Baby Bunny #2 Slashed Open - what is attacking my bunnies?

[Stormy]

Last night I awoke 4am to a baby bunny screaming. I ran out into the pasture to check on the rabbits, and did not see any predator nor was I missing any rabbits from my colony pen. It wasn't until the next morning that my BF found the injured baby bunny, about 3 weeks old. His rear leg is sliced from inside near his genitals all the way around to the side - maybe an inch or more long - cut all the way through so I can see the muscle. He is not using his leg but tucking it up into the body - I couldn't straighten it like the other so I wonder if it might be broken, or else just must hurt like crazy. I put Vanodine on it but I really don't know whether to put him down or see if he heals - I know animals are good with healing from just skin wounds but I don't know if it will abscess...

The day before I found a baby bunny dead lying on the floor, his belly with a tear and some of his entrails out. I thought he must have caught himself on something as the rabbits had found a hole to work and get from their secure lodgings into the round day pen. It didn't occur to me it could be a predator, until today with bunny #2. I'd fixed the hole so they couldn't escape at night so injury #2 happened within their pen. The pen is enclosed on all sides with fencing material and the lower couple feet is doubled with aviary wire to keep baby bunnies in.

At first I am thinking its my neighbors cat, he took out a baby bunny from the last litter, but now I'm not so sure - wouldn't I see more scratches than one tear? How would he get his paw in? I realized there was a weakness with the aviary wire, it was not fixed well at the bottom, presumable a cat could reach under it and push it up to reach through the larger fencing holes, but I didn't see evidence of pushed up wire. I don't think it could fit its paws through the aviary wire. I wonder if raccoons hands are that small? I also am noting the "nest" for the babies has been moved to an overturned chair which is up against the wall *inside* the round day pen. The cat might have trouble getting in and out of there, not sure, its 30" high I believe. I'm guessing a rat or raccoon wouldn't have trouble. Their pen by the way is on the ground, so nothing can reach from below or above, its 6' tall.

I am wondering if anyone has any ideas. I have seen posts about rats on this forum and I wonder if the injuries sounds like rats? I would think I'd see puncture marks from teeth over slashes... but I really don't know, this is a first. I am really upset and concerned for the rest of my litter. Don't know how well I'll sleep tonight... and if it is my neighbor's cat, what I can do to keep him away? I thought my structure was pretty predator-proof...

 

[Miss M]

That's weird... I would think if it was a predator, you'd see more damage. Bites, partially eaten kits, etc.

It sounds like they are cutting themselves on something. Maybe?

Just seems not like a predator to slash once and leave.

 

[Stormy]

Thanks Miss M- that is what I thought too except by going out there I chased off any predator... The slashes are really bizarre. I have hunted over their pen and couldn't find a thing. Also the way the bunny #2 has an injured leg it makes me think something tried to pull it through the wire, how else could he hurt himself so badly?

I only had a rabbit lose a toe once, otherwise I am not sure what kind of injuries I would find from a predator trying to pull a kit out of a pen or what kind of predator would leave a big gash. Even if I had a sharp piece of wire sticking up, its hard to imagine how a baby bunny could pierce through its skin and tear itself that badly, in such an awkward place as its rear end, the back side of his hind leg. Sort of the "run away!" position.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Is the doe in the pen? I was talking to someone at a show recently and they have a doe that eats her kits, even up to 4 weeks old. They actually caught her in the act of killing one- they thought she was cleaning its genitals, but then she ripped the stomach open. :x And yes... the kit was alive when she did this.

 

[Stormy]

EWWW!! That's disgusting. Yes its a colony set up the doe is in there but she's a great mom - this is her 3rd litter. I think I'd see chomping of some kind more than a slash. Nothing was eaten off the dead baby with the entrails sticking out either...

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Can you sprinkle sifted flour or some other powder around the entire perimeter of the cage and check for paw prints in the morning?

The pen is enclosed on all sides with fencing material and the lower couple feet is doubled with aviary wire to keep baby bunnies in.

Another possibility just occurred to me... we have a three legged cat that as a kitten got his leg stuck between two layers of wire in the "kitten growout" pen I had set up at the time. Instead of overlapping the top sheet of wire over the bottom, the bottom was wired to the top and when he climbed the sides his leg got trapped somehow, causing a compound fracture.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I had to put down a kit this weekend that I found missing a whole toe, with a bit of exposed bone sticking out... He must have got it hung and ripped it off somehow, poor babe!

 

[Stormy]

Yikes! the toe thing is a mystery.... I thought it was rats when I saw one of my fryer missing the skin off his toe. I didn't put him down. Two days later the whole naked toe was gone - I think he bit it off! He grew up to be a fine decent size to make a meal. There was no infection, being just a small toe area.

MamaSheepDog - great idea about the flour!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Yikes! the toe thing is a mystery.... I thought it was rats when I saw one of my fryer missing the skin off his toe. I didn't put him down. Two days later the whole naked toe was gone - I think he bit it off! He grew up to be a fine decent size to make a meal. There was no infection, being just a small toe area.

MamaSheepDog - great idea about the flour!

I have a Rex doe that ripped off a toe due to being frightened by a dog trying to get to the cages. She caught the toe in the wire and ripped it right off at the joint... It healed nicely, there was no protruding bone, and now she just has a stubby toe with no nail...