Rabbits live very successfully in the wild and stay in groups. Some may wander from the group but will return and rarely get lost. But a domestic rabbit is a completely different kettle of fish and owners are often concerned that if their rabbit escaped, they may not be able to find their way home.
While rabbits can recognize many things, including their owners, they don’t typically have a very good sense of direction. This means that if they become lost, they may find it difficult to return home.
This can be very worrying for bunny parents and while most rabbit owners are very responsible, a curious rabbit may still escape. In this event, it is important that you know what to do to bring them safely home.
Can A Rabbit Find Its Way Home?
The problem with rabbits is that they are extremely good at getting out. While it’s normally cats that have a reputation for being curious, bunnies are just as interested in exploring and some might say that they are masters of escape.
Of course, this can be hugely worrying for owners and despite your best efforts, you may find yourself with a furry Houdini on your hands. Unfortunately, while rabbits are great at getting out of their homes, they may not be as adept when it comes to returning and often become lost.
Aside from being curious, a rabbit may run away if something frightens her. Rabbits are naturally timid animals and being prey, in the wild, they will run if they are spooked. Furthermore, if the rabbit does not feel safe or comfortable in her home, then she will have no qualms about leaving, for this reason, it is important to make sure that you provide your pet with an excellent environment and lots of stimulation.
Normally, a rabbit won’t get far when it escapes its cage and many times, when owners find the cage empty, the rabbit can be found wandering around in the yard. However, there is a chance that your rabbit may have wandered further and in this case, things are a little more serious.
Domestic rabbits that have wandered into the wild will probably be experiencing a huge mix of emotions. They may be excited, scared, and curious. All of these things combined could result in the rabbit paying very little attention to where it is going and as a result, it may become easily lost.
While a bunny may pay attention to its surroundings, if it is trying to flee from danger, its priority won’t be to remember where it is going. For this reason, if your rabbit has run away out of fear, there is a higher chance that it may have gone further and may not return of its own accord.
What To Do If Your Rabbit Runs Away
One of the first things that you will do when you notice that your rabbit is missing will be to panic. But this is not helpful, so try to remain calm. It is likely that your rabbit hasn’t gone too far.
In a lot of cases, you will find your rabbit either in your back yard or wandering around in the local area. If the rabbit is scared, it will probably have taken shelter somewhere, so be sure to check under cars and in hedges.
Some owners think that the best thing is to leave their rabbit to come home on their own but they may be unable to do this. It is important to begin your search for your pet as soon as possible.
There are several things that you can do to attract your rabbit home. Since these animals don’t have an excellent sense of direction, you may need to rely on appealing to her over her ability to find her way home. You might leave some treats that lead back to the house or some of her favorite toys. Some owners find that playing familiar music or sounds is enough to lure the rabbit to safety.
If this does not work, it will be down to you to locate your rabbit and bring her home and while this may feel like a daunting task, it is important to have a system. Begin by checking in hiding spots and asking your neighbors or passersby if they have seen your rabbit. They will also be able to keep an eye out and return your rabbit should they find it.
You should also think about alerting local animal shelters or vets as if the rabbit is found by a person on the street, they may take it to one of these places. However, there may be some people who attempt to rehome the rabbit themselves thinking it has no place to go. For this reason, it is a good idea to put up posters or posts on social media especially in local groups so that everyone knows where the owner can be contacted.
If you have another rabbit that has a bond with the missing pet, you can use this to your advantage. Take the rabbit in a carrier out to search. Its scent may be enough to attract your missing bun.
Dangers To A Lost Domestic Rabbit
Wild rabbits don’t have a long life span and this is largely because of the many dangers that they face. When you put a domestic rabbit into this situation, it will have no prior experience and will likely not last very long.
Rabbits will have to compete with traffic and if you live in a busy area where there are lots of cars, this could be a serious threat. Furthermore, there are predators all around, and your bunny may fall victim to them.
While rabbits do well in colder climates, they typically begin to feel the effects when the mercury falls below freezing. If they are lost for a long time, they may suffer from the cold which could eventually kill them. Even if they manage to make it this long, there is still the issue that the rabbit may not know where to find food and water.
How To Stop Your Rabbit Escaping
While rabbits are exceptionally good at getting out, there are things that owners can do to prevent this from happening. In order to get out of your garden, a rabbit will need to go through several barriers, and reinforcing all of these is one of the best ways to avoid a successful escape attempt.
Make sure that the cage is securely locked and there is no way that your rabbit cannot chew his way out. You may be surprised at how small a rabbit can make itself, making it easy to get out of a hole in the enclosure.
Even if your rabbit makes its way out of the cage, there is still the fence to tackle. Rabbits are excellent jumpers and could quite easily hop over a low fence. Alternatively, they could dig underneath so it is important to place barriers and install higher fences if you have a mini escape artist.
However, provided that your rabbit is happy, well-fed, and entertained, it is unlikely that she will want to escape. One of the best things that owners can do is to ensure that their rabbit has everything they need; a clean home, food, water, and lots of things to do.