bunnies & cats......

ladycat

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so I know I've talked to a few folks on here, but what are you experiences with them & introducing them. I'm going bunny crazy! I do have to wait till my situation calms down though. I worry about getting a small bunny cuz cesar has a prey drive so how bout those big bossy bunnies? or a little bossy one? Anyone?
 

keisha

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Would you want to have house bunnies (as in they can run around the house like cats, or sectioned off to a part of the house) or cage bunnies (in the cage for the most of the time, but out alot for playing)? I would let the cats smell it through the cage first. For a while, and then introduce the bunny with each cat separetly. Alot of cats love bunnies while other cats don't . Kalli loves the bunnies, and when they were babies we would have them on the deck w/ her and she would lay down, and they would come and lay on her. It all really depends on your cats. As for big or small, you would want to decide, where he/she is going to be living. If you were to have a cage bunny then I would get a smaller one, with a larger cage. Versus a big one. If it were a house bunny/ or a partial house bunny then I would get a bigger one. You should think about getting two though, bunnies seem to get lonely with out company.
 

marie-p

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Originally Posted by Keisha

You should think about getting two though, bunnies seem to get lonely with out company.
Depending on the rabbits, it can be really difficult to get two rabbits to live together. It is possible, and the rabbits can get very close, but it can take a lot of time. The easiest way to have two rabbits is to adopt two adult rabbits who are already bonded.

I had a house rabbit when I adopted Joshua and they got along just fine. Maggie (the bunny) was a mini-rex (not a dwarf, but not a large rabbit either) and Joshua never saw her as a prey. Maggie wasn't afraid of him either.

I think it all depends on the rabbit and the cats personality. Best thing to do would be to contact a rabbit rescue and foster rabbits until one of them fits into your family just fine. I'm sure it's possible to have a rabbit live with most cats... rabbits can be surprisingly bossy and tempermental. They'll hold their own against a cat!

However, you need to be aware that some rabbits can frighten easily... and a rabbit can actually die of fright. Also, an aggressive rabbit can hurt a cat. So be careful during the introduction.

good luck.
 
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ladycat

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I did speak to a lady at my local rescue, and she seemed to think it wouldn't matter about the cats and she's not usually worried about them with cats. there are 2 med buns that have been there the longest at almost 2 years and a little one named tess who has been there for 1 1/2 yrs. I probably I should look for at least a medum bun do to ceasar having the prey drive. I would love the bunny to eventually become a house rabbit but that would all depend on how things went over with the cats, other wise he will have his/her room but a cage for bedtime(?) or maybe when I'm not around. It all depends on how it works out with the cats. So would a bossy bunny be a good thing for me do ya think? I would defenitly prefer one that could there own. are there rabbits like cats in the sence where they don't care for other rabbits? these are the ones that would more then likely be available http://www.rirabbits.org/adopt/adopt.html, what do you all think? I think there are more from there on this page http://search.petfinder.com/search/search.cgi (only in RI). I know i have to meet them....any thoughts. I do plan to have a cage, probably a very large one http://www.leithpetwerks.com/prodpag...rod_code=BA200 that's the one i'm looking at (not cheap but spacious!)
 

EnzoLeya

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Our male cat Enzo constantly is finding things to kill and/or eat. When I got my rat I was pretty worried that she would end up RIP. However, after a few days of holding her and keeping him away he seemed to understand that she, the rat, was mine. I started to slowly let her loose with him right there and he would play with her, but if he got to ruff I would squirt him with a water bottle. It didn't take him long to understand that the rat was mine and he could only play with her on my time and under my rules. We even came home one day to find a dead wild mouse he caught and he still never tried to hurt the rat.

In fact, the biggest test he's been through yet was when we went to a three hour class and came home to find that he had helped the rat to escape. When we came home he was sleeping and she was missing! We did find her, curled up in our bed! Not a scratch on her and Enzo was tired of playing with her!



Here is Kitty and Enzo....he likes to go in and bring her out if we open the door and she doesn't come out fast enough.
 

EnzoLeya

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Oh, and I would probably get a young rabbit so it isn't so territorial and has grown up with the cat. Definitely don't just let the bunny loose in the first week or so. Let the cat sniff out the rabbit in it's cage for a week or so then, take him out and show him to your kitty, but keep the rabbit on your lap at all times. This will let your cat know that bunny is yours!
 

marie-p

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Originally Posted by ladycat

I did speak to a lady at my local rescue, and she seemed to think it wouldn't matter about the cats and she's not usually worried about them with cats. there are 2 med buns that have been there the longest at almost 2 years and a little one named tess who has been there for 1 1/2 yrs. I probably I should look for at least a medum bun do to ceasar having the prey drive. I would love the bunny to eventually become a house rabbit but that would all depend on how things went over with the cats, other wise he will have his/her room but a cage for bedtime(?) or maybe when I'm not around. It all depends on how it works out with the cats. So would a bossy bunny be a good thing for me do ya think? I would defenitly prefer one that could there own. are there rabbits like cats in the sence where they don't care for other rabbits? these are the ones that would more then likely be available http://www.rirabbits.org/adopt/adopt.html, what do you all think? I think there are more from there on this page http://search.petfinder.com/search/search.cgi (only in RI). I know i have to meet them....any thoughts. I do plan to have a cage, probably a very large one http://www.leithpetwerks.com/prodpag...rod_code=BA200 that's the one i'm looking at (not cheap but spacious!)
awwww.... they're all so cute. I don't know which one you should get, but I want Jonathon!

