Neighbours' pet rabbits ate all my plants!

[TrixC]

I love to grow different varieties of chillies and tomatoes which I raise from seed each year - quite a lot of time and effort since I don't have a greenhouse. We came home from a week's holiday yesterday to discover the neighbours' rabbits have been running loose in our garden and on the patio where many of the chillies and other plants were growing in containers. They have eaten almost all of my chilli and aubergine plants to the ground, along with some tomatoes and a bunch of other things. The only chilles that have survived are a couple of more established plants which I had overwintered.

We live in suburban London so rabbits are not a problem we are used to dealing with. We thought the neighbours in question had one rabbit but it seems to have had babies and they are roaming free, we found two of the babies in the garden this morning but couldn't manage to catch them. We had seen the larger (mother?) rabbit in the garden previously but thought we had managed to block her access with bricks.

We have only been in this house for about 6 months and haven't met the neighbours in question yet. Their garden is scruffy and full of rubbish and they don't really seem like the sort of people we'd naturally connect with, but neither do I want to get offside with them. I'm not sure how to go about speaking to them about the rabbits as I'm really upset by the loss of all these plants that I have been nurturing since the winter. Is it too much to expect they could keep their pets in their own garden? I've read that burying fencing wire is a potential solution but I can't see how we could access the area without removing a large strip of concrete down the side of our house.

Any suggestions?

[Queen of Spades]

You can get a cage trap that will catch them but not hurt them, then take them round and explain what they've done. Hopefully the neighbours will take the hint. Otherwise you could catch them again and have a good few pies?

[noviceveggrower]

Think you need to point out to your neighbours that the rabbits have escaped, been in your garden and caused damaged to your plants. Tell them that you feel they need to know that they are able to get out and that they could get injured.
Could you put wire against the holes and pin it against the fence with tubs to save having to dig up the concrete?

[veggiechicken]

Can the rabbits get out onto the road from your garden? Or do you have a cat or dog - or one you can borrow?
Go and see your neighbours and tell them you're worried that the bunnies may get harmed if they continue to stray into your garden and suggest they enclose them somehow. Unless you tell them they may not realise they're escaping.
Its always good to know your neighbours anyway. You may not want to socialise with them but having a neighbour who will take a parcel in etc is always worth having

[rustylady]

We have only been in this house for about 6 months and haven't met the neighbours in question yet. I'm not sure how to go about speaking to them about the rabbits

Any suggestions?

Knock on their door, introduce yourself nicely and explain the problem

[Jungle Jane]

My neighbours rabbit came in my garden once,my cat got really excited,ready to pounce,I was worried for the rabbits safety,went round the neighbours,she wasn't worried. I don't think some owners can even catch the rabbits they own,or have the same morals in caring about destruction to others gardens. If this has just happened,I'd give myself a week of planning what to say before I go round there,plus it will give you time to be calm when you do talk about it,it always works best.

[TrixC]

Thanks all. We don't have a cat or a dog (partner is allergic), although there are a lot of cats in the area and we also see foxes in our garden quite often, so it doesn't seem the safest place for a baby rabbit. The rabbits can't get out onto the road from our garden as it's an end terraced house surrounded by other gardens on all sides.

Perhaps I should try the cage trap, but a quick google has it at about £30, that seems like quite a lot to spend if the end result is I have to give the rabbit back to the neighbour only for them to release it again!

Good idea to try to rig something up with wire along the bottom of the fence - will take a look and see if this is possible.

[rustylady]

Trix - go talk to your neighbour

[muddled]

Really,
Just TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBOUR!!!!

Before anything else, just start at the beginning with a simple conversation.
Hello, my name is ....
I live downstairs.
I'm afraid your rabbits are escaping your garden. Did you know? Only they're doing quite a lot of damage......

Chances are, your neighbours might be lovely, offer to buy you new plants, keep their rabbits contained and become lifelong friends despite your disaproval of the way they keep their garden.
If they turn out to be vile, catch the bunnies and give to a rescue...job done.

But you won't know untill you start that conversation!

[Scarlet]

I agree with Rusty, no harm in talking to the neighbours. The garden may be neglected but it doesn't mean they aren't nice and they genuinely may not realise what damage they have caused.

[mothhawk]

Yes, talk first. If they are not willing to confine the rabbits, you might suggest that you thought you'd seen a rat, and so you intend putting down rat bait in your garden (You don't actually have to), and as rabbits are just as likely to eat the bait as other rodents, it's important, and their responsibility, to make sure they are prevented from accessing your property.

If that doesn't make them care, then catch them and pass them on to the RSPCA as strays.

[mothhawk]

The other thing is, if your neighbours are not closing in the rabbits at night, then pretty soon they will make their own arrangements with regards to burrows, under a shed or house wall etc, and then you'll never catch them all, and all those babies will start breeding themselves at 6 months

[donksey]

I would try asking the neighbours nicely, if that failed I'd catch and eat them.

[Guest]

Talk to your neighbours, they should be used to handling their pet so it is best to give them a chance to deal with it first.

I met one of my neighbours after their dog bit me and I felt so sorry for my neighbour because she was crying and panicing about the whole situation. Although I would be more annoyed at losing all my plants than having a bruise

[veggiechicken]

I would try asking the neighbours nicely, if that failed I'd catch and eat them.

You can't eat the neighbours - that's just not right