Bunny and kittens – is my bun playing or being aggressive?

[Kisa]

Hi, I have a two year old neutered male lop mix and I have some concerns about his behavior. I live in a half apartment that is attached to a farm shop, and recently the owners of the farm acquired two 10 week old kittens which sometimes come into my living space where my bun free roams. This is the first time my bun has had any extended interaction with another pet, he has been around an adult cat previously but they never really got close to each other.
So far the cats have been very cautious of my bun (he’s bigger than them at the moment) and my bun has for the most part just ignored them when they are in the room. Recently the cats have been getting braver and showing signs they want to play with him – running up and batting his ears and so forth. Lately bun has been responding by making pouncing like motions at them, bumping his nose against them and honking. I’ve encountered the pouncing behavior before, I know it can be a sign of aggression but he sometimes will do it when he wants attention from me. What is weird is how much he is vocalizing when he does it at the cats, normally he is a very quiet bunny other than occasional ‘happy grunts’. He doesn’t seem to be trying to hurt them at all, but because he is bigger than them I worry about what will happen if he decides to use his teeth. Is he just trying to play with them like they play with each other or does it mean they are annoying him too much? Is this a sign that he and the kittens aren’t going to get along?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Sounds to me like it is aggression. He is either feeling annoyed or threatened by the kitten’s playfullness. Maybe try to discourage them from playing with him. When they seem playful and start to make a go for your bunny, distract them with a toy. Kittens want to play with whatever moves. I also suggest you only allow the kittens and your bunny together when you can closely supervise. I’ve had cats and bunnies together for years, but usually older cats, and have never had any injuries but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. And if you can, make sure the kittens nails stay trimmed short. Cat scratches can abscess on a bunny.

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