Raccoons are natural omnivores that are known to hunt a large range of prey. Many rabbit raisers or domestic rabbit owners wonder if raccoons are a predator to look out for, especially for their young rabbits.
So, do raccoons eat rabbits or do these two mammals share a more friendly relationship?
Yes, a raccoon will eat a rabbit. In fact, these intelligent omnivores will take any small rodent or rabbit they can get their hands on.
Will A Raccoon Kill A Rabbit
As National Geographic shares, raccoons prefer food found in water. That means their main diet consists of shellfish, crabs, crawfish, and frogs. However, they do not hesitate to hunt small birds, rodents, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and eggs.
That said, large raccoons will hunt and eat a small rabbit. However, when thinking about the risk that raccoons pose to your homestead or pet rabbits, remember these facts:
- Raccoons Are Most Active At Night – raccoons most often hunt and feed in the dark cover of night.
- Rabbits Are Crepuscular -this means your rabbit is naturally most active at day-break and evening twilight, so they usually settle down for the night in their hutch or house by the time night sets in.
- Predator Size vs Prey Size – you’d be hard pressed to find a small raccoon attacking a full grown rabbit (although it does happen), rather, be most protective of your baby rabbits as they are the preferred prey size for an adolescent or adult raccoon.
Can A Raccoon Catch A Rabbit
Raccoons do not sport the natural talents needed to chase down a fleeing rabbit. However, these omnivores are very smart and may find a way to surprise, trick, or trap a rabbit. In these instances, a raccoon can then overpower and kill the rabbit.
Will A Raccoon Eat A Baby Rabbit
Like snake predators Will A Snake Eat A Rabbit and owl predators Do Owls Eat Rabbits, raccoons find baby rabbits an easy target. In fact, it is safe to say that baby rabbits are targeted more than adult rabbits by predators such as raccoons, as immature rabbits’ smaller size and lack of strength make them easier to hunt.
How To Keep Raccoons Away
As a rabbit owner that now knows raccoons are a legit bunny predator, you may wonder how you can keep your rabbits safe from them. Fortunately, there are a few tricks that we practice on our own hobby farm that have worked well and we want to share them with you.
How To Keep Raccoons Away From Rabbits
As stated, raccoons are smart and resourceful animals. They will take advantage of any situation or tool and use it to assist in hunting, gathering, and enjoying a meal. This means you must be smart and sure about a few things when it comes to your rabbits.
- Ensure there are no holes in the floor, top, or walls of your rabbit’s hutch or house – any gap, no matter how small, is immediate access for a raccoon.
- Place your rabbit’s hutch or house above the ground – make sure it is at least 2-3ft high in a clear area, using thin but sturdy legs that discourage climbing.
- Patch up any tears in the hutch or house wiring – if you patch gaps as soon as you notice them, your rabbit will be much safer.
- Do not let your rabbits roam at night – we enjoy giving our rabbits outside time in a protected rabbit yard during the day, but always bring them back to their hutches well before nightfall to avoid dangers.
- Store rabbit food properly – opt for a lockable, metal container that is kept away from, or at least not right beside, your rabbit’s hutches.
- House your rabbits inside if possible – a hutch or house inside a well-sealed barn, garage, or house will make a night attack by a raccoon very unlikely.

How To Keep Raccoons Away From Baby Rabbits
Because baby rabbits are most vulnerable to raccoon attacks, here are some tips for keeping raccoons away from immature rabbits:
- Do not let baby or immature rabbits roam away from their mother; mother rabbits are fierce and will defend their babies well if danger approaches.
- Do not let baby or immature rabbits out in the yard as they can easily get lost
- Do not let baby or immature rabbits out after nightfall
How To Keep Raccoons Away From Your Garden
As natural omnivores, raccoons enjoy many fruits and veggies just as much as meat proteins. If your home or farm has a garden it may be a temptation for local raccoons to start visiting your property; if they do that they will surely sniff out your bunnies. So, here are some thoughts on keeping raccoons at bay from your garden:
- Fence your garden using a two-fence method that is made of sturdy wiring and at least 1ft above the ground.
- Keep garbage in lockable, metal cans far away from your garden or rabbits houses.
- Remove any tasty treats like birdseed from your garden space or where you house your bunnies.
- Use movement detecting lights around your garden at night to scare away any curious critters.
- Use naturally strong spice raccoon repellents such as cinnamon or cayenne pepper around your garden area.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To
Will A Raccoon Kill A Rabbit
What Animal Kills Rabbits At Night?
There are a number of natural rabbit predators that will not hesitate to hunt and kill a rabbit at night. Examples include birds of prey such as owls, other mammals such as foxes, and reptiles such as snakes.
How Do I Protect My Rabbits From Raccoons?
The best way to protect your rabbits from raccoons is by following the suggestions mentioned in this post, which include:
- proper rabbit food storage
- speedy repair of any damage to your rabbits’ house
- housing your rabbits in a secure location.
Here is a graphic video of a raccoon eating a rabbit!!!
Final Thoughts on Do Raccoons Eat Rabbits
There you have it, the most important information to know about protecting your homestead or pet rabbits from pesky and tricky raccoon predators.
Let us know if you have any other questions about raccoons and rabbits, or any other potential rabbit predator, we would love to hear from you.