Guinea pig and rabbit ?

[buddyboy]

Hi,does anyone have a Guinea pig AND a rabbit they’ve bonded? I just bought a Guinea pig for a  friend for my bunny. Just got him today,both males, i put them in a box together at the pet shop to make sure they where ok with each other, and they seemed fine,so i bought the piggy and brought him home to go full run if the place with my bunny. I fugure its gonna take a little bit,but they sniff eachother cautiously, then go their own ways.the Guinea pig just hides right now,im leaving him alone to get used to the place.he cautiously ventures,but mostly hides. I’ve read different opinions about paring them,but i eant my bunny to have a companion when im gone at work. If you also have both, please tell me how yours get along,and any suggestions would be great….thanx

[LBJ10]

I wouldn’t house them together. They don’t speak the same language, so they could easily have a “misunderstanding”, which could be bad in a confined space. A rabbit could easily hurt a guinea pig. There is also the food issue because guinea pigs have different nutritional requirements than rabbits. You couldn’t feed them the same food, which would be difficult to do if they were housed together. There are also concerns about Pasteurella, which rabbits can transmit to guinea pigs.

Now I have heard of people letting their rabbit and guinea pig play together (supervised) with no problems. I would still worry about all of the risks of having them together though. That is my thought.

[MoveDiagonally]

I agree with LBJ.

Generally I’ve seen it not recommended to house piggies and rabbits together. Honestly, I’m not even a fan of supervised play time because rabbits carry bordetella bronchiseptica (without being/appearing sick) which when transferred to piggies can cause pneumonia. According to what I’ve read pneumonia often kills guinea pigs even when treated early.

http://www.petmd.com/exotic/conditions/respiratory/c_ex_gp_pneumonia#.UpwPOsRDsuc
http://www.guinea-pig-information.co.uk/guinea-pig-health/bordatella/?doing_wp_cron=1385959395.5585570335388183593750

For me, it would not be worth the risk.

As for having a companion, the only friend that I would leave with a bunny unsupervised would be another rabbit they are bonded to. If you work during the day your rabbit will likely be sleeping while you’re away. They are most active in the mornings and evenings.

[buddyboy]

Thanx for the info, ive heard all good things till i actuality bought the Guinea pig, now i feel like im kinda stuck with him. I guess i can put the piggy in a home made cage. I just feel so bad when i see a caged animal. The pet shop said nothing bad about pairing them, and some searches i did said they’d be fine,better then two male rabbits. Uuuggg

[Beka27]

A rabbit with another rabbit is always going to be a better pairing, as long as both are spay/neutered. Two males can actually live in harmony quite well.

A couple weeks ago you posted that he was humping your foot. He can seriously hurt a guinea pig if he decides to display “affection” for him.

I feel that you were simply misled by the pet shop. I would consider taking the guinea pig back and researching getting a rabbit friend if you want him to be bonded.

[Zombie-Sue]

I’ve heard too that guinea pigs and rabbits are good friends, it’s a commonly held belief, even though it’s not true.

Think about a thumping rabbit, and what might happen to a widdle piggy that got caught underneath it somehow… =( Unfortunately there’s a lot of misinformation out there. It’s not your fault.

[Deleted User]

Oh buddyboy, I feel so bad for you – you went out of your way to do something wonderful, and it turned out to be the wrong thing (something ‘I’ do all the time). And yes, I totally get your distress at feeling obliged to keep your piggy, and now having to house & keep them separate going against everything you were trying to achieve for both of them. (very sad face). Other than hitting the pet shop up to take back your piggy (if you want to do that?) sadly I can’t offer a suggestion either.
Anyhow, what I mostly wanted to say – just something for you to consider (if you do return your piggy)….. I read a lot of your posts and you adore your relationship with Buddy. If bringing in a companion for him, will that affect your relationship cause he has someone else to bond with? And has been said – buns spend most of the day sleeping. I’m sure Buddy is used to your routine, and I can tell (from your photo’s that you have posted) he’s a happy free range spoilt boy! Gee, what a hard one, I’ll be thinking of you…..

[Author]

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