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Talkback: Rabbits and myxomatosis

happymarionhappymarion Posts: 4,591
Well said, Pippa. I remember the poor rabbits strewn about the country roads in dreadful distress in the early fifties when I used to go cycling in the East Yorkshire countryside. It was very distressing.
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  • lijemclijemc Posts: 5
    I know you can't publish what you really think about that man, but I bet I share your sentiments. Humans are a cruel race at times.
  • In 2010 I had to have 2 rabbits put down who contracted myxomatosis. They were in the early stages of the disease, but it is the most horrible disease designed by man. I was really devasted to have them put down as there is no cure. I now have the remainder rabbits injected every 6 months so they don't get the disease. This is not a quick death it is like you say slow and painful. I think when pet shops sell rabbits they should inform people to get them injected to save the heart ache of them getting the disease. It is about time there was a cure for this disease.
  • I have rabbits in my country garden, they eat everything except the weeds! I've never forgiven them for eating all my young hellebores!

    However, a year or so back I found a young rabbit sitting quietly at the edge of my garden, he didn't look well and made no attempt to move off when I got close up to him. His eyes were almost shut and he looked as if he was ready to nod off, however, he had disappeared when I came back to check on him.

    What are the symptoms of "myx"?
  • enzoenzo Posts: 6
    Couldn't agree more, a horrible way to go. it tends to come in waves through areas, leaving a few resistant rabbits who increase in number till it returns and kills them off again. May not be very palatable but i put them out of there misery if i can get to them, i don't have the heart to leave them to die so slowly.
  • ToobusyToobusy Posts: 1
    Yes myxi is dreadful but I am a really keen gardener and about to move into a property with hundreds of rabbits in the quarry and fields surrounding my plot. Their holes have been burrowed underneath my walled garden and I live in fear of falling down one and spraining my ankle. (I do not have any Alice in Wonderland yearnings)Once the house has been renovated I would love to make a small allotment area again and grow my own veg. But will I ever be able to with these PESTS. Someone told me to get a couple of cats and rabbits will be deterred from coming into the garden. Anyone heard this "folklore" remedy to work.
  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    A terrier would be even better!

  • backyardeebackyardee Posts: 132

    I hope that the Roman who decided to bring rabbits and large brown snails to England to feed his troops during the invasion died uncomfortably of obesity or such like and is now full of remorse!image

    Having just started to be invaded by the pesky bunny wabbits after 9 years, and having a garden full of herbasceous perennials that 95% are classed as wabbit food is making me hopping mad.  Elmer fudd and I have a lot in common, but I intend to get my wabbit.

  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488
    Homelovingirl31 wrote (see)
    What are the symptoms of "myx"?

    They tend to get eye infections from the virus making them almost blind. When you see wild Rabbits near people  - as in people walking past - then that is normally a sign that myx is in the area. It kills them pretty quickly.

  • Laura CorinLaura Corin Posts: 59
    It comes through here in waves too. There was a rabbit sitting by the road on Thursday - luckily my neighbour was prepared to dispatch it.



    I'm not good at dispatching rabbits myself. Shortly after we moved here there were Myxi rabbits in the garden. I tipped one into a bin liner, tied the top (so it would suffocate) and put it in the bin. Two hours later, I went to put something else in the bin, only to see the live rabbit and the shredded bag at the bottom. It was not strong enough to avoid me, but it had enough self-preservation to chew its way out of the bag. Since then, I've left the rabbits to the foxes: we have a healthy fox population so I suspect the rabbits don't suffer for long. I've certainly found several dismembered rabbits recently.



    There are one, two, three, four, five, six healthy little rabbits living under my woodpile. I have an area of garden fenced off and elsewhere I experiment with rabbit-unpalatable plants. So far, the winners are buddleia, alliums, lambs' ears, hellebores, euphorbia, daffodils, muscari, iris, rosemary and heather.
  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Trying to suffocate any animal by putting it in a bag in the bin is illegal.  It should be humanely dispatched, or left alone.

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