The power of food...

I have a fugitive rabbit :lol: - a doe that got out several months ago when the kids opened the cages before I made it back there to help (they were trying to help feed and water for me as a surprise). I am shocked that she's still around, between the roaming dogs, coyotes, possums, raccoons, etc. normally there isn't much hope for long term survival Somehow she has found a way to make it work (I think she might be burrowing under our shed?? Found a small entrance to a tunnel that I don't remember seeing before and it looks pretty deep (vs. surface level). Anyway, even as a kit she was skittish and for a while wouldn't come out if anyone was in the yard, I would catch glimpses of her back in the brush or in my garden :evil: :roll: . Lately she's been coming out more and more during the day, but would still take off as soon as I stepped outside. Over the last couple of weeks I started leaving a small pile of pellets on the ground when I was feeding the others and over time she has lingered more and more - sometimes hanging out, sniffing around the hutches, sometimes on the table where the bucket of feed was... but there at least. The other night she came right up to me! I crouched down and it spooked her for a couple hops, but she hesitantly came back and let me scratch her nose a little! The last two nights it was after dark by the time I made it out there so I think the lights on my hat spooked her. I am trying to decide what to do - if I get close enough do I just grab her? She's a steel meat mutt, and her coat is SLICK so I know it's going to be a challenge. I need to get some live traps anyway and I think pellets would do the trick so that could be an option. But even if I do get her back in a hutch, what health risks could there potentially be at this point? I know cocci would be one, not sure what else.

You would definitely want to quarantine her for at least 30 days. I'm not sure even then that it would be worth the risk to your other rabbits to try to rehabilitate a meat mutt.

She's probably finding food more difficult now it's winter, especially with your recent weather. But somehow it seems a bit heartless to suggest catching her and sending her straight to freezer camp. (Silly, I know. :shrug: )

I'd suggest a live trap rather than grabbing her--she would likely panic and claw you pretty badly. I don't normally recommend letting rabbits go feral - it can cause all kinds of problems - but if she hasn't found a mate by now, she likely won't. I'd be inclined to just let her be and give her feed and a dish or water to help her through the winter.

MaggieJ":2spfv2q2 said:

You would definitely want to quarantine her for at least 30 days. I'm not sure even then that it would be worth the risk to your other rabbits to try to rehabilitate a meat mutt.

She's probably finding food more difficult now it's winter, especially with your recent weather. But somehow it seems a bit heartless to suggest catching her and sending her straight to freezer camp. (Silly, I know. :shrug: )

I'd suggest a live trap rather than grabbing her--she would likely panic and claw you pretty badly. I don't normally recommend letting rabbits go feral - it can cause all kinds of problems - but if she hasn't found a mate by now, she likely won't. I'd be inclined to just let her be and give her feed and a dish or water to help her through the winter.

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I was thinking that breeding within the herd would likely not be the best idea... I think that's why I am torn. She's a beautiful rabbit, and obviously has decent survival skills to make it this long. It seems wrong to just let her go, but also feeling guilty about freezer camp if I were to trap her... I wasn't quite as wishy washy before she started being all nice and friendly :?

I hadn't thought about the food issue seeing that it's winter - very good point ( feeling a bit :doh: about that). I noticed my patch of parsley has started disappearing so she's found it along with the lemon balm that was left... she ate most of my attempt at a fall garden as well. I have some rose bushes that are accessible for her so she's probably nibbled on them, too.

You can just let her free range. Just leave water and a bowl of pellets for her daily. Won't be long before she'll wait for the pellets.