tmcdanel
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Fencing that allows Rabbits but blocks Cats

Our cats keep killing the baby rabbits in the spring that live under our deck.
Does anyone know of a fencing that is sized to allow mother rabbits but block cats?

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I’m not sure if this will help, but I think essentially, both animals can get through a gap/hole that their head fits through when they can also get their shoulders through by off-setting the shoulder joints/blades (shoulders are not squared). So this will depend on size of the rabbits in your garden and size of your cats.

Also, from observation, I would say that cats will deliberately explore and work out access, then use repeatedly and intentionally. Rabbits seem to panic and forget where the even most regularly used access hole is, if frightened.

- Most of the time, rabbits cannot seem to jump over more than 24 inches (obviously, cats can jump to scramble over even a 5 ft fence)
- I typically use wire fencing sold as “rabbit fence” to protect my garden beds — these have vertical Wires approximately 4 inches apart, and horizontal wires that are 1/2 inches apart at the bottom that are gradually increased to 1 inch, and 2 inch and then 4 inch at approximately 18 inch high. Occasionally I have had clever mama rabbits that manage to jump through the 4x4 square at that height to get in/out of garden beds.
- Baby bunnies and some younger rabbits can get through the 2 inch gap.

I thought about these YouTube videos that I enjoyed previously for general idea about cats and size of access holes/gaps:





...complete speculation, but I wonder if a rabbit might be more inclined to use a tight & narrow, buried tubing access (like a drain pipe) than a cat....? KEY feature must be that it will stay dry or will drain and dry since rabbits can get sick from being soaked.

imafan26
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If these are your cats you are trying to control it will be difficult. Applestar is correct cats do use their whiskers to measure the size of the opening their body will fit through. If the rabbits are the same size as the cats then it would be hard to find a hole small enough for the rabbit and not for the cat. If the rabbits are smaller then the cat, the hole has to be smaller than the width of the cat's whiskers.

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TomatoNut95
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Rabbits are garden pests, but I did used to own a pet rabbit. Being rodents, they can squeeze through small spaces with seemingly no trouble. Isn't there a way to deter the rabbits that are nesting under your house?



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