Nakia Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Warning: This is graphic and involves an animal's brutal death. :( I went to a pampered chef party this evening, and Patrick took the girls for ice cream. When they got home, there was a dead (headless) rabbit in our driveway. Not just any dead rabbit, but our neighbor's white pet rabbit. My husband has talked to our neighbor about letting his pet rabbits run lose. The neghbor acutally told Patrick last week that he "doesn't care if something happens to the rabbits". :confused: :( We live in the country, and there are lots of wild animals around here, not to mention the neighbor lives really close to the road. We've seen his rabbits at least 4 times in the last week. Anyway, we assumed our dog killed the rabbit (you might remember our beagle killed one of our chicks). But when Patrick went to move the rabbit, he noticed there was no blood, no scratches, no fur missing. Just a missing head. And it had not been torn or eaten off, but it was like it had been literally chopped off. We don't know what to make of this. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kchara Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Call the cops? That's creepy. And not normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 That's freaky weird; are your neighbors weird enough to do that?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 Call the cops? That's creepy. And not normal. Absolutely creepy and weird! I told Patrick we should call the cops, but he thinks that's over reacting. My youngest brother is on the sheriff's dept, so I'm going to give him a call. That's freaky weird; are your neighbors weird enough to do that?? No, I don't think so. All of our neighbors are elderly and very sweet. Well, the rabbit owner is kinda weird, but I don't think he is that weird. And I don't think he would kill his own rabbit. I don't know what's up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 :grouphug: I know it's scary when something like that happens. I don't know if my family just attracts that kind of stuff, but it has happened a few times to us. :glare: I don't know why it happens, or who does it, but it has never had any lasting negative effects on us. ;) 2 times it has been a baby deer, so not cool! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arghmatey Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 That is so sad, and I wouldn't be able to shake it off! I will definitely pray about this. My first thought was the owner, but obviously that is an unfair accusation by me. Poor bunny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Absolutely creepy and weird! I told Patrick we should call the cops, but he thinks that's over reacting. My youngest brother is on the sheriff's dept, so I'm going to give him a call. :iagree: Any chance a teen or kid did it as a weird prank?? That is creepy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 According to this article, this sort of thing can be done by a cat. http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100327/articles/3271013 At least that's what the animal services officers in this case thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Do you have owls in your area? I have had an owl kill one of our hens that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth in WA Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 It'd creep me out enough to call, in spite of Jean's entirely reasonably pointing out of facts. But I am already creeped out tonight. And wishing I remembered the right number to call/was in the right state to do so for another situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 (edited) According to this article, this sort of thing can be done by a cat. http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100327/articles/3271013 At least that's what the animal services officers in this case thought. Yup. I wouldn't dismiss an animal having killed the rabbit at all. We make assumptions about what a predator kill should look like but at times they're capable of the kind off efficiency we need a chopping block and cleaver for. At other times the way they kill is bizarre. There was a case here in the province where minks/ermines were getting into a barn, chewing a hole in the head of lamb's (ETA lamb's???? Has a kitten now died?)and eating their brains. Creepy, awful and totally natural. Edited May 6, 2011 by WishboneDawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Owls! In our area, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and squirrels can lose their heads to these menaces and their protected so the farmers can't shoot them. Owls beaks are very, very sharp. They swoop down and bite the head clean off a small animal. It's like a guillotine...makes a clean cut. UGH! My brother finally took an air gun (no noise) and took out the owl at his house. He stalked it at night. It killed four ducks and 16 chickens. He was tired of the DNR telling him he couldn't do anything about it and the state not reimbursing him for it. Additionally, this species of owl is not low in number. They aren't on a protected list, there is just some state restriction on shooting owls. So, watch the skies...you might end up losing more small animals in the area. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 We came home to five dead chickens a few years ago. 3 missing heads and 2 complete, but with holes in their neck and their blood gone - weasels! Don't freak - I'm sure it is something completely natural. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 There was a case here in the province where minks/ermines were getting into a barn, chewing a hole in the head of lamb's and eating their brains. Creepy, awful and totally natural. Ok, that is just gross. Where is the puking smiley? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 I hardly slept a bit last night, and when I did, I kept dreaming of dead rabbits. :tongue_smilie: Owls aren't out during the day, right? It was around 6 and still totally light out. I am not on top of my game right now, so I can't think straight. Our cats were inside, and no one else around has cats. This rabbit was as big or bigger than my biggest cat, who is pushing 20 lbs. And there was no blood! I am trying hard not to freak, but after replaying it in my mind all night, I still can't make sense of it. