Rabbit and Cat?

[CowieCow]

Right now the only pet I have is a rabbit. She has been with us and living “alone” (without the company of any other animals) for about 5 years… we have been seriously considering getting a cat, but I don’t know how well this would go over with Cowie? We figure that we would definitly have to get a kitten, but I just don’t want Cowie to stop being herself, ya know. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this situation?

[RabbitPam]

I can’t speak from experience, but I would seriously reconsider doing this. It’s hard enough to bond two bunnies, but they are not natural friends as species, and even a kitten would be a lot of energy (ie. tiresome) for a 5 year old dominant cat. A mature bunny who has lived alone has a very set comfort zone and needs to be able to mature even more comfortably in the next 5 years. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Others who may have tried it should be better informed, but every personality, even in a bunny and a cat, is different and therefore unpredictable.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I have 3 rabbits and 3 cats. At one point I’ve had as many as 5 cats including a kitten. My cats and rabbits for the most part ignore each other. With a kitten I would be more worried about the bunny chasing/injuring the kitten. I would say just introduce them very gradually and supervise all kitten/bunny together time so no one gets too excited or injured.

You could always try fostering a kitten from your local shelter to see how they get along.

[Molzy]

I lived with three cats, including a kitten, when Riley was around a year old. Him and the kitten were best friends – the kitten would jump in his pen at night to sleep with him, and they would play tag around the apartment. I think this was an exception to the rule – the other cats and Riley pretty much ignored each other. But I think with slow introductions it can be fine.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

They *can* get along, with even the bunny bossing the cat around. However i am hesitant to add a cat to our family because cats can carry a lot of the same things as rabbits can get sick from-they can carry coccidia, E cuniculi and pasturella. Three biggies that are bad for rabbits. Although it’s a risk not a guarantee, and it could be fine-that’s why I don’t have cats in my house. Well, ok, also that they dig in their toilet and then go on your kitchen counter :p

[Bren]

My cats were in the house first before I introduced Nilly, however, they have bonded very nicely! They sleep together and groom each other as well. We are thinking about getting one more rabbit and I am actually traveling about 3 hours on Friday night to go see one that sounds like he will do nicely from a foster care home. Good luck! I think it all depends on the animal itself.

[MayaConsuelo]

I had my cats first also. Mr. Bun-Bun had never been around other animals and quickly took it upon himself to declare that he was the boss. I never leave them unsupervised, maybe I’ll walk out of the room for a couple minutes but I don’t leave the house. Sometimes he chases them “playfully” – jumping and tossing his head. Other times he crouches down to the ground and runs at them so quickly they can’t escape which really freaks my poor cats out. Of course when he reaches them he just bumps into them but it still scares them.

A kitten might become great friends with the rabbit, but they can also be very playful and naughty, and usually go through a phrase where they are even more highly destructive than rabbits! I might try to get a full-grown cat from a shelter that is familiar with rabbits, if possible. Cats are lazier and there’s a chance they’ll just ignore each other, as people are saying here. I’ve been thinking about this too because one of my cats is dying, the other is pretty old

[Furface]

I’ve had 5 cats live with my Bugsy. My older male cat refused to groom her & she would beat him up on a regular basis. lol She got along great with 2, buddies. The kitten ignored her as did Rayden. She gets on fine with dogs as well.

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