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Getting a cat when you've got house rabbits

sacol4940

Warren Veteran
I think we're getting a cat once Paddy and Peaches have moved outside and was just wondering is it best to

a) get a kitten
b) get a young cat
c) get an old cat who's too old to care about the rabbits being there

I'll never leave them alone together but just wondering what age cat would be best?
 
I know nothing about cats but if it were me, I think my slightly backwards logical thinking would suggest to get a kitten. Thinking that it would be small and less scary for the bunnies. A big cat might give them a bit of a fright the first few times they see it. Although a kitten might be a little tooooo playful....

Hmmmmm. Helpful aren't I?! :roll::lol:
 
I got rabbits when my cats were between 5-10 years and the cats never really even noticed the rabbits.

We got 3 kittens end of last year and the kittens are good with the rabbits but will paw at them through the bars and if the rabbits are outside in runs the kittens tend to climb on the runs or sleep next to them (which doesn't bother my rabbits as most of them have been raised with cats and dogs.. It may startle rabbits that have never seen a cat before)

To be honest there isn't much difference, except young cats/kittens are more inquisitive and will pay a bit more attention to the rabbits but there's always exceptions to the rule.
 
I think some of it will depend on the personalities of the buns & the cat/s.
I'll share my experience in the hope that it helps you make a decision.
We have shed buns & rehomed 2 adult Burmese cats. The cats showed only a mild curiosity re the buns & only when I was spending time with the buns because they (the cats) wanted to hang out with Mummy outside too.
One of the neighbours has a free ranging intact buck rabbit. He's a dwarf X & very feisty & streetwise. I despair about his safety but their attitude is well he's survived this long....so what the hell :( Anyway he is very pro active when it comes to cats & charges aggressively at all the neighbourhood cats including mine. All the cats in our bit of street including my two give this bun a really wide birth & they have a healthy respect for all buns as a result of this wee tough guys approach.
So cats & buns can coexist happily!
I know its a bit different as your buns are house buns but if they have quite strong personalities they'll probably be a match for any cat.
 
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Don't. Too many people are animal collectors and seem to one one of everything. If you've got rabbits stick with rabbits, they shouldn't be mixed with cats.
 
I have 4 cats 2 house cats and 2 that live outside. My ones that live outside love my rabbits and I only got them about 6 to 8 weeks ago. They snuggle up in the kennels with the rabbits and the rabbits like to play with them, both my outside cats were semi feral when I got them and are approx 3 to 4 yrs old
 
Don't. Too many people are animal collectors and seem to one one of everything. If you've got rabbits stick with rabbits, they shouldn't be mixed with cats.

I have dogs and cats as well as my rabbits but I am certainly not an animal collector, you will probably find alot of people on here have other animals as well as rabbits and it doesn't make them animal collectors either.
 
I have 4 cats 2 house cats and 2 that live outside. My ones that live outside love my rabbits and I only got them about 6 to 8 weeks ago. They snuggle up in the kennels with the rabbits and the rabbits like to play with them, both my outside cats were semi feral when I got them and are approx 3 to 4 yrs old

your so-called "feral" cats :lol::lol::lol:
 
Don't. Too many people are animal collectors and seem to one one of everything. If you've got rabbits stick with rabbits, they shouldn't be mixed with cats.

:shock: :lol::lol::lol:

Sorry shouldn't laugh, but that's such a silly sweeping statement! She's not asking to mix them with cats, I think she is asking what is better to get to introduce so she won't have any problems adding one to her family. :wave:

Sarah, I would recommend giving a call to the local shelter and seeing which cats are better to live with small animals. :wave:
 
I recently mioved in with my boyfriend, I have 2 rabbits and he has 2 kittens. We introduced them gradually. I really think it depends on personality. My 2 boys are not nervous jumpy rabbits at all and they are definetly the boss of the cats. They all get along great now and have been seen in the garden sleeping together but I think it really depends on the rabbits personalities. Do you think your rabbits will revert to prey like characteristics because in my opinion (I am sure other people will have more experience than me though) prey behaviour encourages the cats to chase, stalk etc.
 
