I know this is the pet thread but I'm hoping someone might know something about wild rabbits. Like can they get rabies and if they do what are the signs to look for. A web search has only been able to tell me that they rarely get rabies.

Where I live is very wooded and we have rabbits around. During the day I might catch a glimpse of them near the woods but once they spot me they run. At night they will usually come closer to the house to nibble on the grass but if someone comes outside they take off for the woods.

For the past week I have seen a rabbit outside at night that shows no fear when I walk out onto the deck. I mentioned this to my SO and today he told me that he walked out into the backyard and by the picnic table was a rabbit that didn't run away even when he got within a foot of it. It just sat there. He wondered if it was deaf. Tonight I walked out onto our front deck and there was a rabbit in the yard, I went back in the house and got a flashlight and shined it on the rabbit. I thought that would scare it away. Oh no it hopped closer to me, almost to the edge of the deck where I was standing (I was about 4 ft above it). So I stomped my foot down on the deck and all it did was stop for a moment, twitch its ears and then go back to nibbling on the grass. So I know it isn't deaf. My SO other also said that he saw our neighbors cat chasing a rabbit that would run just enough to stay away from the cat but then it would stop. Like it was playing chase.

Any one have any ideas or comments on this strange behavior?? This rabbit is beginning to freak me out.