Although rabbits produce a lot of waste, they are themselves very clean animals. However, as with a lot of pets, particularly those kept outdoors they can attract vermin. One problem I have recently experienced is that of rats, so why do rabbits attract rats? (For more specific information on how to get rid of rats, see our detailed post about effective rat capture methods here ).
Rats are scavengers and are primarily attracted to food and water left for a rabbit rather than the rabbit itself. Rats will also collect readily available hay and even fur shed during a rabbit’s molt in order to build nests.
My own experience with rats
When my wife became pregnant, we made the difficult decision that for space and health reasons, our two house rabbits would be relocated to an enclosure outside.
Having previously had a problem with mice I decided that this would be a great opportunity to completely redesign the garden, hopefully making it completely rodent-proof.
I created a plan, which included several inches of gravel all around the perimeter and ensured that there was less than a centimeter of ground clearance underneath gates and other potential access points.
A couple of thousand dollars later, the project was complete, my two house rabbits were the proud owners of a converted playhouse, and a large attached secure run with 24-hour access – I even added the living room rug they had been so fond of lying on inside the house.
Fast forward a couple of months and I started to notice something strange going on in the garden. My two rabbits who I’d often see happily playing in their run seemed apprehensive about using it. So what was going on? Then I saw it.
Sat ‘bold as brass’ at the bottom of my supposedly rodent-proof garden (in broad daylight!) was the biggest brown rat I had ever seen. It seemed to be collecting something from the ground, before immediately disappearing behind the rabbit’s playhouse.
Knowing how much money and effort I had put into this garden I felt immediate annoyance (not to mention a sudden feeling of uncleanliness!).
Having a baby at home, my wife was naturally concerned for her health, could the rat get in the house? could it give us a disease? These were all questions she wanted answers to.
I tried to reassure her that the rat had probably just been ‘passing through’ and not to worry, I guess I was in denial (and still a little angry that my impenetrable garden had been compromised).
A couple of weeks passed and I hadn’t seen the rat, perhaps it had moved on? It wasn’t too long before I realized I was wrong. Watching the run as I often did, I noticed unusual movement, this wasn’t a rabbit, it was much smaller.
Suddenly I saw several tiny noses, and the situation went from bad to worse. Inside the run, playing as if I had built the thing specifically for them were no less than eight baby rats.
So what did I do? well if you stick around, of course, I’ll tell you, (if you want to skip and just find out exactly what you can do to prevent and get rid of rats you read our detailed post about effective rat capture methods here) otherwise, let’s go over some other questions around rats. So what exactly is it that rats want from our rabbits?
A little about rats
People who describe a rat problem are commonly referring to one of two common species, the Brown Rat (Norway Rat) or the Black Rat (Ship Rat).
Rats are common pests that nest during daylight hours and come out at night to feed. For homeowners, rats are a common problem under decking, sheds, and outbuildings.
Like humans, rats are omnivores so their diet is not limited to plant matter. They will eat anything they can find including fruits, vegetables, and garbage scraps.
They find food using their extremely acute sense of smell and are very intelligent rodents which is why domesticated rats make such amazing pets.
Do rats kill rabbits?
Rats are predators and will hunt and kill smaller animals if they need food to survive, although they are unlikely to attack an average-sized rabbit, smaller rabbit breeds such as a Netherland Dwarf (and also baby rabbits) can certainly be at risk.
Rats also carry a number of diseases so even if a rabbit were to survive an attack by a rat there is a good chance that injuries through bites or scratches may lead to a serious infection or illness.
What attracts rats to our rabbits?
Rats are not specifically attracted to our rabbits per se, but they are attracted to the food and water that we owners leave out for them. When a rabbit is kept outdoors, this food is usually easily obtained.
As they can eat a variety of different foods, rats will take fruits, vegetables and rabbit pellets. Once a rat has located a source of regular food and water, a rat will keep returning.
Rats (like rabbits) are also breeding machines. They have a short gestation period of just a few weeks and produce very large litters.
Rentokil reports that a female rat typically births six litters a year consisting of up to 12 rat pups, with 5-10 pups being common. Rats reach sexual maturity after nine weeks, meaning that a population can swell from two rats to around 1,250 in one year, with the potential to grow exponentially.
