About your small animals

[Sweetie]

I just saw two bald eagles flying around high above the Warren Avenue Bridge here in Bremerton, WAthis afternoon. I would keep an eye on your rabbits and other animals. So they are coming out now since it is warming up. Right now this is only for those who are on the West Coast, since we are having good weather. The East Coast is getting a lot of snow, about 2 feet or more.

It was a beautiful site to see the bald eagles today I stood there and watched them fly around and it was awesome. I tried to get a pic but they were too high for my camera on my cell phone.

Please watch your rabbits and other small animals! Would not like to see any disappear.

 

[slavetoabunny]

We have hawks around my house. My bunnies are rarely outside though, and when they are they are well-supervised. The hawks won't come near if there are people moving about the rabbits.

 

[Sweetie]

Very true!

 

[MiniLopHop]

Actually it depends on how hungry they are. I had a friend that was unfortunate to have her bunny swooped off by a hawk right in front of her. It happened so fast she couldn't rescue the poor thing.

 

[SablePoint]

We have red shouldered hawks in my area. My rabbits have never been attacked, but it's still a possibility.

 

[Suz]

We have a bald eagle neighbor too. You can see his nest across the valley in our backyard. They have been having a rough couple years food-wise, so it really does depend on how hungry they are. He circles above Muppet's hutch every once in awhile, but luckily her hutch is like Fort Knox

 

[Sweetie]

Wow! Those posts were interesting. Always stay near your bunnies when they are outside in a pen or on a harness and leash. Also keep an eye out for any bird of prey and other predators.

I remember my rabbits going on alert mode when a strange cat was nearing them, when Sweetie thumped her foot, the cat darted away. To this day I am still very proud of them for doing what they did.

 

[Leowyldemi]

we have chicken hawks in our area, so i always kept howie inside because of it, i already saw one grab a squirrel and carry the poor thing off without effort, that's why when i get another it will likely be an inside bunny

 

[naturestee]

I live in town, and we have great horned owls and red tail hawks in the area (both of which regularly eat wild rabbits), plus stray cats and dogs, etc. So even in the city it isn't safe against predators. My rabbits aren't ever outside because our neighbor's dogs are scary. But it is really important to make sure your buns are in very sturdy, predator-proof housing if they are kept outdoors. If I had to keep my buns outdoors I'd prefer them to be in a shed.

 

[mistyjr]

I have known a small dog got caught by one. And the owners where outside with it. So yeah. you want to be careful.

 

[Flash Gordon]

when the coyotes are hungry enough around here weve seen them walking along the TOP of peoples cement block fence,looking in backyards for little pets...theyve even gone into houses thru the doggie doors.
kinda creepy looking in ur backyard and seeing a coyote scoping out ur yard from the top of ur fence....i dont know how they balance themselves up there...
and people STILL put up signs for their lost cats......geez.i used to live right by the edge of the desert and id hear the coyotes when they caught something...they make this crazy sound like they are celebrating..they sound like drunk girls laughing..i would hear them when they call out to each other too..its really eerie...u can hear them in total opposite directions but they keep calling out until u hear them find each other...then comes the yipping..
i had alot of Javalina come into my garage when i was working in there...not kewl...u smell em before u see them...ack ack...

 

[Violet23]

Scary! My buns live completely indoors, im too afraid to take them outside much more than for just a chnace in an xpen to munch some grass and get some fresh air...as fresh as city air can get really, lol

 

[AmberNBuns]

This brings a question to mind for me.

I often will crack open the rear slider on nice days and Theodore can come and go onto the back deck during the day. I have never seen predator birds (in my immediate area at least), and my dog barks at the slightest hint of anything moving by land around our house.

But hawks still concern me and I was thinking I should get one of those canvas gazebo things they sell at the Home Depot. They are the perfect size to completely cover my fenced-in deck.

Do you think something like that would make it less likely that a hawk might realize there is a bunny on the deck? I know these birds have incredible eyesight, so a visual barrier might work well. I just wonder if they might notice his presence by smell or sound perhaps.

And thanks for the reminder!

 

[Leowyldemi]

while it might not stop a hawk from seeing a bunny completely it might help, also might stop a stoop if they decide to swoop,if it's fenced in otherwise it might form a tent like area which might stop them unless they are incredibly determined,

 

[AmberNBuns]

Hmm... well I suppose it can do nothing but help. Plus I will be able to let him out for fresh air even if it is a little drizzly outside. I think I will go for it!

Incidentally, my husband has a story of when he was in Alaska with his papa and their yorkie terrier. I don't remember if it was a hawk or eagle, but something came to get their dog. Fortunately, that dog thought she was bigger than she really was, and saw the bird coming.

She snapped viciously at its talons and the thing backed up and flew to a branch, looking down at her with one eye as if to say "huh, my food usually doesn't try to eat me..." lol

 

[Sweetie]

Now that is funny! We all have to be careful with our small animals.

You are welcome for the reminder.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

When I was flying in and out of Whidbey 4 decades ago we saw a small dog get taken by an Eagle at a trailer park. It does happen. A protected run can give you peace of mind. I like the "Fort Knox" idea that Muppets owner has. My father used to live in the country and had chickens, so we had to do the same thing to keep all the critters out--chicken wire barely slows a Coyote.

 

[Sweetie]

Wow now that is something that I didn't know. Thank you Nancy McClelland for sharing that.