I need advice on catching stray rabbits!

[unluckyrabbit]

Two stray bunnies have been hanging out around my house..an albino and a tan+white bunny.I'm thinking a neighbor released them but the thing is we live near some woods and pretty busy road so I'm really worried one may get hurt!!Does anyone know how to catch them??please do tell if so!I would really appreciate it!

[Galactica]

Poor lil guys!

I would rent a "Have a Heart" trap-  we ended up buying one (I won't get into it) but I think sometimes animal rescue shelters will rent you one?

I don't know where you live or I'd help you search -  good luck! I hope you can save them. 

[Thunderwing]

A live trap is your best bet - bait it with carrots and sliced apple. You can also use the classic box supported with a stick tied to a piece of string, amusing but that technique does work.

[joce]

If they are not coming right to you I would not worry to much. I used to sit and watch trains with my dad at a place that had a breeding colony of grey and white bunnies. People let a couple go and ta da!! People would try to catch them and call the apl about them and occasionally you would see them catching them to fix them. Problem is eventually just like with wild rabbits they die fairly easily and catch and release does not go so well. I think eventually that population turned brown again or they were all caught eventually.

[lemontwist]

They were probably easter gifts that turned out to be too much work so sad and it happens every year. If they're not coming up to you, they're probably okay, it means they're not so domesticated that they're overly trusting (and so will still run from threats). But if you want, you can always leave out some veggies and other bunny-safe treats that will attract them and see if they will let you grab them? Or put the treats in a humane trap of some sort if you're sure you want to catch them.

If you don't plan on keeping them, find a bunny rescue near you, or at least a general no-kill shelter that's willing to take them. They may also be able to catch them for you so you don't have to buy a trap! If you do want to keep them, be sure to read up on the care. There's a reason so many get dumped every year after easter. They're not as easy to care for as they seem and they can be fussy too!

[goddessofpeep]

First of all, they need to be caught and taken care of if they're going to live.  Domestic rabbits don't have the skills to survive long on their own, and their colors and markings are just a giant EAT ME sign to predators.  Not to mention all the diseases that can take down a rabbit in the wild.   They're pretty delicate animals.

I'd go with traps.  Bait them with a little bit of banana and a selection of other things(some leafy stuff like parsley, and some carrot).  My rabbit *hates* carrot and most fresh stuff(we like to joke that she's a defective rabbit:p), but even she eats banana.  They sell dried banana chips at the pet store that are almost as good as fresh if the fresh banana doesn't last long enough.  Rabbits go nuts for it! Mine also loves dried papaya, but I'd toss in some other stuff in there to see what attracts them. Give them a small selection to choose from, and you should have a much better chance.  Also, look in the grass around where you've been seeing them.  If you see any piles of poop, put the traps near there.  Rabbits like to poop as they eat, and the often have favorite snacking spots.  If you see a pile of rabbit poops, that's probably where they've been settling down to do some serious eating.  Keep an eye for "safe" areas(under bushes, hidden near tall grass, etc) around there to put the traps in. 

Also, rabbits do most of their eating and running around at dusk and dawn when predators are less active, so make sure you check the traps after it gets dark, and again when you get up in the morning.  You don't want to leave a bun trapped in a cage overnight where anything could come by and eat it!  They have bad night vision, and they're too exposed during the day, so they usually chill out in their warrens during those times.  Of course, check the traps throughout the day if you can, particularly if it's hot or the weather's bad, but make sure you don't go to bed without checking that trap.

You do not want to try to catch them by hand.  First of all, you'll never get close enough to grab them.  Never.  They're faster than greased lightning when they're scared.  Second, if by some miracle you do manage to grab them, they can panic and snap their own spines with the kicking and the thrashing, or go into cardiac arrest and just die from fright.  And even if they don't hurt themselves, they certainly can hurt you.  Rabbits have sharp teeth, wicked claws, and strong legs.  Frightened rabbits do attack if they can't get away.  You can assume that a rabbit that doesn't know you will be frightened if you try to grab it, and things can go very badly for everyone involved if the rabbit gets really scared.  A trap will be the easiest and safest way for everyone involved. 

If you do manage to catch them, you can look up local house rabbit societies to help you find a home for them.  They often have listings of rabbit friendly vets and no kill shelters.  Also, if you do catch them, make sure you have something for them to eat and drink on hand just in case it takes a while to get the rabbit to a shelter.  Rabbits need to eat and drink often to stay healthy.  Timothy hay is what we feed our rabbit, though she also likes rabbit pellets.  Don't feed them too much of the fresh stuff like lettuce or carrots.  Too much of that can give a rabbit diarrhea, and in rabbits it's a life threatening condition.   

Good luck trying to save those bunnies!   

[Kiwi]

Everything goddess said! Even though it may look like they are doing ok on their own right now, domestics do not have the skills and instincts to survive on their own. They need to be caught to survive.

[unluckyrabbit]

Thank you everyone for the advice!I'll see what I can do and give an update if I'm successful!

[ponycake]

People are sickening how they could release rabbits to a pretty much certain death after a short while. Ugh. I hope you get them.

[Leave a Whisper]

People are sickening how they could release rabbits to a pretty much certain death after a short while. Ugh. I hope you get them.

Because they're lazy, can't be bothered to do their research and they suck. That's why. Goddess gave you good advice, best of luck and keep us updated maybe?

[melodys_angel]

Best of luck <3

[goddessofpeep]

I found this guide from a house rabbit society:

http://rabbit.org/faq-how-to-rescue-a-rabbit-running-loose/

It's basically the same stuff I suggested, though they have "make friends with the rabbit" as one possible option.  I will say that having a high strung rabbit that *hates* being picked up as I do, it's hard to pick up a rabbit that's not into it. They're hard to catch, and they're hard to hang onto. You have to be very careful where you put your hands, and you usually get one shot at it before the rabbit figures out what you're up to and won't come close enough to you for a second shot.  Though these are domestic rabbits, so they might be agreeable to be caught.  It depends on the personality of the rabbit.  My rabbit wants nothing to do with people at all, hates being picked up, and bolts if anyone so much as tries to pet her(unless they have a treat:p).

Some more advice from another house rabbit society:
http://www.columbusrabbit.org/strays.php

[ponycake]

My bunny has been funny lately, circling my legs and rubbing against me and rubbing his chin against me (marking me as his!) He'll approach me every time and start doing it to my feet/legs. Sweet boy. And he loves when I walk after/kinda 'chase' him, he'll run and binky the entire way. But that came after quite some time together.

Catching one seems tough but I hope you can do it. Love bunnies so much.

[kellyponyfeathers]

I think this is clear from the other responses, but yes, you can often borrow or rent a live trap from shelters and such.

I would strongly caution you against using more than a SMALL slice or two of any fruit or vegetable.  (Though leafy greens are fine in large quantities.)  Rabbit digestive systems are very delicate, and the extra sugar in fruits and veggies can throw the normal balance of gut bacteria out of whack.  I used to know one rabbit that actually died because her owner gave her 4 slices of banana instead of the 2 slices she normally gave.  It's hard to believe that such a small difference could kill a healthy bunny, but it did.

[kaoskat]

Best of luck catching them!