This gives rats another reason to be around our rabbits – nesting materials. Rats will collect hay, straw, newspaper, and even fur left during a rabbit molt in order to line their nests. Consequently, if you have a decked area or a shed in your yard or garden, rats will get underneath to build their nests.
In short, if your yard or garden has a good supply of food, access to water, nesting materials, and plenty of hiding places, it can be very inviting to a rat and once you do have a problem it can very quickly escalate.
Do indoor rabbits attract rats?
Although rats are scared of humans and will usually disappear if they spot us, rats are common in houses. However, this doesn’t mean that you should completely rule out owning house rabbits for fear of attracting rats.
The risks of rats in and around the home when you own rabbits can be prevented with a couple of simple steps.
Most importantly is to ensure your home is secure with no access points. Rats can squeeze through a hole just 20mm (3/4 inch) in diameter and once in your home, they’ll find a place to live inside wall cavities and roof spaces.
If you already own rabbits, ensure their food is kept in a secure place. If your rabbit has pellets, these should be transferred to a large Tupperware container with a lid (personally I use a large empty plastic popcorn container).
Diseases from rats
Pestworld.org reports that rats and mice are known to spread more than 35 diseases. These may be spread to humans directly through the handling of live or dead rodents, through contact with feces, urine, or saliva, or worst of all through bites.
These diseases may also be spread to us indirectly through fleas, ticks, or mites that have fed on an infected rodent.
More concerning is the fact that rats invade our homes and cars more during the cold winter months with an estimated 21 million homes invaded every winter in the US alone.
As well as the risk of disease, rodent droppings can also cause several allergies and transmit illnesses such as salmonella. As the health risks associated with rats are so high, even the most ardent of animal lovers will understand the need to quickly deal with a rat that is regularly getting near to our rabbit’s homes.
Rats can be aggressive, particularly if cornered, and can transmit disease to other animals through wounds inflicted during fighting, droppings, and the aerosolization of urine.
A few of the more common diseases rats carry are listed below, many of which are harmful to many mammals including humans and rabbits.
Rat bite fever
Rat-bite fever (RBF) is an infectious disease caused by two different bacteria: Streptobacillus moniliformis, the only reported bacteria that causes RBF in North America (streptobacillary RBF) Spirillum minus, common in Asia (spirillary RBF, also known as sodoku).
It is a dangerous infection commonly spread through a bite and can be passed on to humans and other mammals.
It’s particularly dangerous to adults aged 65 or older, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems (for example, people with cancer, HIV/AIDS, organ implants, or those taking certain medications such as steroids).
Symptoms of the disease can be headaches, vomiting, and fever for several days, even weeks after a bite.
Salmonellosis
Salmonellosis (salmonella) is a form of food poisoning and is estimated by the Centers for Disease Control to cause about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the United States every year.
Humans suffering from salmonella poisoning may experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramping but most recover quickly without any need for antibiotics.
Salmonellosis is rare in rabbits and won’t usually cause diarrhea but may take the form of acute or peracute septicemic disease. This can be fatal for a rabbit if not treated with antibiotics.
Hantavirus
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe respiratory disease. Early symptoms of infection include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches in the thighs, hips, back, and shoulders.
Symptoms develop between one and five weeks after exposure to urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents.
In general, humans suffering from hantavirus recover completely but may require oxygen therapy to help them through the period of severe respiratory distress.
Tularemia
A highly infectious disease, tularemia can be transmitted to humans through the skin, eyes, mouth, or lungs with varying symptoms depending on the route of entry.
Transmission between rats and rabbits can be through several methods including bites and ticks.
This disease is particularly harmful to rabbits and has been known to decimate populations during an outbreak.
How do I protect my rabbits from rats?
For specific information on how to get rid of rats, see our detailed post about effective rat capture methods here.
Protecting your rabbit from rats starts with the hutch or cage (or in my case playhouse). Rat-proofing your hutch is essential if keeping a rabbit outside, especially in locations where rats are common.
Unfortunately, most pet store rabbit hutches are not only inadequate in terms of size and suitability but they are usually made from cheap low-cost materials that can easily be compromised by a resourceful rat, especially when those materials age and weaken through exposure to the elements.
