Rabbit relationships with your other animals? How’s it workin?

[BinkyBunny]

So Skunklion’s post about the great relationship between her cats and Jessica got me to thinking.

I know I have read about how to introduce bunnies, but as we all know, especially with rabbits, thinks don’t always go like how we have read, and we have to add in some of our twist to make it work.  I am wondering how those of you who actually have bunnies AND other animals make it work.  

1.  Do they get along? What is their relationship like? (If they don’t get along – skip to #5)
2.  How long have you had each of your animals
3.  What was their first introduction to each other like?
4.  And after their first introduction – then what? Basically how did it develop?
5.   If they don’t get along, what do you have to do to keep the peace?

[manicbunny]

1. Ruckus(sheltie) gets along well with both of my rabbits. He brings them squeaky toys and loves to try to play with them. he has learned to be gentle with the rabbits and knows what is acceptable and what is not. Of course i watch him with the rabbits at all times.. he can play too rough. If the rabbits get tired of him they will go back in there cages or hang out under the table.

2. Ryo- 3 or 4 years
Alex- 2 years
Ruckus- 6 months

3. Ruckus was curious of them, and the rabbits were curious of him. Ryo actually would climb on him and smell his ears, etc. Ruckus would just lay still with his tail wagging!

4. At first when the rabbits were out Ruckus had to be on a leash by my side. Eventually i let him have more and more freedom because i felt i could trust him. Ruckus was always show lots of intrest in the rabbits and he trys so hard to find a way to play with them. needless to say… rabbits dont like squeeky toys.

5. when Ruckus is acting up… when he is trying to play too hard or will not leave the rabbits alone after they try to get away from him, i simply put Ruckus in his crate.

[skunklionshow]

Its funny….my ex was a vet nurse and he told me that I could NEVER have a bunny w/ my cats.  I don’t think I would have ever believed that 2 different species could live in peace together.

Previously to Jessica moving in permanently, I had kept 3 out of the 4 therapy bunnies home over extended vacations from school & on weekends.  I kept all the bunnies in their cages during their visits…however….over Thanksgiving, Jessica was staying with us.  I had just picked up her 2 level cage and decided to open the "downstairs" door so she could exercise.  I kept the upstairs continuosly covered w/ a blanket b/c I thought the cats would torment her.  She didn’t step out of her cage until late Sun afternoon.  The cats couldn’t really care less.

Wolfgang was and is excited by her speed and leaping, but that’s about it.  My cats all have claws, and they’ve never clawed her. 

Oreo took to my cats right away.  I think that her interaction over an extended weekend, really opened the doors for the Jessica love.  Oreo never had a problem w/ hitting the cats if they ticked her off. 

Anyway, we started off w/ visits, then extended bunny romp time and eventually free roaming w/ access to her own cage.  I believe at this point she thinks she’s a cat!  I caught her sprawled out w/ the cats this morning when I was leaving for work.

When I was growing up we had 3 bunnies.  Unfortunately, my family didn’t know that bunnies could be house bunnies and litter trained, so they became "hutch" bunnies.  This is my sad story…that I’ve really had a hard time adjusting to how cruel that must have been for them.—I guess I’ll save that for a bunny confessional. 

Anyway, even her w/ her 3 lbs. has been readily negotiating the stairs w/ the cats.  I can’t believe that they all get along.  Just one problem….today she peed and pooped all over my couch!!!!  My husband is going to have a heart attack when he gets home.

[BinkyBunny]

Skunklion – awww don’t feel bad about what happened growing up.  It really has only been in the last 10 years that the idea of House Rabbits has become more mainstream, and with that more education and awareness strategies are brought to the public.   

Manic bunny – that so funny about your dog bringing over squeak toys.  Reminds me of the a very gentle sweet dog that was owned by the rabbit rescue manager.  Amazingly enough, the dog was a bird hunter type, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly.  He really was the most gentle dog I have ever been around.  

One day as he was passing by the exercise runs, one of the bunnies ran up to greet him, and would try and follow him through the pen.  The dog was so excited that finally one of the bunnies actually wanted to play with him, he ran off got his toy and came back and set it in front of the bunny (outside of the pen of course), he then looked at the bunny, like "what are you waiting for  – throw it, throw it!".    The bunny sniffed it but of course really couldn’t get to it.  So the bunny and the dog just sat there looking at each other waiting for solution to be solved before the dog just finally gave up and walked away.

 

 

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