The life of an animal obsessed, homesteading, hot mess wife & mama.
“Will my other pet(s) get along with my bunny?”They may be able to get along but that doesn't mean that they necessarily will or that they should. When living in a multispecies home (or wanting too) I can't stress how important it is to be prepared and fully accepting of the fact that you may have to keep your pets separated full time. This isn't said to discourage you and your family but when taking our pets quality of life into account, we want to provide them with the very best life possible, right? Cats & BunniesYou will need to provide your bunny with a completely enclosed, safe living space that the cat isn't able to get into. This may be an XX-Large metal dog crate (size 48 or 52"), a custom made C&C grid pen with a top, or if you'd prefer to use an X-Pen style cage, you can start with keeping your bunny in a closed off room the cat doesn't have access too. Cat's are very curious animals by nature and will most likely want to investigate the new family member. Amongst my own bunny-cat introductions (in the beginning) my cats were infatuated with the bunnies. They could be found sleeping next to or on top of the bunny cage, sitting near the cage and watching the bunny, and I even had a kitten who would reach her paws through the sides of the cage trying to paw the bunny (but not to worry, that barrier between bunny and cat gave the bunny the option of how close they did or did not want to be near the kitten reaching through and my kitten quickly out grew this). Because bunnies and cats don't communicate with the same body language or vocalizations, it's imperative that you keep a very close eye on both of them while introductions occur - to get a read on how they're feeling and intervening sooner than later if needed. When living with cats and bunnies, you truly do have predator and prey within the same household. While some cats can "keep the peace" or may even just ignore the bunny, that will not always be the case and you should never rely on that. The relationship your cat and bunny maintain will come down to your cats prey drive. Dogs & BunniesYou should apply all of the recommendations listed above, to this same scenario. So you will need to provide your bunny with a completely enclosed, safe living space that the dog isn't able to get into or even keep your bunny in a room your dog doesn't have access to in the beginning. Depending on the breed of your dog, they are likely going to be much larger than your bunny, and for a prey animal (like bunnies are) that can be really scary! It's important that all introductions between bunny and dog are done slowly and calmly. *It's really important to note that some dogs are naturally more prey driven or very high energy due to their breed (ie: Terriers, Herding or Hunting Dogs - this is not to say that every dog who falls under these breed categories, will react the same) and sometimes it's just NOT possible for bunnies and dogs to interact safely. Remember, just because you saw a cute bunny and dog picture/video on social media, doesn't mean it will work for everyone. When introducing them for the first time, I have found it safest to have someone holding your dog (leashed preferred) and allowing the dog to meet the bunny through their cage/enclosure. That way the bunny is still safe behind a barrier AND you have control of your dog, should something happen. Do short introductions like this for several days and base any future interactions off your dogs behavior shown here. Does your dog show intense interest? Is it hard to get your dogs attention away from the bunny? Does your dog perk up or lunge towards the bunny when it moves quickly? If you answered yes to any of those questions, it will likely be best to not allow any interactions between your dog and bunny without a barrier and leash. If your dog shows little to no interest in the bunny, can acknowledge you / have their attention drawn away from the bunny and isn't very reactive to the bunnies movements, allowing the bunny to explore around your dog without a barrier (but the dog is still leashed) is a great 'next step'. *Please note: some dogs may genuinely LOVE your bunny and try to play with them - yes, this is adorable! However, dogs play with their paws and mouths, neither of which will suit a bunny very well. It's important to be prepared for anything even during positive interactions, where your dog could potentially and accidentally harm your bunny. Because bunnies and dogs don't communicate with the same body language or vocalizations, it's imperative that you keep a very close eye on both of them while introductions occur - to get a read on how they're feeling and always intervening sooner than later if needed. Other Small Animals & BunniesAs a Bunny mom who also has Guinea Pigs and a Mouse, I completely understand how cute all of these small furry babies are and the temptation to take pictures of them together can be challenging - however, please never allow your bunny to come too close in proximity to other small animals and certainly, never allow them to live together.
I have seen many individuals housing their bunnies and Guinea Pigs together over the years and this is incredibly dangerous for the Guinea Pig especially. Most Rabbits are asymptomatic carriers of Bordetella. Meaning that Bordetella can be naturally found in a Rabbits respiratory tract and while it may not affect their health, they can shed Bordetella into their environment, putting other animals at risk. According to former Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians president Dr. Dan H. Johnson, Diplomate ABVP – Exotic Companion Mammals, from Avian and Exotic Animal Care in Raleigh, North Carolina, “In both Rabbits and Guinea Pigs, Bordetella can cause upper respiratory infection with sneezing and ocular/nasal discharge; however, while Rabbits only have mild symptoms or none at all, Guinea Pigs are susceptible to overwhelming respiratory infection resulting in lethargy, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, and sudden death.” Now aside from transmissible diseases, Rabbits and other small animals aren’t capable of communicating with one another as they don’t share the same body language or vocalizations. When it comes to smaller animals such as Guinea Pigs, Rabbits can cause quite a bit of physical harm or even death, from just one kick. The risks of keeping a Bunny with another small animal, certainly outweigh the few minutes of “awe, so cute!”. It’s important that we all keep our animals best interest in mind, even when the temptation is high, don’t you agree?
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AuthorDallas took an interest in animals and farm living at a very young age. Now, she lives with four generations of her family, alongside her high school sweetheart and young daughter, on an 8 aces homestead in Sisters Oregon. She ethically raises a variety of animals for Companionship, Show and to nourish her families bodies. Dallas writes about being a farm mom, an animal caretaker/educator & trying to live a sustainable lifestyle.
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