our old cats were 6yrs old and 7yrs old when we got our first house bun...both elder cats were terrified at meeting her..our oyunger cat waltzed up to her and said whats yiur name.....can i be your friend...and they were...most of the time..except when our bun would nip her on the bum too hard to play:lol:

we lost one cat and then the bunny..then we moved...didnt intend to get another bun but we took one on and the cats didnt like him.never hunted him but the odd velvet paw swat was used. mind you the oldest cat had kideny failure and disease.......the younger cat was very ill on and off then our bun died....and they both grieved for him. then the younger cat died form being poisoned and acute kideny failure.......
the sweetest thing hapened...the new little bun who adored my cat was grieving and so was her mum our elder cat........so oscar and tabby used to have breakfast side by side every morning. when tabby died oscar was heartbroken and lonley so we got him a rescue doe.
oscar died 6 motnhs later and we got bertie...a motnh later we took in two teeny kitts and they thought bif was mummy and bertie was daddy. bif was soo scared at first and they did play a bit rough and kits cant retract claws even if they pat.
but we got flooded and somehow they all bonded in a group. now he kitts are almost 4yrs old and id say she is their mum and bertie is their dad...:lol:
and bif breaks up their fights if they get out of hand....she goes to them to talk to them..she told them when bandit had died.......

id say..dont listen to the rescue unless theyre also familiar with house rabbits..ours said no to kitts or 7month old kitts..tried to make us take a 3yr old cat she knew nothing about saying adults were calmer:shock:

basically if the cat is a true hunter of small critters..or a kit thats been hunting with mum..then its a NO.

kits of about 8 weeks old tend to treat buns as siblings and expect them to play like kittens..some buns scare..others turn and grunt and the kits soon learn!!

placid over 5yr old cats..the couch potato type..food comes in sachets or tins..it doesnt have fur types are fine too:lol:
 
I got a kitten when I had my first rabbit. He was an elder bun (we think) and Tiger loved him to bits. At first I though that Bunny was scared of Tiger, but after a while Bunny seemed to ENJOY playing tag with Tiger, and faking him out. When we got a second kitten, who was afraid of Bunny, Bunny would delight in terrorizing her. As our rabbit was sort of just tossed at us, we don't know if he has ever seen a cat or dog or whatever. But he always had relaxed body language, even though Tiger is sort of "hands-on." All of my bunnies after that seemed to get on with the cats. Obviously personality would factor into it. I suggest finding a shelter, and find and youngish-older cat that the staff think would be ok in a house with small animals. I only say youngish-older because they have the most trouble finding homes, and kitten can develop different personalities as they mature. Make sure to introduce them gradually, and don't lave the cat ad rabbits unattended until you're 100% sure everything is good. Even then, make sure theres somewhere the rabbits can get where the cat cannot.
 
Don't. Too many people are animal collectors and seem to one one of everything. If you've got rabbits stick with rabbits, they shouldn't be mixed with cats.

I've never had any problems with cats and rabbits, I had 3 cats at one time, all different ages, and they never bothered with the rabbits at all.

I must be a collector as well as I have a hamster and goldfish as well as the cat and rabbit.
 
Don't. Too many people are animal collectors and seem to one one of everything. If you've got rabbits stick with rabbits, they shouldn't be mixed with cats.

Rubbish!! I have cats and they love my rabbits!!! I have a Bengal that i rescued at 3 years old and as long as you introduce carefully and set ground rules theres no problem, i wouldnt leave them unsupervised together though.

Of course you can have more than one species of animal :lol:

IMG_1568.jpg
 
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Do you think your rabbits will revert to prey like characteristics because in my opinion (I am sure other people will have more experience than me though) prey behaviour encourages the cats to chase, stalk etc.

Agreed. :) Alfie is very confident around our cat and Skye is in fact scared of him. :lol: Bubbles is very wary though and will run away, which in turn makes Skye chase, so it's very much about personalities of all animals concerned. :)
 
Rubbish!! I have cats and they love my rabbits!!! I have a Bengal that i rescued at 3 years old and as long as you introduce carefully and set ground rules theres no problem, i wouldnt leave them unsupervised together though.

Of course you can have more than one species of animal :lol:
IMG_1568.jpg

But you then become an animal collector:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
I would adopt an older cat if it was me, there shouldn't be a problem either way though so long as they aren't left unsupervised :)

Don't. Too many people are animal collectors and seem to one one of everything. If you've got rabbits stick with rabbits, they shouldn't be mixed with cats.

I have a cat and rabbits and am not an animal collector :lol: :shock:
 
My sister is a collector she has one bun, hamster, 2 terriers and a cat :lol: oh and fish if they count....they all play together, the cat won't go anywhere without the dogs, and last week my sister went out into the back yard where bun was playing found the cat (newest member) and bun both in the hutch and cat was grooming the bun :shock: :love::love: they literall flop together...
 
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