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Both cats and rabbits are quite sociable in nature and can be great pets too. While there are many people who love to have cats as their pet, there are many who love to have rabbits as their pet too. But if you have both, then one of the most common question that can come to your mind is – Will my cat get on with my rabbit? Well, it depends a lot on the nature of the cat and the rabbit. To know the answer about this, read on as we have provided a complete detailed information and guide about how to keep cats and rabbits together in a house.
As both cats and rabbits are sociable animals, they can get along really well. But it depends a lot on the type and the nature of the rabbit as well as the cat.
You will know that it takes a lot of time as well as trust to bond with rabbits. Hence, it can be a complicated process at times. So if you want your cats and rabbits to bond, it needs a certain process to make it a successful companionship. Once they become good friends, the cats and the rabbits can get on with each other really well.
Do pet rabbits attack cats?
If the cats and rabbits are not introduced properly, chances of conflict between the two animals can arise. When a rabbit is there at your home for a long time, it tends to become more comfortable and confident.
They become quite territorial about their environment and they go around like a bossy bunny. Precisely, cats to have this behavior and they like to mark their own territory as they go on.
Because of this similar nature, a clash is possible. In this case, a confident rabbit can attack the new cat to threaten them. Also, the rabbit can start chasing the cat to show their dominance over the house. In fact, in some cases it has been seen that a rabbit may also bite the tail of a cat or even mount on them to start a fight with the feline friend.
Risks of keeping cats and rabbits
Talking about the risk of keeping your cats and rabbits together, there can be two risks. The biggest risk of the two is the transfer of any disease from one to another.
Hence, it is very much essential to keep the water, litter boxes and especially food of both the house cats and the rabbit separately.
This can prevent any possible transfer of germs, parasites or bacteria from one pet to another. The second risk is the attack. It can be your cat or it can be your rabbit. Under certain circumstances, your rabbit can attack on your cat or your cat can attack your new rabbit and become natural enemies.
How to Introduce Cats and Rabbits?
To ensure that your cat and the rabbit get along together quite well, you have to introduce the two animals in the best way possible. The first encounter of the cat and the rabbit is quite essential for setting the right tone for their future relationship as becoming best friends. Hence, you need to follow some of these tips to introduce cats and a pet rabbit with each other:
- Make sure that the environment is completely stress free before they meet each other, as stress can cause anxiety among the pets and they won’t be feeling comfortable
- You have to ensure that your rabbit is completely safe in its cage and feels secure in the rabbit’s home
- A technique named scent familiarization can be a great way to introduce your pet cat with your pet bunny
- Let both cats and rabbits get used to each other’s behavior, smell and movement at their own pace before they start interacting with each other
- You have to monitor the two animals behavior for some time as they are bonding to ensure that everything is under control with your pet family
Can cats get sick from rabbits?
Yes, your pet cat can possibly get sick if your pet bunny is not well. This usually happens when some bacteria or parasites have transferred from the rabbit breeds to your cat. Parasites can easily transfer from rabbits to the cats which can make them sick.
If your pet bunny is sick then it can transfer the infection onto other animals including your pet cat too. Sometime, It can be other biting insects like ticks and mosquitoes that can have a similar result.
Do cats attack your pet rabbit?
In the wild, many cats are always considered as the natural predators. Hence, it is quite possible that your cat will attack your bunny because of its preying nature. If your pet cat has a hunting instinct, then a conflict or an attack is quite possible.
Even if your pet cat and your rabbit are bonding very well, you cannot completely be sure that your cat will never attack the rabbit. The cats can be the more aggressive party, especially when they are frustrated.
How to keep cats away from rabbits?
As discussed above, it is quite possible being prey animals that your pet cat will try to hunt your rabbit or other animals. This is a very common instinct, especially if your cat likes to chase wild animals. So, it is important to secure your rabbit and keep it safe from your cat.
You have to put your rabbit in a cage that has a roof and the bars of the cage must be too narrow for accommodating the paws of your cat. But your pet cat can still scare your rabbit from outside the cage or Hutch.
To avoid this situation, you can apply some scent around the rabbits cage to deter your cat. Cats cannot tolerate the fragrance of citrus aroma. So, this can be the best choice to keep your cat restrained from the cage.
How to encourage cats and rabbits to live together?
