# Is the mouse under my rabbit hutch a problem?



## ModVal

I've just discovered a mouse is lodging under my rabbits hutch. I saw it when I cleaned it last weekend. It ran away, but came back and keeps pinching the rabbits fruit mix! The rabbit hutch is under a porch close to the house and is raised on bricks, but the mouse is bedding underneith. I've put a trap down to try to catch it, but wonder if its a threat to the rabbit?

The rabbit also has access to a run next to the rabbit hutch and we've built a bridge from the hutch door to the run, so the rabbit isn't confined to the rabbit hutch of a night.

But I wonder if the mouse is a major problem? I'm not bothered with it being around, but if its likely to cause a nuisance or be a threat to the rabbits health then I will make an extra effort to get rid of it.

Comments and tips much appreciated

Thanks

Val


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## Guest

Hey Val,

I had a Rabbit a few years ago, it had a hutch out side and a run and we sed it on the pet store food which attracts rodents. We descoverd a mouse had been scambering around because the food had attracted it and then a rat had befrended him and moved in! it was stealing all his food and had a nest under the run which had wooden slats for floor and chaned his food. We had no choice but to take action and had someone remove the rat for us, and we slabbed the area the rabbit lived on, we hope'd this would solve the problem. But another rat came back, burrowed under the fence behind the rabbit and lived under the slabs! eek. It built a nest and had babys! so again blocked the holes and took action. 
The Rabbit has since found a new home with my boyfriends sister, not for those reasons!
But we are having a lot of problems with Rats and mice now, and it has been since we had the rabbit. Even to the point the mice came into our house but that have gone now. 
Personaly would get rid of the Mouse, to aviod the problems i had 
I would have one of the dogs to get hold of a Rat so now have to keep an eye out, not nice 

P.S i dont want to seem like an un humane person as i hate the thought of harming animals, just dont want rats living in my garden, but they seem like they are here to stay and we are tearing our hair out with them! have tryd everything to make them stay away but i dont think it will happen.


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## ModVal

Hey Natasha.....thank you for replying. I guess mice and rats can be a nuisance rather than a health hazzard. Although if they start breeding then that will be problem! The hutch is on a concreted area, but the mice had made a bed from the leaves that had blown in from the yard. I do sweep daily, but I guess with the cold weather and food on demand from the rabbit bowl is too much of a temptation for the mouse! So far, I think there's only one of them, but I'm going to remove the food bowls of a night to discourage it and I've put a humane trap down to see if I can catch it anyway. Then I'll take it down the end of the road and let loose in some woodland! 

But I think you're spot on when you mention the food. I think this is attracting it. So rabbit will have to make do with cabbage, carrots and hay until the morning!

Cheers

Val


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## Guest

good idea 
well it might not be a health hazard yet but all it taked is for the mice to nip the rabbit, or a rat to move in and not want to share, i dont know much about what mice carry these days but i would imagine its nothing healthy.


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## sullivan

The only problem is a mouse can turn very quicly into mice and then they can try and make a nest in the hutch . Wild mice to carry mites and whilst going into the hutch will wee on your rabbits food of which can cause infection and diease. I wouldnt be happy with a mouse so near my rabbit. Your have to keep a close eye.


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## PoisonGirl

i agree with sullivan
my dads rabbit had a friend mouse. it then turned into a family. then rats drove them out
try and get rid of it


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## ModVal

Thanks for comments people...it's much appreciated.

I've now blocked off underneith and around the hutch as much as possible + don't leave food in the downstairs part of the hutch of a night. I've also had a humane trap down to try to catch the mouse, but there are no signs that it's come back. I had a thorough clean out today (well, I do that every week anyway) and there were no mouse droppings, which is one sign that it's around.

It is worrying that they can start nesting in the hutch, so will continue to monitor. 

Thanks again everyone. 

Val


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## ColeosMummy

My bunnys a house bunny so cant answer that
when i had out door bunnies when i was younger they was sometimes mice hanging around, didnt seem to be a problem x


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## sophialouise

n-a-t-a-s-h-a said:


> Hey Val,
> 
> I had a Rabbit a few years ago, it had a hutch out side and a run and we sed it on the pet store food which attracts rodents. We descoverd a mouse had been scambering around because the food had attracted it and then a rat had befrended him and moved in! it was stealing all his food and had a nest under the run which had wooden slats for floor and chaned his food. We had no choice but to take action and had someone remove the rat for us, and we slabbed the area the rabbit lived on, we hope'd this would solve the problem. But another rat came back, burrowed under the fence behind the rabbit and lived under the slabs! eek. It built a nest and had babys! so again blocked the holes and took action.
> The Rabbit has since found a new home with my boyfriends sister, not for those reasons!
> But we are having a lot of problems with Rats and mice now, and it has been since we had the rabbit. Even to the point the mice came into our house but that have gone now.
> Personaly would get rid of the Mouse, to aviod the problems i had
> I would have one of the dogs to get hold of a Rat so now have to keep an eye out, not nice
> 
> P.S i dont want to seem like an un humane person as i hate the thought of harming animals, just dont want rats living in my garden, but they seem like they are here to stay and we are tearing our hair out with them! have tryd everything to make them stay away but i dont think it will happen.


