Introducing 2 cats to a rabbit

[chaoticonyx]

Hi everyone! 🙂 

My boyfriend and I have a rabbit that is a little over a year old, he is not neutered, and is mainly in a very big cage. We do let him free roam a handful of times a month, but he tends to bite on cords so we limit his play time outside of his cage. We recently got offered 2 adult cats, 1 being a boy and the other a girl. (They’re both declawed) We have had our rabbit around tons of animals before when we lived with my parents but he was only okay with 1 cat out of 3 my parents had and was very scared of dogs. We were wondering how to introduce the cats to our rabbit because they’ve never been around small animals and have only been around a dog. We’re also hoping to find a way to make our rabbit the most comfortable with this journey. He is our first priority and if we absolutely cannot make it work with the cats there’s plenty of other people who would take them in. I know cats tend to get along well with rabbits but part of me is very anxious about the thought of them being alone with one another, and how they’ll react to one another. If anyone has any input please let me know as I am completely new to this and would appreciate all feedback! Thank you in advance!

[Em]

You are right to be anxious about leaving them alone together. Prey animals and predatory animals should never, ever, ever be left alone – ever. Regardless of how well they get along. You should never trust a predatory with a prey animal, no matter how well you think you know them or how well you think they get along – animals will be animals, and it is not worth risking.

cats and rabbits can coexist, but an intact rabbit is usually pretty aggressive towards other animals. So your rabbit may feel in a constant state of threat from the cats and may be the one who instigates any fights – and your cats could get injured, or your rabbit could get injured from the cats defending themselves. You’d have to introduce them in a room separated by a baby gate or something that the cats or rabbit can’t get through, but never leave them alone together EVEN IF they get along.

I have always had cats and rabbits, and my cats are terrified of my rabbit. She is incredibly aggressive towards cats and it’s actually pretty common in rabbits to be aggressive towards cats because they recognise them as a threat. My rabbit has also grown up around cats and is also spayed and still absolutely hates them, so they’re never allowed any interactions.

[DanaNM]

It depends a lot on the temperament of the cats and the bun. Some buns are very bold and will chase cats away, some cats are very afraid of buns, and some will bother them more. My first cat used to try to chase my bun sometimes. That cat was more playful and the bun was more timid. I never allowed them out together unsupervised, and I would always play with my cat to distract him from the bunny. Basically if the bun runs from a cat, a cat will usually chase, which should be avoided as it’s stressful for the bun. It was also important not to give my cat any toys that were “rabbit sized”, like those grab and kick style toys, as they definitely learn what to play with that way.

I recommend starting slowly. Keep the kitties in a separate room at first, and swap some “scent soaker” items (like blankets, scratching boxes, etc) between the spaces. Once the cats are settled in to your home, feed them a their meal, and allow them into the bun’s room, but play with them and distract them. You don’t want them to be fixating on your bunny. Do not let the cats go into the bun’s pen or cage, as that’s his safe space. Keep introductions short. Basically you want the cats to be around the bun but uninterested in him. It may be easiest to introduce one cat at a time.

All of that said, I currently have 4 buns and 2 cats. 3 of the buns completely ignore the cats and the cats ignore them. Bun number 4 will charge the cats if he thinks they are in his space, so they are terrified of him and avoid him.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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