Rabbits can get out of their hutch for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they burrowed a way out underneath, or maybe you forgot to lock the gate before stepping away for a moment. Either way, once your rabbit gets out, what can you do about it?
Should you sit back and wait for them to come home, or are there some other steps you should take to improve your chances?
The truth is while a rabbit can find their way home, this isn’t something you should count on. We’ll explain why and everything you need to know to find your lost rabbit.
Will a Rabbit Find Their Way Home?
While a lost rabbit might find their way home, this isn’t their strong suit. Most of the time, a lost rabbit will not return home unless you provide some sort of incentive for them to do some, and even then, they’ll only come back home if they’re close enough to find home.
Rabbits do not have a strong “homing instinct,” and because of this, you need to get out and actively look for and encourage your rabbit to come home if they get lost.
Tips for Getting Your Rabbit Home Safely
If your rabbit does get out, you don’t want to just sit back and hope they make it home. The good news is that there are a few things you can do to significantly improve your chances of getting your rabbit back home. We’ve highlighted five things you should do if your rabbit gets out.
1. Put Out Their Favorite Treats
If your rabbit has a favorite treat, put it in their hutch and then put the hutch outside. This will make it more likely for them to come back, even if it’s just for a bite of their favorite food! However, you’ll need to keep an eye on the hutch with their food. Otherwise, they might come for their favorite treat, eat it, then leave.
2. Look Around a Few Blocks
While you might think your rabbit has ventured way out there, that’s not typical behavior. Instead, rabbits tend to stay relatively local and hide. They’re prey, and they know that there are things out there that want to get them.
Because of this, they’re excellent hiders, so you’ll need to look under every nook and cranny if you want to find them. Check under cars, in holes, and underneath anything outside.
3. Use Their Bonded Friend
If you have another rabbit, we highly recommend bringing them with you during your search. You’ll need to keep them in their hutch so they don’t escape too, but if they’re in the hutch and the escaped rabbit sees them, they’re more likely to come out.
If they don’t have a bonded friend, it’s not the end of the world, but it will make it easier to find them if you do have one.
4. Let People Know
If your rabbit gets out, the more people who know about it the better. You’ll want to let as many people in your neighborhood as possible and let them know how to reach you if they see your rabbit. This increases the likelihood of you getting your rabbit back as quickly as possible.
5. Reach Out to Local Vets and Shelters
If someone else finds your rabbit they won’t know it’s yours or even who your vet is. There’s a good chance they’ll take it to the closest shelter, so you’ll want to reach out to them and let them know the rabbit is missing.
Not only that, but often, the shelter will reach out to local vets, or they might check for microchips and know who exactly to reach out to.
Can a Domestic Rabbit Survive in the Wild?
While you might see tons of wild rabbits and bunnies in your area, a domestic rabbit does not have what it takes to survive in the wild. Domestic rabbits haven’t developed the necessary survival instincts to forage for food, evade predators, and handle all the natural elements.
Because of this, you don’t want to sit back and wait to see if your rabbit will come home or not. It’s imperative that you get out there and actively start looking for your rabbit as soon as possible. This way, you can find them before something happens to them.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about what you can do to help find your rabbit, it’s time for you to get out and find them! Whatever happens, don’t give up hope. Sometimes a lost rabbit can find their way home even a few months after they get out.
It’s not an ideal situation, but if you take an active role in finding your rabbit, there’s a good chance you can get them home safely before anything happens!
Featured Image Credit: homeyopito, Shutterstock