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 We have an owl who has been in a tree in front of our house for a few weeks and he is there and vocal day and night. I would be creeped out too -- but I think it could have been done by an animal. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talexand Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I think its a predator, too. I know its creepy but I have seen similar things. We have hawks, coyotes, bobcats, owls. What we don't have is people, our nearest neighbor is not close by so I never suspect that here. I would just shake it off and try to get the picture out of your head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 Thanks all. My brother, who is a deputy, recommended filing a report just in case. My husband and I agreed to do that so I just did. I think it's better to have this kind of thing documented in case it happens again. We live in a county where, unfortunately, this happens from time to time. :( I'm not going to worry about it anymore. I hope it was an animal, and I'm glad it wasn't my animals. We will be on the look out for owls and such. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in AL Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I know you're filing a report just in case, but I agree with the others that it was most likely a predator. Two or three years ago I found a brown (wild) bunny, headless, in my back yard. In my 6ft privacy fenced, padlocked back yard. It was just in the middle of the yard and there was no blood, no scratches, no fur ruffled, nothing. It was like a laser had cut off the head and cauterized as it went. I searched and searched for the head (wanted to find it 'sooner' rather than 'later') and I never did find it. It was a while later that I remembered hearing a great horned owl hooting in the trees a few nights before so I wondered if it could have been the owl. Either way, it was one of the most gross things I have ever had to clean up!! I hope you don't have to deal with that again. It is gross and traumatizing! :ack2: And it's even worse as it was someone's pet. Hopefully it was over so fast the bunny didn't know what happened! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I may be way off base but... when you keep chickens you learn weird things. One is that raccoons bite the heads off of their victims...and eat it. And that is all that they like to eat. The heads. I wonder if they do rabbits the same way. It may not be as sinister as you think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 I may be way off base but... when you keep chickens you learn weird things. One is that raccoons bite the heads off of their victims...and eat it. And that is all that they like to eat. The heads. I wonder if they do rabbits the same way. It may not be as sinister as you think I actually knew that about raccoons from reading about chickens. Aren't raccoons nocturnal? As you can tell, I am not up on my animal knowledge. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Yup. I wouldn't dismiss an animal having killed the rabbit at all. We make assumptions about what a predator kill should look like but at times they're capable of the kind off efficiency we need a chopping block and cleaver for. At other times the way they kill is bizarre. There was a case here in the province where minks/ermines were getting into a barn, chewing a hole in the head of lamb's (ETA lamb's???? Has a kitten now died?)and eating their brains. Creepy, awful and totally natural. Crickey! Totally having Star Trek ear wig flash backs and mildly spazzing over that one. Can you imagine the freaking the farmers did when they discovered that? New household policy: Kill all minks/ermines on sight. Just in case they might try to bore into my brain at some point. I suddenly need a q-tip. *shudder* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I actually knew that about raccoons from reading about chickens. Aren't raccoons nocturnal? As you can tell, I am not up on my animal knowledge. :tongue_smilie: Yes, but that doesn't mean they aren't awake during the day. Just that they are MORE awake and active at night. Raccoons are about during the day all the time, tho we usually don't see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Nakia, I will only share the details of this....so that you know we survived, with no ill effects ;). One time when dh was a pastor. He came in to the office and looked out his window to a very interesting sight. :tongue_smilie:Yes, the rabbits head was gone, there was nice neat little incision thru the abdomen. It was a very clean. Then there was a little pile of organs a little ways away :glare:. Yes, it was disturbing. Truthfully, we laugh about it now. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddykate Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I actually knew that about raccoons from reading about chickens. Aren't raccoons nocturnal? As you can tell, I am not up on my animal knowledge. :tongue_smilie: Not always. I had a raccoon come straight into my yard in broad daylight to rummage around my trash can. Instead of getting into the trash, he found a tasty little garden snake and proceeded to bite its head off right in front of me. He did finish eating the rest of the snake, but it all happened in the middle of the afternoon. I was standing no further than 15 feet from him the whole time - stunned that I was seeing a raccoon behaving in such a fashion. When he was done with the snake, he stood up and sauntered off into the woods, never even glancing in my direction. Strange! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 A predator can do this. My cat does this. We have found many headless chipmunks in our yard with no visible blood. The killing happens elsewhere and the prize is brought back home. If this was a disturbed person, I think just the head being left would be more creepy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 My cat used to do this with huge bull frogs...only the head missing with the body perfectly intact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Aren't raccoons nocturnal? As you can tell, I am not up on my animal knowledge. :tongue_smilie: We were told by animal control that nocturnal animals can come out during the day, especially when they have young to feed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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