Wild Rabbit

My neutered female lionhead rabbit lives in a very large securely fenced area of grass. She lives with some chickens and bantams and has access through a hole into a run within a barn, where she has her food. A few days ago a wild rabbit appeared in the fenced area of grass. It appears to be a young one and is quite happily eating grass with my rabbit and the chickens. When disturbed it runs underneath one of the chicken coops.

I have absolutely no idea how it managed to get inside this run which is built securely to keep foxes and badgers out. There is no way a rabbit could burrow inside. The only possible explanation i.s that a bird may have dropped it, or a cat. It is possible for a cat to get in from one side which is a 10 ft wall, but difficult carrying a reasonably heavy rabbit!!

My rabbit is vaccinated against myxi but that is all. She seems to tolerate the wild rabbit although I have seen her chasing it, but there also graze in view of each other.

Do you think they will get along if I can't catch it

What sort of fence? You'd be amazed at the space a young rabbit can squeeze itself through. Our Graham, at about 3 weeks old, got through chicken-wire mesh

I'd be reluctant to allow them to live together, in a confined space, longer-term. When the wild bunny, whether male or female, starts getting hormonal it could make your pet bunny's life a misery if not cause it some injury.

Wild rabbits really do not take well to captivity either, so putting it through a neuter might be unkind.

It's probably much better to confine your rabbit indoors, make an exit through the fence, and chase the little wildie back out

Thanks for your reply. I am sure you are right and I will have to try and catch it somehow, although it could take me some time as there are so many places it can hide. There really is no way it could have got in through the wire netting. It has very small holes!! The mystery of how it got it got in there will probably never be solved.

Goodness what a mystery!

I hope that he is okay bless him/her.

I wish I could offer some useful advice but Im at a complete loss. I agree with Sparky though that once hormones kick in this could cause your bun some problems.

I have had another 2 wild house rabbits in the past. i currently have a wild rabbit, Nettle, who lives with my rex Barney. I have had Nettle since he was a baby and him and Barney adore each other - is like some fricking love story! There is another wild rabbit who comes and visits them but can't get in their runs but juniper has met him a couple of times on the grass and they get on fine. How old is this other rabbit do you think? Perhaps if it makes itself a bit more permanent ie seems to want to stay there which it does so far you could catch it, check it for fleas (i have never seen a wild rabbit with fleas but i guess some must!) and further down the line if it gets a bit hormonal have it done. Sounds like a nice set up for a wild bunny and as their life expectancy is 1 in the wild it could work well all round!

Its a baby, but not a wee one. Maybe about 10 weeks old. I am not very good at guessing. It disappears as soon as i appear and usually goes under one of the coops or in a run that Leonora has dug under some pallets and bricks. I can creep up on it enough to take photos. As I mentioned the run is very secure, (being married to an architect, it is well constructed and dug in below ground with breeze blocks), so no chance of a rabbit digging in or out. Well I wouldnt think so anyway!!

Did you have to have your wild rabbit neutered? I tried to upload a photo on here without success.

hiya - yes all 3 of my wild rabbits were/are neutered. Nettle is about 4-5 years old now - i have had him since he was a smallish baby. what a mystery as to how yours got in!

I think maybe the cat brought him into the barn by jumping over the bottom part of the stable door and he followed my Leonora through the hole into Fort Knox where the chickens are. I didnt see him for a day and then my terrier told me he was back in the barn behind a large stack of wood and logs.

From there I think the cat may have found him as I saw the cat with a wild rabbit on the lawn and by the time I got outside to rescue it both had gone. I am hoping the cat let the rabbit go as he usually does. But he is no longer around. I was rather sad after your reply as I thought I would keep it.

oh that is a shame - well he might come back again - you never know with rabbits!