New bunny, wants to be friends with cats

[Taloan7]

Hi all!  
So, I am new to the whole bunny mom thing.  My daughter got a bunny for her 5th birthday (and before anyone act horrified, we got the bunny the full expectation that I will be in charge of it’s care and she is my helper, I do not expect a five year old to be responsible for it, and it is a forever pet, not just while she remains interested.)  We actually really lucked out.  The bunny (a holland lop now named Bunnius Hoppicus) was someone’s pet that they abandoned outside the pet store.  Reading some of the posts about bunnies I realize we’ve gotten what is possibly the most chill bunny ever.  She is very tolerant of being picked up (when I take her out of her enclosure in the morning she comes right up to me, when it’s time to go back in she’s less enthusiastic but she doesn’t put up much of a protest.)  She spends all day just hanging out in the family room with everyone, has staked out her little den under the coffee table where she likes to drag stuffed animals and blankets and comes out to explore and play and check what everyone is doing.  She appears to already be litter trained, so that was something we didn’t have to worry about.  Anyway, she’s is so far (a month in) a really easy, low key bunny. 
So, the part I wonder about is this: we have three cats.  They are all neutered, older males.  I have no worries about them with the bunny because they are super mellow and we’ve fostered lots of kittens and small animals in the past and they are all very nurturing and not territorial and seem to regard themselves as nanny cats for the animals we’ve fostered, including guinea pigs in the past, but this is the first bunny.  Despite this I don’t leave them alone with Bunnius because with a new situation the unexpected can happen.  I’ve read other people talking about their bunnies hating cats, but Bunnius seems quite the opposite.  She desperately seems to want to play with them.  She tries to follow the cats around and snuggle with them and tries to groom them and acts like she’s trying to get them to chase her or run with her, but for the most part the cats just run away from her.  She finally convinced one of the cats to run around with her this morning, but when she got really excited and started to get more rambunctious the cat ran away.  
So, I don’t really have concerns perse, more just seeking advice.  Anyone have bunnies and cats?  Any advice on how to encourage budding friendships?  Any behaviors I should look out for as red flags?  Any reason to not let a friendship bloom?  Thanks for your thoughts!

[DanaNM]

Hi and welcome!

That sounds really cute!

I think as long as the cats aren’t being aggressive towards her, there isn’t anything to worry about. I have a cat too, and he’s a bit of a jerk sometimes to the buns (when he gets the “crazy eyes” at that time of the night..), so I always supervise them together. Lots of folks report that their bun is definitely the boss in the cat-bunny relationship. For the most part my bunnies ignore my cat though. Sounds like your cats are very chill though, so it sounds like things will be fine. I would just keep an eye on the cat’s behavior when they run around, as it might be easy for them to switch into hunt mode.

One other thing, although you didn’t ask, are you planning to get her spayed? Spaying is important in females to prevent cancer. She might already be, since she is litter trained?

If you haven’t already, I recommend checking out the “bunny info” tab at the top, since you are new to the bunny world. Lots of good info on diet, health, safety, bunny proofing, etc.

. . . 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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