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RIP Baby Bunnies - Fox or Cat?
The 9 baby bunnies were just over a month old and big enough to be in the pen outdoors without fitting through the bars; too big for their indoor cage now, about a pound or two. I put them in the pen with their house at about 7-8pm last night. The bars are about 1 1/4 inches wide, pen is 4 feet high. There was a pretty bad thunderstorm, but they had cover.
This morning I found 3-dead and disembowled, 1 with a torn back but alive, 3 alive and the last 2 missing. There was dirt and scratches kicked-up at the front of the pen like something wanted in, but then decided to jump or climb. The back of the pen was bowed-out like something's weight was on it, or it had managed to scramble underneath. I found what appear to be cat tracks in the mud nearby; they're rounded and don't show claws. But I did see a fox up the street about a week ago. I called the township so they could be aware in case any other pet owners find their animals missing or injured. I'm so upset because I cared so much for those little guys and I feel like a horrible 'mother' for not waiting until they were bigger, but if they'd stayed crammed in that cage together they might have started fighting. Their pen was right next to their mothers and she also had a torn ear, like she might have tried to get through the fence to defend her babies. Strangely too, the 3 rabbits only slightly bigger than the babies were in lower-sided pens with bigger spaces between the bars and they weren't touched. Our one large male wasn't touched. I'm leaning towards it being a cat to have killed so many without taking them, but I haven't seen a cat in the neighborhood for months. I'm really upset because if the survivors are all female, then we've lost our 2nd breeding buck. I still don't know if the injured one will survive; a patch of skin about 2X2inches was torn from its back, but I cleaned it and put neosporine on it and the baby is eating and drinking.
I guess the only good thing is that my favorite baby survived.
Tonight I'm going to help my boyfriend put chicken wire over the tops of all the pens; we won't be able to stand-up inside anymore, but I hope it will keep stuff from getting in.
Nothing has EVER attacked the rabbits before. I could forgive a fox for eating the two babies, but not if it's somebody's stupid cat just killing for pleasure and leaving 3 possibly 4 little bodies behind.
I'm also worried that whatever attacked might have been diseased; that would cause a fox to act strangely and kill without eating; though the fox I saw in the neighborhood looked perfectly healthy.
If I DO see a cat in my yard, it will not receive any mercy!
This morning I found 3-dead and disembowled, 1 with a torn back but alive, 3 alive and the last 2 missing. There was dirt and scratches kicked-up at the front of the pen like something wanted in, but then decided to jump or climb. The back of the pen was bowed-out like something's weight was on it, or it had managed to scramble underneath. I found what appear to be cat tracks in the mud nearby; they're rounded and don't show claws. But I did see a fox up the street about a week ago. I called the township so they could be aware in case any other pet owners find their animals missing or injured. I'm so upset because I cared so much for those little guys and I feel like a horrible 'mother' for not waiting until they were bigger, but if they'd stayed crammed in that cage together they might have started fighting. Their pen was right next to their mothers and she also had a torn ear, like she might have tried to get through the fence to defend her babies. Strangely too, the 3 rabbits only slightly bigger than the babies were in lower-sided pens with bigger spaces between the bars and they weren't touched. Our one large male wasn't touched. I'm leaning towards it being a cat to have killed so many without taking them, but I haven't seen a cat in the neighborhood for months. I'm really upset because if the survivors are all female, then we've lost our 2nd breeding buck. I still don't know if the injured one will survive; a patch of skin about 2X2inches was torn from its back, but I cleaned it and put neosporine on it and the baby is eating and drinking.
I guess the only good thing is that my favorite baby survived.
Tonight I'm going to help my boyfriend put chicken wire over the tops of all the pens; we won't be able to stand-up inside anymore, but I hope it will keep stuff from getting in.
Nothing has EVER attacked the rabbits before. I could forgive a fox for eating the two babies, but not if it's somebody's stupid cat just killing for pleasure and leaving 3 possibly 4 little bodies behind.
I'm also worried that whatever attacked might have been diseased; that would cause a fox to act strangely and kill without eating; though the fox I saw in the neighborhood looked perfectly healthy.
If I DO see a cat in my yard, it will not receive any mercy!
He is my Black Dragon (and yes, a good one) strong, protective, the guardian. I am his Silver Dragon, always by his side, shining for him, cherishing him.
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