Filling gaps, and replacing chicken wire with stronger rat-proof galvanized wire is a good start. If you are able and competent, we definitely recommend building your own outdoor rabbit enclosure using stronger materials like harder wood, this will make access more difficult.
Outside the hutch/enclosure try to close any perimeter gaps in your yard or garden. Ready-mix cement or gravel can be used to fill gaps underneath fence panels or gravel boards.
Most important of all is to ensure that food and water left for the rabbit is well out of reach. Aside from hay and water, never leave out more food than a rabbit can eat in one sitting – feeding twice, morning and early evening, and removing any leftover food after the rabbit has fed will also reduce the chance rats have to get at the rabbit’s food.
Should I use rat poison to get rid of rats?
Rat poison is the easiest way to get rid of a rat infestation, however, it should never be used around rabbits. It usually takes the form of sweet foods (grains, cereals, pasta) that appeal to rats and can also be very tempting to a rabbit.
Even if you were able to completely isolate the poison from the vicinity of your pets, there is still a risk that a rat may drag or scatter the poisoned foodstuff to areas where a rabbit may pick it up.
How to quickly get rid of rats
(Also how we got rid of our rat problem!)
For some, (especially animal lovers like myself) there is a certain amount of guilt associated with killing rats, especially young rats who have yet to live their lives, despite the way rats make us feel, they are just animals trying to survive.
However, the risks associated with rats in terms of hygiene and potential disease, not to mention the threat they pose to our rabbits, mean that most will want to get rid of rats quickly.
Having had a significant rat problem myself and trying several methods/trap types it’s my opinion that the old-fashioned ‘snap’ style rat trap is the cheapest and quickest way to get rid of rats.
Once triggered these traps can also be opened without the requirement to touch the rat, allowing it to be dropped directly into a waste bag (although the low cost means it’s easier to just throw both the body and the trap in the trash).
Easy to set up, several of these snap traps should be placed where rats have been sighted. For us, this was inside our rabbit run so my rabbits were temporarily relocated to accommodation inside the house until the infestation had been dealt with.
One important thing to remember when buying this type of trap is to pick one that is suited to the type of rodent you intend to catch, the idea of these traps is to break the neck – quickly killing the rodent instantly. Using traps meant for mice on rats may not kill them outright but instead, leave them trapped and suffering.
Bait traps with bacon, meats, and cereals. Alternatively, you can use sweet foods such as peanut butter, fruits, and chocolate.
Once caught and killed, there are a couple of ways you can get rid of the body:
1. Bury it in the garden and let it naturally complete the circle of life (decomposition).
2. Wrap it and bin it, a dead rat isn’t much different from meat trimmings and bones so it can go into your normal waste.
Always remember to use gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after handling a rat (even if you have only touched the trap).
How to get rid of rats humanely
If the idea of killing rats is too much for you, there is another option – humane cage traps that allow you to catch the pest without killing it.
These commonly work by placing bait on a platform inside. This is connected through a rod to the door and when the platform is disturbed (in this case when a rat attempts to get the bait) the door shuts behind, trapping the rat.
The problem with these traps is that rats are very intelligent and in my experience, it can often take days between putting the trap out and getting a catch. This delay is a problem given the rate at which a rat can breed and is time you often cannot afford when trying to prevent an infestation.
When you do eventually catch a rat you then have the trouble of getting the rat away from your place of residence, in my case, this meant traveling to the nearest park, and having a live rat in the car makes for a nerve-wracking trip even with the cage.
Although this method may seem kinder than a kill trap, rats released into unfamiliar territory are unlikely to last very long, they have many enemies including, birds and even other rats.
Wrap up
Rats can be a big problem for rabbit owners but the blame can’t really be attributed to a rabbit. Rabbits rely on us to keep them clean, healthy, and protected from predators and vermin through simple actions such as securing their home and food and ensuring they are cleaned regularly.
These simple measures go a long way towards keeping vermin such as rats away from your pets.
Sources
Further Reading
Getting Rid of Rats Around Rabbits? thriftyfun.com
Do Rabbits Attract Rats? peteducate.com
Do Rabbit Droppings Attract Mice or Rats? nomorepests.co.uk
