Will a runaway bunny return?

[Adam]

No, I haven’t lost one… yet.  But I’m entertaining the notion of letting them run around the fenced in back yard.  Thing is, these guys are unpredictable, so I have to entertain the notion that somehow they will figure out how to get outside the fence.

My question is: if they run away, do they tend to know how to home back in to their home?  

[Bunbun]

If they want to come back, they’ll come back. If not, they won’t, and you definitely cannot make them. At all. Sometimes, bunnies try to run away for fun, and when you try to catch them they think it’s really funny. When and if you manage to capture the runaway bunny, you will only come back extremely angry and frustrated and the bunny feeling sulky that he lost the game. 

Seriously, I used to take my bunny outside and the last time I did I spent two hours (not exaggerating) trying to capture him, and the only way I did was by feeling merciless. MERCILESS. 

They might know the direction, they might not. It really depends, but I would suggest putting a sort of fence around them to limit their playing area so they don’t run away…

[Bam]

A bunny can get through very very small holes, basically if the skull fits through, the rest of the bun can follow. It doesn’t seem possible, but it really is.
As you’re saying, buns are unpredictable – and they are inventive and very, very agile and the world is full of dangers to rabbits f ex predators (birds, cats, ferrets, foxes etc) and cars. I’d not dare let mine out except in their hutch/run. It has welded 1 inch by 1 inch netting on all sides so they can’t dig their way out out.

[tobyluv]

Unless a rabbit is in a totally predator proof enclosure, where they can’t dig out and where nothing can dig in, it can be very dangerous for them to be outside. Even in a fenced in yard, a predator can dig in, jump over or fly in and attack a rabbit. I know a person who was out in the fenced in yard with her rabbit, but that didn’t prevent a hawk from suddenly swooping in and attacking her rabbit. It’s too easy for a rabbit to get out and too easy for a predator to get in. If a bunny did get out and run away, you would be lucky to ever see it again. There is also the danger of a rabbit eating plants that may be poisonous or eating grass where other animals might have gone to the bathroom, and picking up worms from that. There are also fleas and ticks outside to deal with. Besides predators and cars that are likely to get a rabbit out on its own, there are also bad people to deal with. One of the rabbits that is at the Sanctuary where I volunteer, has BB pellets lodged in her neck. Someone obviously thought it was fun to take potshots at her.

[Adam]

Was afraid i would get replies like these. This would be an hour max with me watching the entire time. No digging, chain link fence thoroughly inspected. The dangerous food idea i am skeptical of since you know…. Wild rabbits (and mine are close to that breed).

I feel its not fair to keep them from experiencing some larger freedom, but not going to tell others how to care for their buns. I just wanted to know if they would be instantly lost or are smart enough to navigate back.

Thanks

[DanaNM]

Wild rabbits only live a few years as they get eaten by predators and have tons of parasites, so you shouldn’t discount tobyluv’s advice. They also have the benefit of learning from their warren about what plants are safe to eat, so don’t assume a rabbit raised in captivity will know what is safe to eat and what isn’t. If I put you in the jungle would you know what plants to eat?

I doubt they would be instantly “lost”, but unless you have them clicker trained to come to you or a crate, you would likely have a very hard time getting them back, especially if their home pen/crate/cage is in your house and they cannot just hop to it on their own.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[kmurphy]

I just wanted to mention that you said your rabbits are “close to the breed of wild rabbits”. Actually all domestic rabbits are quite far genetically from wild rabbits. Our American wild rabbits (cottontails) have 21 pair of chromosomes. European hares (different from rabbits) have 24 pairs of chromosomes and the domestic rabbit has 22 pair. This means on a genetic level the rabbits are not close at all and that doesn’t even take into account the different environmental differences.
Just letting you know!

[Bam]

Adam,I’m sorry if you were offended by the replies you got – but we are a house bunny forum and most of us have opted to keep our buns inside to protect them from the dangers of the world outside. That does not, however, say that this is the only way or even the best possible way to keep rabbits. It’s just what most of us here believe in. I saved one of my buns from life outside as a feral rabbit, and I have many times thought about how I deprived him of his freedom. I like to think that he has gotten sth in return though. It is a fine line between protecting those you love and limiting them. You want them to be safe – but you don’t want them to miss out.

There are people here who let their buns outside in their yard or garden. Vienna Blue in France does, and Gina.Jenny. You could PM one of them (I was rather hoping they’d see your thread) and ask how they get their buns back inside – because they do =) They could perhaps give you some useful tips too, since they have the right experience. 

If you are in Europe you are correct about your buns being closely related to the wild European buns. They are the same species and have the same nr of chromosomes and can have fertile offspring with each other no problem. Some of the instincts regarding what to eat and what not to eat might have been lost with domestication though. In the BBC mini-series the Burrowers they make an experiment with domestic rabbits that go feral very quickly and smoothly. But they also say that rabbits learn which molecular compounds (in plants) are suitable for eating and which are not from the composition of the mother’s milk. That could mean that buns brought up in captivity, for generations, might have been exposed to a very limited range of plants and greens, and since selection tends to get rid of traits that serve no purpose, some of the ability to tell good plants from bad could potentially be lost. In some individuals or blood-lines.

Again, I’m sorry if you felt like you were being lectured.

[Gina.Jenny]

Three of my four buns were caught as strays and have happily become house rabbits. 

