Something scaring at night....

[MissyAndMoonlight]

This has happened about 2 times now, were a member of my family (normally a parent since their bedroom window is right above the cage) has woken up sometime in the night (last night was at 4:00 AM) to find Missy thumping her foot- loudly. The only time Missy ever thumps is when a dog or other threatening animal (threatening in their eyes) is very near their cage, other than cats.

We have shut and locked the gate in the fence beside them, but if this happens again (as I think it will) what should I do? I have a few ideas but would love to hear some others.
Thanks!!!

 

[Chewy-de-Lionhead]

Do you have access to a Gamecam? It will capture pictures of what is getting near the hutch, if you can get your hands on one. That would be my first move.

 

[MissyAndMoonlight]

No, I do not have access to anything like a Gamecam or Trail cameras. That was my first thought too, but the only person I know who has them lives in a different state.

 

[majorv]

A trail camera might or might not catch whatever is bothering her. We have a couple of trail cameras we use to monitor anyone coming to our front door, but I diverted one to train on our rabbits for a week when I kept finding orange peels on the ground around them. Turns out roof rats were coming around to eat acorns and garbage and leaving the scraps. The camera didn't catch them because they were too small and fast. Just FYI, you can find game cameras for under $100 on sale.

 

[MissyAndMoonlight]

We heard Missy thumping again last night. I went outside and looked around, but I couldn't find anything. We are thinking there could possibly be a raccoon out there, which is why we can't easily see it. Any other ideas??

 

[Azerane]

Foxes, raccoons, possums etc. Any animal that your rabbit is unfamiliar with could give them a fright. The animal doesn't even have to be by the cage, but it's possible they can smell and hear them nearby.

 

[Preitler]

Also, it can be just a cat.

They may ignore them by daylight, but my bunnies get much more skittish and nervous when it get's dark, they did thump at the same cat they sniff at in daylight.

 

[flemishwhite]

Our previous house rabbit, Bunny, slept in out bedroom. She was a house rabbit and had not been caged for over 10 years. I always felt safe with her sleeping in our bedroom. If anything unusual happened she would start thumping. An unusual noise, a back yard gate loose and banging in the wind, someone walking in the house at night, ...thump, thump. Some of her thumping was a mystery. I think she was detecting skunks, possums, racoons, outside of the house.

Bunny has passed. We now have two Flemish baby rabbits. When we go to bed we put them in a pen in the living room. They are now 11 weeks old and no longer want to be penned. I'd really like to have them just sleep in our bedroom. My wife is so far resistant. I'd really like to have bunnies sleep in our bedroom..they sort of are like watch dogs.