits from farms. So the breeds like terriers and hounds will find the rabbits to be their tasty treat. Even if the dogs are well trained and eat meals from their owners, they will try to attack the pet rabbits if the pets are not from their own house and family.
The rabbits, if they are your pets, should be kept in your own territory. Some owners prefer their rabbits to loiter freely but then your backyard should be well fenced by high walls, so the rabbit does not move to the neighbor’s plot. Preventing the rabbit from moving to some unknown area is the first step in preventing it from predators.
The rabbit cage that you built and keep outside will be dog proof, that is, you will build it high enough from the ground. Also, the cage walls will be sturdy and made of wood or mesh, which cannot be damaged by the dogs. The doors will be locked when the pet will be inside so the rabbit does not get out of the cage and risk its life.
If you have adopted a dog as well as a few rabbits, then do not try to introduce the pets after they first come to the house. Also, do not let the dog and rabbit play together unless they both get along well with each other for more than a month. Give them some time to get accustomed to each other’s presence and meanwhile you keep supervising their behavior with each other.
Dogs need proper training and once they are totally trained to understand and follow directions like “leave” or “go” they should not be left to play with the pet rabbits. Dogs are natural hunters and by some small incident their hunting nature can be triggered, and they can attack the pet rabbit.
How cats can be kept away from pet rabbits?
Cats are not much larger than rabbits, especially the bigger-sized rabbits, but they have the tendency of attacking rabbits like they attack rats. They may not take the rabbits as their food but they will eventually attack and try to harm or kill if the rabbits are smaller in size or young ones.
There are several ways of keeping stray cats away from your pet rabbit. One of them is keeping the rabbit hutch cat-proof. Some owners use sharp spikes on the fence so the cats may not come near the cages of the rabbits or their hutch.
Using a solution as a cat repellant is another idea. Any kind of citrus smell will repel the cat and you can use this trick to make sure that the cats do not come near the pet house. Spread some orange or lemon peel which will spread the smell and the cats will not come near the hutch area, but do not put the peel near the rabbit hutch or inside it, as then the rabbits may get distracted by the smell of lemon or try to chew it.
There is another option called a motion-controlled sprinkler which will keep the cats away from the hutch. Cats hate water and that is how the motion sprinkler will work. If the cats get some sprinkle or shower of water on their face then they will not come near the cage of the rabbits.
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