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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum BEHAVIOR Kitten joining pair of rabbits?!

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    • Danilion
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        I have 1 male rabbit & 1 female rabbit (spayed & neutered). They’re both a little over 1 year old, but don’t get along because my male rabbit grew up as an only-rabbit (with 1 hamster). My smaller female rabbit likes my larger male rabbit, but he tries to bite her after a few licks, so they’re not allowed to touch. I really want a kitten, so I have this question:

        Is it likely that my male rabbit will get along with a kitten, despite not liking the addition of a female rabbit? Or could he like the kitten because it is not another rabbit? If so, would the gender of the kitten matter for either rabbit?

        I know my rabbits won’t get along, but I want the kitten to get along with both rabbits. Should I attempt bringing in the kitten?!

        Note: My larger male rabbit got along with the female hamster he grew up with, but my hamster has passed away.


      • RabbitPam
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          Sorry we took so long to see your post, Danillion.
          Honestly, I would say it is even less likely that he will get along with a kitten, and not better than another rabbit. They are not natural friends, so cats and rabbits mostly tolerate each other in the best of circumstances. If he was an only bun, and he sees another as encrouching on his space, then yet another animal would make it worse. I would advise against it.

          I do think that you may have a better start to bonding your pair of bunnies than you think. Please read the Bonding tips in the Info. section on the green banner above, and read up on the Bonding section posts. I actually believe that with the recommended process of bonding over the next several weeks or months, you may find yourself with a pair of snuggle bunnies. She’s pretty ready, and he needs to be brought around, so if he bites, you will need to participate with good supervision. We’re here for tips and advice in progress.


        • Beka27
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            A kitten is not going to be the answer. I do think that Pam is correct that your two rabbits can potentially bond. It will take some work to get them bonded, but it’s absolutely worth it. Rabbits cannot be just “put together”, they must be closely supervised and allowed access to each other daily in a neutral space until they can be trusted to live together. I would try to get them together before attempting to bring another animal into the house. First things first.


          • Danilion
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              Thanks for the suggestions, but I actually did everything I could have to get my bunnies to bond. However, even after slow meetings and actually living together for months (separated by a chicken wire gate), my big bunny tries to bite my little one after a few licks.


            • Deleted User
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                They need more work. Bonding rabbits can be a big job, but giving up and getting a new pet isn’t a good solution in my opinion. Unless you really love cats, I would not get a kitten. Cats and rabbits are actuallly a bad combination, many rabbits suffer unfected injuries from cat scratches and bites. A pet rabbit in my community has a disfigured face because of playing with a kitten unsupervised. Many people make it work, though, but make sure that it is you who wants that kitten too because you will have to dedicate effort and time towards supervision as well as always always keeping your unbonded rabbits separate. This can be tiring.


              • Danilion
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                   Petzy, I’ve actually never given up on my rabbits bonding. They get along now when they are closely observed, but cannot be left alone together without their chicken wire gate separating them. We are making progress & I’ve been wanting a kitten, so I was wondering if that’d be a good idea.


                • ScooterandAnnette
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                    Here’s my 2cents – the bunnies will adapt to the kitten. Might not exactly like the kitten or care about the kitten, but they will probably tolerate the kitten. The kitten will think the bunnies are fascinating and will be curious about them and try to get close to them. When we got Sierra as a kitten I swear she thought she was a bunny for a few months, she spent so much time around them and tried to eat greens with them.
                    – Annette


                  • MirBear
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                      my rabbits HATE each other. (both female, but not fixed) I’ve been having difficulities with injury’s to both because they have learned how to get out of their cages, both rabbits have bite marks and such due to fighting.. HOWEVER they both get along perfectly with my cats. my cats arer hunters, squirrels, birds mice, you name it they catch it. my cat caught a bird twice her size about 2 years ago. but My bunnies, and my cats are best friends.. now, a kitten may not know the bounderies and could potentially be to rough while being playful and hurt the bunny, or the bunny may hurt the kitten. the bunnies might not react so well to a cat, they might get scared, i had one that freaked out when near a cat.. i would suggest an older cat (mature) or only having the kitten near the bunnies while you are supervising, but domestic cats and domestic rabbits tend to get along. as for your rabbits, some just dont get along, it seems like size might be a factor. i want to say dont give up, but if they wont get along, they may be like some people who will never be friends.. its up to the rabbits. a kitten is a good idea though.


                    • Karla
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                        I would agree with Petzy on this one. I think you should wait until your pair is fully bonded. It will require a lot from you to look after a kitten while also bonding the bunnies.

                        You can always get a cute kitten, so wait until they are bonded and enjoy your bonded pair for a while. I am only saying this because we got a dog while I was also struggling with an unbonded pair. It was a really bad idea and I was so immensely stressed and I honestly did not get the enjoyment out of my pets, because there was always guilt over either not being busy bonding the par or working with the dog. A kitten does take up time – they are not completely litter trained at first, they have tons of energy and need to be played with a lot, if you don’t have another young cat to keep it company.

                        But other than that, my personal experience is that bunnies and cats get on well. But they need to be supervised until you know how the cat will react to the bunny. And I could imagine a kitten might find it quite entertaining to chase and wrestle bunnies et.c so you might need to divide your place in 3 safe zones for a good while.

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                    Forum BEHAVIOR Kitten joining pair of rabbits?!