Cats and bunnies
Discussion
We're shortly moving into a proper house (garden and everything. The excitement is much in this one) and would love to get a cat.
The issue is the bunnies. As they are house rabbits we want them to know they aren't being punished by the arrival of a clawed mewing thing and are hoping for harmony. I was thinking along the lines of a British shorthair as their nature appears to be apathetic towards hunting (correct me if I'm wrong)
Does anyone have any advice re breeds and if this would be a plan or best avoided.
The issue is the bunnies. As they are house rabbits we want them to know they aren't being punished by the arrival of a clawed mewing thing and are hoping for harmony. I was thinking along the lines of a British shorthair as their nature appears to be apathetic towards hunting (correct me if I'm wrong)
Does anyone have any advice re breeds and if this would be a plan or best avoided.
Best avoided, IMHO. Even cats who aren't keen hunters can't really be trusted with rabbits, at the end of the day it's still their basic instinct to hunt and kill. Even if you were really lucky and had a cat with zero interest in hunting the buns you'd always have to watch to make sure they played appropriately, with cats having sharp claws that they use in play and the way that rabbits can give a pretty hard kick with their back legs.
The only way I could see it working would be to keep the cats and rabbits totally separate, which would soon get pretty tiring.
The only way I could see it working would be to keep the cats and rabbits totally separate, which would soon get pretty tiring.
My british shorthair doesn't hunt as he's too lazy but my sisters are very active and continually hunting. My cat is also a big bully towards my other cat, my moggy would be much nicer towards a rabbit.
If you really want to get a cat, I would suggest you were best off getting a kitten, who could be put in it's place by the rabbits but I still don't think I'd leave them alone together.
If you really want to get a cat, I would suggest you were best off getting a kitten, who could be put in it's place by the rabbits but I still don't think I'd leave them alone together.
Perhaps it's best left alone then as the buns have free reign of the house and we wouldn't want to have to restrict their movements and the same for the kitten.
We would have got a kitten (which goes against my second hand only policy when it comes to animals) to let the rabbits be dominant.
No way am I stopping them pootle about as they please (the little f
kers are hurtling about at the moment) or wanting to make them miserable.
I think you've all pretty much said what deep down we've been thinking.
We would have got a kitten (which goes against my second hand only policy when it comes to animals) to let the rabbits be dominant.
No way am I stopping them pootle about as they please (the little f
kers are hurtling about at the moment) or wanting to make them miserable. I think you've all pretty much said what deep down we've been thinking.
I have a cat and rabbits, and the closest the cat gets is seeing them in the run in the garden, and I would not trust my cat with them. My rabbits live indoors over the winter months but they live in one of the rooms upstairs and they play on the stairs and other rooms when I let them but all downstairs door are closed so the cat cannot get near (same as the rats when they come out to play all doors are secured)
My bunnies used to be full time house bunnies but when I moved to a house with a garden I got a large shed and run for them and they stay in this in the nice months.they also get supservised play in the garden (we lock the cat indoors for this!)
I always trusted our dogs with the bunnies and rats but dogs don't have the same hunting instinct cats do and a dog responds to commands to leave etc unlike a cat! lol my cat likes killing birds and mice so i wouldn't trust him! lol
My bunnies used to be full time house bunnies but when I moved to a house with a garden I got a large shed and run for them and they stay in this in the nice months.they also get supservised play in the garden (we lock the cat indoors for this!)
I always trusted our dogs with the bunnies and rats but dogs don't have the same hunting instinct cats do and a dog responds to commands to leave etc unlike a cat! lol my cat likes killing birds and mice so i wouldn't trust him! lol
Edited by Mubby on Monday 23 April 19:16
When I grew up we had two rabbits who had free range of the garden and a cat (burmese) who was a seriously impressive hunter. He'd bring seagulls and huge rats and things in but never had any trouble with him going for the rabbits.
A decent sized domestic rabbit is a scary proposition for a cat, especially a rabbit that's established and has his/her own territory or patch. It can work.
Sure ours used to try and hump the cat, think he was scared of them.
A decent sized domestic rabbit is a scary proposition for a cat, especially a rabbit that's established and has his/her own territory or patch. It can work.
Sure ours used to try and hump the cat, think he was scared of them.
We have two house rabbits (well, they've taken over the conservatory as their house), and two cats. The female cat thinks she's a rabbit, sleeping in the nest-box etc, but if she gets too cocky, the female rabbit noses her out.
The other cat I'm always more careful with the rabbits, he is the one that kills the local wildlife (two sparrows this weekend, the little barsteward), and I'm not sure he wouldn't try and get one of the rabbits.
The other cat I'm always more careful with the rabbits, he is the one that kills the local wildlife (two sparrows this weekend, the little barsteward), and I'm not sure he wouldn't try and get one of the rabbits.
Redmax said:
All the British Shorthairs I've had have been avid hunters.
Obviously, just like humans, it's bad to make judgements on race 
my friends shorthairs are the laziest little buggers ever and wouldn't hunt anything if it launched itself at them!I think we'll remain catless, but it was worth looking in to.
Perhaps if they all grew up together it might be OK, but otherwise it's a small version of expecting a lion to get on with a zebra I fear. Carnivore vs herbivore, top of food chain vs nature's dinner etc.
Best casserole the critters first and then you can get cats with no problem (and a nice scoff)
Best casserole the critters first and then you can get cats with no problem (and a nice scoff)
Simpo Two said:
Perhaps if they all grew up together it might be OK, but otherwise it's a small version of expecting a lion to get on with a zebra I fear. Carnivore vs herbivore, top of food chain vs nature's dinner etc.
Best casserole the critters first and then you can get cats with no problem (and a nice scoff)
Leave the bunnies alone! (besides we've spent too much on one of the little fBest casserole the critters first and then you can get cats with no problem (and a nice scoff)
kers to be able to afford to eat him)We were wondering if a little lion could learn to grow up with an older zebra, as it'd be smaller than the zebra whilst it was young and then when it was bigger would think the zebra was in charge.
Perhaps I need to mention to the husband my desire for a miniature donkey instead...
littlegreenfairy said:
We were wondering if a little lion could learn to grow up with an older zebra, as it'd be smaller than the zebra whilst it was young and then when it was bigger would think the zebra was in charge.
Nice idea but I think the genes will out - a bit like putting your head in a circus lion's mouth. It's been trained not to bite but you're never 100% sure... I know someone who bred Westies and also had a cat (who had been there longer than them). It didn't stop the Westies going into pack mode and killing it 
littlegreenfairy said:
Perhaps I need to mention to the husband my desire for a miniature donkey instead...
See http://www.funzu.com/index.php/crazy-pics/bison-as...My grandmother had a very large white rabbit buck - a right vicious bugger. It had the run of the garden shed, which was full of mice. He was fully grown when she acquired him, and she already had a cat. The cat wanted in the shed to hunt mice, the rabbit wasn't so keen. Rabbit battered cat, pecking order established, cat and rabbit shared the shed for many years and could often be found cuddled up together.
Could have ended badly had the rabbit not had Chuck Norris tendencies, though.
Could have ended badly had the rabbit not had Chuck Norris tendencies, though.
I have kept both in perfect harmony. The rabbit would have full roam of the garden as it was walled on all sides. The cat wasnt phased by the rabbit. However the rabbit always thought the cat was there for his own pleasure and was often found mounting the cat to try and make baby rabbits/cats. The cat would take it all in his stride and never once lashed out. If he didnt like it he would swiftly move on. Most of the time he would sit there and accept what was happening. It never failed to amuse me!
Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff