Our own cat runs away from our rabbit when he's out - our cat isn't very big and he's 14 now as well - but there's little doubt that other cats in the area would kill the rabbit if they could get at him, younger and bigger cats.

You also need to bear in mind that foxes are about during the day as well as the evening and night - one was in our neighbour's garden the other day.

We never let ours out unattended but he does have a small run perminantly attached to his hutch for those times when he's not allowed out.

I have to agree with the point about foxes I remember when a fox got into the chicken house at my mothers place it was a scene of carnage, and they certainly didn't bother carrying anything much away.

A farm cat I used to know hunted rabbits it was her staple diet since she wasn't fed by the farmer and lived in the barn, but somewhere else I knew this place backed onto the fields and the family dog would hunt them too, saw him catch one once, gave it a good shake to break it's neck, I dunno why he never bothered to eat them just carried them around in his mouth until he got bored and left them on the lawn in front of the house.

I think if you introduce the rabbits to the pet cat gradually they'll be fine, same as any introduction, but if you're talking about the neighbours cats... maybe not a good idea to let your rabbits roam unsecured.

My cat and rabbit love playing together. Jacob chases Bella, she hides, Jacob bounces off and Bella pounces after him, and the cycle continues They're a funny, unlikely pair

I'm sure it's not always as nice though.

If you had left it as was (I suspect your mother cleared the carnage) the fox would have returned for more.

The problem the fox has is that it hasn't yet evolved to understand enclosed chickens - or rabbits or anything else. In the wild, if the fox came upon a group of prey animals, it would only have the chance to kill one or two while the rest legged it to burrows or up into trees out of reach.

In an enclosed space, the chicken or rabbit can't do that so the fox kills because it doesn't have any way of reasoning that "it has enough". Afterwards, given opportunity, it will return to the scene and gradually carry off more carcases and even bury some of them as insurance against a time when there will be less food available.

The fox is not at fault if it gets into an enclosure - we are for not making our prey animals sufficiently secure.

Yes, they're cute aren't they. Another fox got into a neighbour's duck pond and killed several pet ducks. It was still around in the morning so my stepfather thoughtfully went and got his shotgun and helped it into the next life.

I have two bunnies and they're out all day. I leave their house/hutch open - they come and go as they please. We have a lot of cats around here but none really come into the back garden - it has a high wall all the way around but I know they could get in there but don't. I really don't think they would do much if they saw them. It's foxes that concern me but not seen any round here. When I do unfortunately my two will not be roaming free.

It's nice that you're thinking of letting your rabbits have run of the garden. My god, I hate it when people just have rabbits and they're couped up all day every day - totally unfair

In the Seventies my Dad had a cat who loved bunnies and 'edg'ogs." He would bring home the babies alive.

I second what most have said, but would like to mention birds of prey which will also have a go at your rabbits in the garden so keep your rabbit in a run (decent size) with good weldmesh wire.

I don't know my birds of prey but a fair sized thing with talons swooped down and tried to latch the mesh of our run with us only a few meters away on the patio.

had a cat i've not seen before come in and try getting at my buns today

unlike the white on we know, the buns weren't sure of this one and didn't try to chase it off.
going to have to keep an eye out for it... usually cats don't bother coming in the garden because of the dog and the visiting white tom, but it seems our tom isn't wanting to see this one off. :/

going to dig out my supersoaker and wait in my bedroom for the next time the buns are out i think...

Bear in mind that if the cat does get to the buns, a bite or even a scratch could lead to abcesses which will need veterinary treatment.