Natasha

I know it sounds cruel, rats of more of a pest and can get out of control. They are attracted to rabbit food and once they have made a nest, they will continue to be a pest and carry on reproducing. The only way to get rid of them is to take course of action, which i know is very unpleasant. They can also pass on disease to humans and animals. My friend had a problem with them and was advised to use rat killer pellets to get rid of them, which seems to have done the trick. Hope this helps


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## hazyreality

I keep a bait box with rat poison in at all times in our garden now as we had a problem with them before. Mice tend to not cause any problems in my shed when I do occasionally get one(they eat the poison usually before I see them) but I hate wild rats!
When we had a problem with the rats they chewed through all the hutches and the plastic dustbins with food in and made nests everywhere. I had a guinea pig killed and eaten, 2 baby guineas just disapeared :crying: I then went out their one day and found that Chalky the rabbit had been attacked by a rat. He had multipul wounds on his head, it just missed his eyes, it was touch and go for a while. After the attack he was blind(possibly caused by the stress) and when he died at 8yr old(4yrs after the attack) he had never got his sight back   :crying: so if the mouse can turn to mice and the mice can turn to rats then I would get rid of it asap.

*Heidi*


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## Tink82

This thread is almost a year old?!

And for 9 replies (10 now) it has A LOT of views :yikes:


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## hazyreality

hadnt realised that lmao  Just looking thru the rabbit bit and this was with the other new ones so I read and replied!

*Heidi*


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## emzybabe

I personally would put the very fine wire mesh all over to stop the mice from feeding I wouldnt be able to cope with mice let a lone rats


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## Guest

ModVal said:


> I've just discovered a mouse is lodging under my rabbits hutch. I saw it when I cleaned it last weekend. It ran away, but came back and keeps pinching the rabbits fruit mix! The rabbit hutch is under a porch close to the house and is raised on bricks, but the mouse is bedding underneith. I've put a trap down to try to catch it, but wonder if its a threat to the rabbit?
> 
> The rabbit also has access to a run next to the rabbit hutch and we've built a bridge from the hutch door to the run, so the rabbit isn't confined to the rabbit hutch of a night.
> 
> But I wonder if the mouse is a major problem? I'm not bothered with it being around, but if its likely to cause a nuisance or be a threat to the rabbits health then I will make an extra effort to get rid of it.
> 
> Comments and tips much appreciated
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Val


put a mouse trap under


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## ModVal

Hi everyone,

thank you so much for the helpful comments. Its so interesting to read how others have dealt with a similar situation. Much appreciated. 

To date the mouse seems to have stayed away. I also have two cats and one of them likes to hunt mice, so maybe the combination of me being vigilant, taking up the food of a night (rabbit still has hay to eat upstairs in the bedding area) and the cats, the problem is solved for now. I haven't seen any rats, but I'm sure they are around next door who's garden is a real tip and overgrown. We have foxes in the neighbourhood which is now my greatest worry. Although my rabbit is as well secured but people have said that foxes can be quite determined, but if anyone has any tips, please share.

Thanks again my friends

Val


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## JILLUK

I have 3 rabbits all in seperate cages,one is female she is in a large double teir hutch,one is male in a large hutch,and screwed on the top of this is an identical hutch to the one below with another male in! Now this is the baffling thing... I have a "creature" that is visiting in the night,that has bitten and knawed the TOP cage just on the door not much but enough to be noticed,its never touched the BOTTOM cage or the double cage? WHY? 
Why go to all the trouble to climb 4ft to nibble and knaw at a cage when there is the same cage at the bottom with exactly the same stuff inside,same food etc...!
We found pathways down a hole that we dug up on the weekend just passed, we found nothing, we expected to find a nest of rats or mice but nothing!....
We found yesterday a hole that has appeared from said area again!
Whatever it is, is disturbing my rabbits at night making them bang there back feet! 
We have put down large rat/mouse traps with tasty baits such a choc chip muffins/cheese and such which you would expect a rodent to eat and nibble on! But no these traps lay un touched and still set the morning after!
Could anyone have ANY ideas what could be the animal doing this?
Thankyou


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## emzybabe

is it knawing on the outside or the hutch? I would put down some of your rabbits food coz thats what its after. Ive had a lot of visits from squirrels recently


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## JILLUK

emzybabe said:


> is it knawing on the outside or the hutch? I would put down some of your rabbits food coz thats what its after. Ive had a lot of visits from squirrels recently


Hiya Emzybabe, its on the outside of the hutch,but only has done it too ONE of the hutches and not touched the other 2! Im confused at what it actually could be!


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## GrahamDavis

Hello, I just looked out this morning to see a wild rabbit running around outside of my rabbits hutch and run. On further inspection it seems to be living underneath my rabbits hutch. I was just wondering if anyone knows if this is a risk to my rabbit or if its ok to leave the wild rabbit where it is? 

My rabbit seems very excited and pleased about having a friend as he hopped over to the edge of his run to say hello and now he is sunbathing and doesn't seem bothered about the lodger under his house.

Thank you,

Graham


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## emzybabe

are u sure the rabbit is completely wild? or not just brown colouring but a domesticated rabbit? yes it can carry fleas, mites myxomatosis and VHD. Is your rabbit alone? if he is I would really recommend getting him a neutered friend from your nearest rescue centre, its so lovely to see rabbits enjoying rabbit company


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