One of the girls ate a neighbours primroses before we caught her, which are toxic to a bunny, and she was a very poorly little girl for a few weeks, and I’m sure eating the wrong plants played a part in that. I use an outdoor run to keep the rabbits safe in the garden, but garden time is about eating grass, and lying in the sun if they want, rather than getting any outdoor freedom. There are days they come in quite happily from the run, and there are days they make getting them back in as hard as they can. When they do this, I have a small plastic dog bed that I pop over them, then I can get my hand in and get hold of them. Chasing can rapidly become highly stressful for a rabbit, and is best avoided! 

All the buns get their freedom time in the house, when they get to run around the living room, and up and down the stairs. If you have stairs, you could see if your rabbits like running up and down them. Stairs take little rabbit proofing and give their legs a good work out. I also have a couple of small kitten trees which the buns have access to 24/7, and they love these, both for the fun of jumping up and down, and as a nice look out post.

[FloppyBunny]

This is a bit of a late reply, but I have a lot of experience with this since one of my rabbits has been running around in my yard free for 2 years. The yard is fenced for him with strong hardwire cloth. He escaped 2 times. Once was before we had the fence, he ran out the patio door. He stayed in the neighbour’s yard and we were able to catch him using a flashlight (it was dark and he freezes if you shine light in his eyes). If he truly does not want to be caught, it is extremely hard (almost impossible) to do so, so it is a risk to take. The second time was with our first fence, he chewed through the wire. We had to redo the fence using a stronger cage and smaller holes so he can’t fit his mouth to bite it. Someone found him and called the humane society, so I don’t know if he would have come back. He was only two houses away. Basically, once he was with an adequate fence, he stayed in the yard. For him to come back in, I trained him (using a leash) to learn that if he sat at the door, the door would open. Then, without the leash, every time he would be beside the door, I would open. It took a long time, especially since he seemed to think it was a game at first. Progressively (over days), I would let him wait a bit before opening (since I’m not always standing there). Now, if he wants to come back he will sit at the door and wait until I get there. If I’m not in the room and he’s in a hurry, he’ll scratch at the door. He’s pretty good about coming back in a bit before the sun starts to set, but he has spent many nights outside (under the patio, it’s only a few inches high so I can’t get him). However, we don’t have predators. When he starts wanting to sleep outside, I have to “retrain” him by bringing him back in. He LOVED being able to go outside and our vet said she’s never seen a rabbit so muscled. He was healthier than he is now since he ate a ton of grass and clover, and inside it’s hard to make him eat hay so he doesn’t eat all his cecetrophes. Now, he’s back to living inside since we have a rat problem, but he definitely prefered going outside during the day and then coming back in to cuddle at night.

Basically, you can have a safe rabbit running around your yard, but it’s complicated. I’ve spent hours chasing him around the yard so that he doesn’t go sleep under the patio and I’ve spent days stressed because during a week long trip (he was watched by my parents), he decided that since I wasn’t there he would spend all week outside (he won’t let anyone but me pick him up, and he just tolerates me doing so). The day I came back, so did he.

I would recommend just getting a dog kennel and leaving him to run in there. That is what I will be doing soon. You won’t have to chase your rabbit around and you can control the plants in it so that they are safe. A 10×10 kennel is enough space for them.

[Deleted User]

My rainbow bunnies Gareth (lop) and Terri (Rex)

When I had a garden mine were out all the time, they would be in the run when I was cleaning or whatever & they would be free running if I was sunbathing/ gardening. They would often make their own way back into the house so catching them wasn’t a problem. Luckily I never had a situation where they escaped or got taken away by a bird , they sometimes got harassed by next doors cat when they were in the run though. That horrible cat got wet more than a few times after trying to mess with my buns!

They were so much happier when they got to run around everywhere and really stretch their legs. If I could have kept that house i’d still be there now, just for their sakes

[Nobu Bunny]

In relation to this question….. apparently YES! I let my bunny rome free in the backyard during the day and today I popped out for about an hour and came home to NO bunny. She was no where to be seen. I thoroughly checked every possible spot you could think of for about 5 hours.. Romed the streets like 3 times and checked both neighbouring backyards – no signs of bunny. There were NO possible escapes (not that i could see). Unless she could fit through a pin hole ;p I accepted the fact she would have to had jumped a high fence or been taken by a fox but still thought the whole idea was strange. About 7 hours later, I went to go outside feeling sad she wouldn’t be there to greet me and there she was as if she’d never left. Really confused and still don’t know where she went but she’s back so either she played a disappearing trick on me and came back or she somehow left & returned! Hope the same happens to you if you happen to lose your bunny (or that you never lose your bunny atall)! ;p

[Nobu Bunny]

In relation to this question….. apparently YES! I let my bunny rome free in the backyard during the day and today I popped out for about an hour and came home to NO bunny. She was no where to be seen. I thoroughly checked every possible spot you could think of for about 5 hours.. Romed the streets like 3 times and checked both neighbouring backyards – no signs of bunny. There were NO possible escapes (not that i could see). Unless she could fit through a pin hole ;p I accepted the fact she would have to had jumped a high fence or been taken by a fox but still thought the whole idea was strange. About 7 hours later, I went to go outside feeling sad she wouldn’t be there to greet me and there she was as if she’d never left. Really confused and still don’t know where she went but she’s back so either she played a disappearing trick on me and came back or she somehow left & returned! Hope the same happens to you if you happen to lose your bunny (or that you never lose your bunny atall)! ;p

[LBJ10]

This is an old thread. I’m going to lock it.

[Author]

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