9 Sneaky Animals You Want to Protect Your Rabbit From

You are fortunate if you have recently become parents of cute little rabbit babies. Rabbits are affectionate and social with their owners. They will fill your life with joy. 

These little carrot nibblers are one of the top three choices among people to adopt as their first pet. Unfortunately, however, they need more care than you can anticipate. 

They need to follow a strict and timely diet and do daily exercise. Also, your little fur balls will need protection from other animals in the surrounding area. Here is a list of sneaky animals you need to protect your rabbits. 

1. Coyotes

Coyotes are not as cute in real life as you remember from your favorite cartoon show. They may resemble your adorable pet dog, but they cannot be fully domesticated, which makes them unpredictable and dangerous.

Whether you want them around or not, they can easily be available in your surroundings, especially in forested areas. Coyotes are both hunters and scavengers. They are not picky eaters, as they would even eat vegetables. However, their favorite feast would be a tiny, helpless mammal like a rabbit. 

It is wise to keep your rabbits indoors to protect them from sneaky animals like a coyote. However, if it is essential to keep them outside, they should be kept in a protected hatch.

Cover the hatch with wires to keep the coyotes away. They should not be able to get close to the rabbits. Your bunnies will also need space inside the fully covered enclosure to hide from attackers.

2. Foxes

Rabbits make excellent indoor as well as outdoor pets. If you have a home with a lawn or a backyard, let your bunnies run around in the grass to get their daily exercise. Rabbits also love to dig holes to trim their nails or reducing boredom. 

Being close to nature is suitable for their body. However, it puts them at risk of being attacked by unwarranted predators. If your home is near forested areas, mountainous regions, or rich grasslands, chances are you have encountered one or two foxes.

Foxes pose serious dangers for your pet bunnies. They are hunters who will instinctively prey on rabbits for food. If you house the rabbits outdoors, you need to build them in a safe place. Build them a fox-proof hutch out of solid wood, covering it with wire mesh and sturdy bolts.

During play time, keep an eye on your rabbits to keep them safe from these sneaky animals.

3. Raccoons

You would not imagine raccoons on a list of sneaky animals you need to protect your rabbits from. However, they can pose a big threat to your small pets.

Raccoons eat both plant-based food as well as mammals that are smaller in size. If your rabbits are small, they can fall prey to raccoons that hover outside your home. 

They are known as fearless animals whose sense of smell is high. For example, if you have food bowls for your rabbits near the pet door, a raccoon can detect its smell and push through the little door to enter your home. 

A raccoon’s movements are usually slow, so they also prefer to hunt little animals who move slowly. Therefore, if your pets are left out of their cage while they are either indoors or outdoors, they are at risk of being hunted by these sneaky raccoons. 

4. Rats

Rat infestations are widespread and extremely dangerous as they can carry pathogens that transmit disease to humans. However, protecting your rabbits from these sneaky animals is more important. 

You must be wondering about the dangers these rodents pose for your pets. Do rats kill rabbits? Or, are they just eating your bunnies’ snacks? 

Unfortunately, rats can attack your rabbits, primarily small ones It is essential to check for rodent infestation in your home before bringing in your new pets. 

Rats are attracted to the smell of rabbit droppings and uneaten food. If your rabbits get in the way of the rats trying to steal your pets’ belongings, the sly rodents can injure them severely. On some occasions, they can even kill your little fur babies. 

If you have decided to build an indoor hutch, close off any holes with a non-toxic sealant or hardware cloth. Cover the hutch with rodent-proof wire mesh. 

5. Wild Birds

The arrival of spring brings a lot of worms and small animals, such as squirrels. These animals bring in a variety of birds, including wild birds. Eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, and crows are known to prey on rabbits.

You need to protect your rabbits from these sneaky birds as they look for any opportunity to snatch away small animals. This is primarily a danger if you are used to your bunnies left alone in the backyard.

Birds are more active during the hunting season. For example, if they notice your rabbits running around in the grass outside, they will sweep in to pick them up and feed on them.

Keep them safe inside your rabbit hutch, which should be covered to keep wild birds away. Give their home at least one wooden wall that ensures your bunnies a safe hiding spot away from the birds’ field of vision. 

6. Cats

Cats are sneaky animals you need to protect your rabbits from. You must take precautionary measures to protect your rabbits if you have sneaky feline pets around the house, along with your long-eared fur babies.

There are ways you can restrict cats from entering your rabbit zone. First, put up cat-proof fences around the area. They are good protection against sneaky kittens trying to attack your rabbits.

Cats despise the smell of citrus. It acts as a cat repellent. Buy a lemon-flavored air freshener and place it close to your rabbits. If your cat tries to come close to your bunnies, spray a little to detain them. 

One of the best ways to protect the littlest ones from sneaky cats is to keep them in their cage till your rabbits are ready to leave their nest. 

7. Snakes

A snake will eat pretty much anything, depending on the size of the prey and its movements. Conveniently a snake can slither in anywhere for a sneaky attack on your pet rabbits.

Breeds such as a cobra, mambas, or viper aremedium-sizedd snakes that can eat your rabbits if they are small in size. Bigger snakes, like an anaconda, can engulf a rabbit whole in one go. 

It is essential to seal all the openings of your rabbit cage. Wood putty can cover any gaps in the wooden section of the hutch. Snakes rest in dark, shady places, so eliminate any such area inside and outside your rabbits’ cage.

To protect your rabbits from these sneaky animals, clean up any leftover food that might have piled inside the hutch. Also, try to use a non-toxic snake deterrent. 

8. Ferrets

Ferrets are mammals that only feed on other animals. Even though they are small in size, they hunt animals that are smaller than them. This makes it risky for them to be near your pets.

For many reasons, your rabbits must be protected from these ferrets. First, they are nocturnal beings and can see very well in the dark. This makes it easy for them to hunt little bunnies in the dark.

Keep your pet rabbits inside their cages and away from any ferrets. These animals have a high rate of metabolism and tiny intestines, which allow them to digest every part of their prey, including their bones.

9. Dogs

Dogs can be a man’s best friend, but they can be deadly for your other pets. If you house multiple mixes of pets, such as dogs and rabbits, you need to be extra careful.

Dogs are predators and instinctively hunt other little animals. Therefore, getting them used to each other’s presence is essential. Without proper training, your rabbits may fall prey to your large dog.

 

Keep your rabbits safe inside a cage till your dog is used to them. Dogs typically familiarize their humans or other things with a smell. Train them to behave around the cage using the reward method. 

Dogs can still be sneaky and give in to their hunting instinct. So even if your pets are trained, do not leave your dog and rabbits unattended if you decide to let the latter out of the cage. 

Final Thoughts

Rabbits make adorable pets but also require a lot of care. Especially in their small and vulnerable state, they are easy targets for predators.

Predators who sneakily attack your rabbits can be both domestic and wild. If you have other pets, such as cats or dogs, you must protect your rabbits from them.

On the other hand, many wild animals, ranging from birds to snakes, can sneakily attack your fur babies. So build a predator-proof hutch for them to ensure their safety.