My wounded Rex

Question
Hi.  I have a sweet big 2 year old castor rex who has the run of this fenced yard.  Prior to my having her here, she lived in a cage for about 6 months.  I feel terrible, that while she can't get out nor, I thought, could anything get in the fenced yard, i found the other morning, that she was breathing hard and shaking, and found a pile of fur at the corner of the fence.  I saw no wounds, only 2 bald patches on her thick fur. But for the next 2 days her head tremored and she breathed heavily.  I thought, surely she hadn't been attacked or she wuold have more than bald patches of fur.  She has stopped the shaking now and upon examination, I do see two bumpy areas near the bald spots.  I wiped the area down with peroxide and keep her in the cage from dusk to dawn now, in the garage.
should I go further as far as the injuries...could this have been a fox which someone said we have in the area, but yet she was not mutilated.
I am feeling so bad for the little traumatized bunny.
 Many Thanks
Carole

Answer
Many people feel bad for bunnies in cages and want them to run in outdoor runs and most end up with the results you have encountered.  Domesticated bunnies just are not meant to be unprotected (from overhead as well as all four sides).  I suspect maybe a bird of prey had eyes bigger than his talons could carry and tried to pick up the large Rex and failed.  A fox or other mammal probably would have been fatal as you expected.

If you want him to run outside you MUST provide overhead protection and consider that rabbits dig and WILL eventually dig under a fence (the scent of a wild female will lure him anywhere).

Keep an eye on him and if he continues to show signs of trauma into the late morning Monday I would suggest a trip to the vet.

Brenda