If you have a rabbit in your yard or find a wild one on your property, chances are you want to catch and tame it; however, you should know that these animals usually do not submit, even after much training. In addition, some Regions have specific and restrictive regulations regarding the capture of wild specimens for domestic purposes, unless you have taken them to associations for the recovery of fauna. If you are not sure how to proceed, ask your veterinarian for more information about the current legislation. If you want to catch a rabbit and relocate it to a safe place, there are a few techniques for taming it.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Get it used to you
Step 1. Prepare for the fact that he will escape
In nature, rabbits are prey and therefore feel much more stress than the rest of the fauna; this means that the rabbit you are trying to catch will most likely try to escape as soon as you try to get close. His first instinct is to escape to reach a safe place.
Don't try to stop him when he escapes, otherwise you could stress him even more; it may even die, as rabbits can have heart attacks or go into shock, resulting in intestinal obstruction leading to not eating until death
Step 2. Lower yourself to its level
If you want him to get used to your figure and not consider yourself a hostile being, you should bend over when you approach him to look less threatening. If it comes close, don't react; sit on the ground motionless for as long as you can, it could even be hours; it may take several tries over several days before it gets used to your presence.
Step 3. Make sure you don't have any other animal odors on your body
If you smell like predators, like cats or dogs, the rabbit won't come close. Put on freshly laundered clothes and wash your hands before going outside to make sure you don't frighten the animal with residual odors.
Step 4. Arrange a food path
When you try to win the trust of a wild lagomorph, it leaves a trail of tasty tidbits that lead to you; you can put some green leafy vegetables, such as rocket, dandelion leaves or a few slices of carrot. By doing so, you teach him to trust you and you can try to tame him.
Step 5. Speak to him kindly
When trying to tame a wild animal, you need to speak calmly, gently, and in a low voice; in this way, you reassure him and do not create unnecessary fear.
Never shout or make loud noises; such behavior makes him run away to his hiding place
Step 6. Handle a scared animal
A terrified rabbit reacts by being completely stuck; these animals use this innate reflex to hide or trick predators into believing they are dead prey. If the rabbit behaves this way in your presence, know that it is not at all happy to see you and to be picked up by you; in reality he is completely terrified.
It may be tempting to grab the animal while it is in this catatonic state, but be aware that this is not a good way to help it; you could cause shock and other serious health problems up to a heart attack and death
Step 7. Do not lift it off the ground
If you do, avoid making him feel "suspended". Rabbits are animals that live on the ground and the loss of contact with the ground is a frightening experience for them, so much so that it can induce a state of shock or cardiac arrest.
You could also damage their paws irreversibly
Part 2 of 2: with a non-lethal trap
Step 1. Choose the right trap
If you want to catch the animal without handling it, an always better and less traumatic option, buy a non-lethal trap. Ask your forester or wildlife rescue center for advice so that they can lend you a device; if not, you can buy it yourself at the pet store.
You can also build a simple trap out of a cardboard box that you can close once the animal has entered it. To make it, you just need to lift one side of the box with a stick and drill a hole in one of the walls; tie a carrot or other bait to some thread, pass it through the hole and tie the other end to the stick. When the rabbit enters the box and bites into the tidbit, he yanks the stick and drops the box on him
Step 2. Put some tasty food in the trap
To attract the animal, place a few irresistible bites, such as carrots, green vegetables, or dandelion leaves.
Step 3. Place the trap in a safe place
If you want to catch the rabbit, you must put the container in a protected and sheltered place; by doing so, the animal feels safe enough to go in and eat the bait.
Step 4. Place it at the right time
Rabbits are typically most active at dusk and dawn; then prepare the trap with fresh food in these phases of the day. Remember to check it to see if you managed to get the animal.
Step 5. Place the trap in another location
Once you have captured the rabbit, cover the trap with a blanket to reassure the animal; lift the container, take it to the rabbit's new "home" and open the door to allow it to run away.
Make sure the place you have chosen is safe for the animal; you can ask the forest ranger or wildlife recovery center for more information
Warnings
- It is generally illegal to keep wildlife as pets, including rabbits; in many countries you cannot legally tame a wild rabbit.
- Never take bunnies out of the nest! Otherwise, you cause them serious health problems and even death; less than 10% of the pups removed from the nest survive.