In order to encourage your pet cat and your rabbit to live together happily, you have to take care of their needs individually. One great thing about these two is that they are quite similar to each other in many aspects.
They both are quite territorial and they both hate major changes in their routine. They can also get quite jealous if they feel that they are not getting enough attention. To ensure that both cats and rabbits get along, its best to follow some steps below:
Introduce a Rabbit to a Cat’s House
Before you introduce your rabbit to your cat, you have to understand that your cat can accept another pet. Once you are confident enough that your cat can really go well with your rabbit, you have to take things patiently.
First, bring home a perfect home for you rabbit. Keep your rabbit in that house for few days. Make sure that the area has plenty of space so your rabbit roam free, play and run. While your rabbit is still in the house, let your pet cat approach it on its own. The cat will learn the smell of the rabbit and have some curiosity too.
If both of them are showing equal levels of interest or curiosity, then you can introduce them carefully to play with each other. But make sure to be present there and oversee everything.
Introduce a kitten to a House Rabbit
The good news is that kittens are quite sociable just like the rabbit. That means both of them can work out on their differences and actually become good friends.
You will have to make sure that your kitten is quite comfortable in the environment and then slowly and steadily introduce the kitten to your rabbit.
It can be quite overwhelming for a kitten to be in the new house and if you make it hurry to introduce it to another pet, it can be stressful for them to.
Introduce an adult cat or senior cat to a House Rabbit
In this case, you will find that a senior cat or an adult cat is struggling a lot to go along with the rabbit. Generally, the older rabbits are least interested in playing and more interested in hunting. Hence, they are not likely to adapt quite well.
The change can be stressful for them and pushing them too much to be introduced to a new pet can cause potential harm. So, let the older cat get accustomed to the new environment fast and then you can slowly introduce it to our small pets.
Can cats and rabbits live in the same house?
The answer to this question is – it is quite possible. Both your cat and rabbit can happily coexist in the same house. In fact, they can become great friends if the situation is right and under right circumstances during the bonding process.
Despite of this, you should never leave your pet cat and rabbit alone without any supervision. Even if you think that they are bonding really well, you need to keep your mind clear about the fact that they are still animals with territorial instincts. They have some instincts and that can never go away, especially if one or the other feels threatened.
A cat can turn on your rabbit any time and I take it. While cats can be at occurs, rabbits can also be extremely hierarchal and dominant in nature. This combination can lead to great enmity as well. If you want year pet cat and rabbit two be in the same house, you have to say some house rules. Both of them should know where they stand and must follow the rules thoroughly.
Tell me the best way to introduce a cat to a rabbit?
While introducing your pet cat to a pet rabbit, there are certain factors that you need to consider. In order to ensure that you are introducing them in the best way possible, we have to keep this factors in your mind:
Personality matters
Yes, the personality matters a lot. Before you introduce you have to make sure that you are assessing the personalities of your pets. The cat and the rabbit has two different personalities and to ensure that they are getting along well is by giving enough space and time to both to naturally bond together.
Consider Basic Instincts
As mentioned earlier, you have to consider the basic instinct of your pet cat and your pet rabbit. While cats are considered as predators for their attacking nature, rabbits can be quite territorial and dominating in nature. So when you are introducing your cat with your rabbit, you have to choose a neutral territory and it must be indoors to keep both of them calm and composed.
Size matters
As cats and rabbits can both come in different sizes it can be an important factor to consider. When the cat and rabbit out of the same sizes, the cat will not likely to take a chance to attack. So to protect both, it is important to ensure that they have similar sizes.
It’s easiest to introduce two babies
There is no doubt that it is quite easy to introduce your cat with your rabbit or your rabbit with your cat when they are babies. Growing up together can increase the chance of bonding successfully.
Supervise all interactions
No matter how much they have bonded together, supervision is very important. You have to make sure that you are supervising each and every interaction your cat and your rabbit is having. This is important to keep a check on their behavior.
Can cats kill rabbits?
Under certain circumstances, a cat can kill meaning animals who are small in size. This is because of their predator nature. They love to hunt and prey on smaller animals. Hence a cat can even kill a rabbit without any intention of eating it
Can a rabbit defend itself from a cat?
Yes rabbits can fight and they can fight against small predators such as cats. So, when a cat attacks a rabbit, the rabbit can defend itself by using their claws, teeth and hind legs. When a rabbit attacks, their intention is not to kill the predator but to defend themselves.