Bunnys: dogs or cats?

[xXPanicXx]

im guessing that rabbits get along with one more than another.. cats? im thinking because they are more calm, and they groom things.

what would u say a rabbit acts like more? a dog or cat?

[Hannah]

Well, to answer your second question, rabbits mostly act like rabbits. I’d say that they have some “dog-like” things they do and some “cat-like” things, and the proportion for each is different from bunny to bunny. Like, Humphrey is like a big floppy kitty a lot of the time– he’s lazy and flops under things and is demanding when it comes to attention and food when *he* wants it, but he’s also more loyal and cuddly and gets lonely more easily than Monty does, so in those ways I’d say he’s more like a dog. Rabbits mostly act like rabbits, but lots of them do cat or dog “things.”

Your first question is in some ways a little easier to answer (generally speaking, rabbits and cats are a safer combination than rabbits and dogs), but also has a lot to do with the tempermant of each specific animal. Some “solitary” rabbits who don’t get along with other bunnies get along very well with cats, who are usually not terribly interested in chasing rabbits. Lots of people have homes where cats and rabbits live happily in peace, but you do have to know the temperment of your cat (does she scratch things with little provocation? is she much, much bigger than your bunny?) as well as of your bunny (an aggressive rabbit may eventually provoke an otherwise laid-back cat into attacking). When introducing a rabbit and a cat together, the upmost caution should be taken and they should be watched very carefully, and many of their subsequent meetings should also be monitored. However, cats may eventually be left more or less alone with rabbits without much worry.

Dogs on the other hand have a natural instinct to chase and bite rabbit-sized fuzzy things– in fact, many breeds of og were originally created solely to chase bunnies. This doesn’t mean that your dog and your rabbit can *never* be friends, but it does mean that you can never leave your dog alone with your rabbit even if he’s completely “trustworthy.” There are too many horror stories of the dog suddenly “snapping” when the owner leaves, or even of them accidentally stepping on the poor bunny. Dogs may think they’re playing when they pick Fluffy up and carry him around, but the rabbit thinks he’s being eaten and may go into shock or, more simply, may have been hurt/crushed/etc when the dog took him in their mouth. Any intorduction between a dog and a rabbit should first occur through a fence, and when sufficent trust is established, with the dog on a short leash and someone ready to pick up the bunny if he’s in danger.

Cats tend to be safer companions for rabbits, but here’s a great article on how dog/rabbit bonding *can* work out when supervised:
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/dogs.shtml

I can’t currently find the links for steps to ensure happy and safe cat/rabbit and dog/rabbit bonding, but I’ll post those too if I stumble across them.

[kimberleyanddarren]

i have two dogs and i am currently trying to bond them with my rabbit my one dog got on fine with the rabbit straight away and the other wasnt so easy going but still well behaved. I think it is more on the personality of each animal than which breed they are one of my dogs is very timid and cautious so he just gave the bunny a good old sniff and after half an hour of the rabbit not trying to eat him he wasnt bothered by it and stopped watching it and just got on with its business the rabbit on the other hand didnt care at all that either dog was there right from the begining it just got on with it and didnt thump or anything my other dog is more excitable and so ti wanted to bound up to the rabbit and give it a good nudge to get its attention but all in all it went well so i think it is more on the personality than the breed.

[babybunsmum]

i think rabbits n general have enough signifgant differences to be more like neither a cat NOR a dog.  as far as grooming & litter they’re more like cats, but then their socializing is really more like a dog in that they thrive with attentiontheir need to be occupied with activities or they’ll chew things up.  then there are the things specific to rabbits like their diet and fussy health conditions to watch for.

i’ve never lived with a rabbit & a cat at the same time, but i do have a dog.  bonding my specific dog to buns was relitively easy, but required lots of time & care.  the dog & great buddies with baby bun, but i never leave them alone together since he could hurt her just out of exhuberance / playfulness.  i always need to keep an eye on them.  baby tends to get right up in the dogs face, and while i trust he won’t nip her, he doesn’t realize he could hurt her with his claws.  i think that’d be the number one concern with cats too… that they’d swat at a bun’s delicate skin & harm them. 

[JK]

Well I have a cat and a dog. Edson loves the cat but the cat is a bit jumpy around him. They will touch noses and then Edson will go up to Daisy (the cat) and Daisy beelines outta there BUT always comes back for more “lookin”. She is slightly afraid of the rabbit. Now the dog is super friendly, a golden retriever, and would love to be friends. Edson is not so sure of her and usually hops away back to his cage. The funniest thing happened a couple days ago. Daisy was at one end of Edson’s tunnel and Edson decided to haul through and Daisy literally did a 360 to get away! She was totally freaked out! It was so funny. I think eventually all 3 will be friends. They are making progress every day.

[xXPanicXx]

thats good ^.^ thanks for the info guys XD

[Author]

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