Ok, seriously, I think you should be fine with any rabbit that isn't particularly nervous.

Depending on how handy you are, you can always build a cage. It's fairly easy if you use NIC cubes (just google NIC cages and you'll get lots of different samples of cages) and you can make it as big as you want.
 
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ladycat

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Originally Posted by EnzoLeya

Our male cat Enzo constantly is finding things to kill and/or eat. When I got my rat I was pretty worried that she would end up RIP. However, after a few days of holding her and keeping him away he seemed to understand that she, the rat, was mine. I started to slowly let her loose with him right there and he would play with her, but if he got to ruff I would squirt him with a water bottle. It didn't take him long to understand that the rat was mine and he could only play with her on my time and under my rules. We even came home one day to find a dead wild mouse he caught and he still never tried to hurt the rat.

In fact, the biggest test he's been through yet was when we went to a three hour class and came home to find that he had helped the rat to escape. When we came home he was sleeping and she was missing! We did find her, curled up in our bed! Not a scratch on her and Enzo was tired of playing with her!



Here is Kitty and Enzo....he likes to go in and bring her out if we open the door and she doesn't come out fast enough.
that is adorable! you lucked out with that cat!
 
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ladycat

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Originally Posted by marie-p

awwww.... they're all so cute. I don't know which one you should get, but I want Jonathon!

Ok, seriously, I think you should be fine with any rabbit that isn't particularly nervous.

Depending on how handy you are, you can always build a cage. It's fairly easy if you use NIC cubes (just google NIC cages and you'll get lots of different samples of cages) and you can make it as big as you want.
I know Jonathan is adorable! I think he would have a home soon though as cute as he is! Especially with those ears & little face! Maybe I will go for one that is a little homley
! ya know in a cute way! I will defenitly go check out the NIC cubes! thanks!
 

keisha

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Depending on the rabbits, it can be really difficult to get two rabbits to live together. It is possible, and the rabbits can get very close, but it can take a lot of time. The easiest way to have two rabbits is to adopt two adult rabbits who are already bonded.
Either that or two young rabbits, close to the same age, or litter mates. Then when they get older you would want them to be neutered/spayed so they do not fight.
 
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ladycat

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I really feel like i should I get an adult rabbit or even an older one....the young ones will probly go sooner but then I think i know i would be a good owner and what if the young ones ended up back in the shelter cuz that so often happens. So i could give a young rabbit a good life for it's whole life! thoughts on that?
 

marie-p

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Originally Posted by Keisha

Either that or two young rabbits, close to the same age, or litter mates. Then when they get older you would want them to be neutered/spayed so they do not fight.
When I went to adopt my rabbit, I thought about adopting two baby rabbits of the same litter, but the woman who ran the rescue said it wasn't as easy as that. Once they reach puberty, they'd get aggressive, have to be separated and re-introduced all over again.
I wonder if spaying could be done soon enough to avoid that...
 
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ladycat

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from what I've read I would say yes it probly would have been fine but....I'm not sure how old..or young spaying is done on a bunny!
 

keisha

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Originally Posted by marie-p

When I went to adopt my rabbit, I thought about adopting two baby rabbits of the same litter, but the woman who ran the rescue said it wasn't as easy as that. Once they reach puberty, they'd get aggressive, have to be separated and re-introduced all over again.
I wonder if spaying could be done soon enough to avoid that...
I think that it could. Especially if they were spayed before they became territorial. It all depends on the bunnies, some people have unspayed rabbits live together their entire life and everything goes fine. But they are lucky. But I also think that it would be easier to re-introduce then vs. getting two older rabbits that have never known eachother and introducing them.
Maybe you woul dbe lucky enought to find a bonded pair of adults...
EDIT:http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html
EDIT:again.. this site is good for introductions: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/introductions.html
 

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Since rabbits can't be spayed as early as cats, usually the puberty hormones kick in some time before they can get spayed/neutered. I know quite a few people on the rabbit forum I'm on who have had to separate their pairs of littermates, get them spayed/neutered, and then rebond them. Some of them never rebond. Some of them have actually caused injuries to each other while fighting before they were separated, and I even know of one very unfortunate death.

I do think getting an adult or two is the best way to go. Some shelters and rescues will have bonded pairs available, or are willing to bond two of their rabbits for you.

As far as rabbits and cats go, it really depends on the rabbits and cats.
My 10 lb foster bunny gets along great with the cats. He's very laid-back, plus he's big enough to be a little scary to them. My dwarf hotot girls (2.5 and 3.5 lbs) do pretty well with the cats, and so does my 5 lb dutch boy. My teeny tiny Polish/Nethie girl though, she's another story. She hates the cats. She's very aggressive and would probably hurt my kitties before they hurt her. I actually know several people with tiny dwarf bunnies that terrorize the cats.

I did have to teach my cats how to behave with the bunnies, but then again they were kittens. I kept the cats on harnesses and leashes until I could trust them.
 

princess-pickle

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My rabbit, Silky, is really big and chases Pickle around. I'm a bit confused as to what breed Silky actually is. Silky lives in the garden and enjoys scaring other animals.
 
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