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Rabbits and Guinea Pigs together?

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J

Jade&Daisy

New Kit
Hey :wave:

I just want to know what other peoples opinions are on keeping rabbits and guinea pigs together?

My 2 year old piggie is with my 8 week old bunny and already they have became great friends. :) The snuggle up together in the sleep area of their cage and they are always sitting next to each other. :love: its just adorable how close they have become. I know that they have different dietary requirements and we just work around this. Im not feeding my Daisy and veggies yet as shes so young but she will be fed them seperate from my guinea pig Dora.

I know alot of people disagree with keeping them together :roll: but i believe that keeping a rabbit and guinea pig together needs a lot of thought, care, preparation and observation and there's no real hard and fast rule. :D

I am currently doing a diploma in animal care and we have our rabbits and pigs mixed, and they all seem very happy. The vet checks every animal over daily from the cockroachs to the alapakas, so there must be no harm.

So does anyone else keep their babies together?

xx
 
Sorry I don't agree. :( I know it must sound annoying to you but when your bunny is happy, she will kick out her legs and if she happens to touch your guinea pig, she could kill her in an instance. :cry: It's a harsh world but unfortunately it's true. :(
 
Rabbits carry a virus, I think it is, that can kill g.pigs. Also g.pigs need extra vitamin c in their diet, through pellets. Plus one kick from your bun and fragile piggy is dead:cry:

On the plus side you now have a perfect excuse to get them a friend of their own kind, as they are obviously lonely:D

Have you seen some of the rabbits and guinea pigs in need of a forever home on the "rabbits in need" section? They are all:love:
 
no i would never keep me piggies with any of my rabbits. as others have said one kick from the rabbit could kill your guinea pig.
 
Jade&Daisy said:
I know alot of people disagree with keeping them together :roll: but i believe that keeping a rabbit and guinea pig together needs a lot of thought, care, preparation and observation and there's no real hard and fast rule. :D

I am currently doing a diploma in animal care and we have our rabbits and pigs mixed, and they all seem very happy. The vet checks every animal over daily from the cockroachs to the alapakas, so there must be no harm.
Click to expand...

:wave:

If I manage to successfully run across a road blindfolded without being hit by a car, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good idea.

It doesn't matter how much thought you put into it, you cannot change the fact that rabbits have large back feet which are designed for stamping and running, and (assuming they have large enough accommodation for their needs) they can and will do so from time to time, especially if they are suddenly startled. Piggies are much smaller and can easily end up with broken backs through this. It happens. Similarly, when rabbits sexually mature they can often pester guinea pigs. I can give you a list of rescues who have separated pairs of rabbits and pigs that come in together, with the owners insisting that they love each other. On separating, it becomes abundantly clear that the piggies in particular are much happier separate. Of course there will be exceptions to this rule but it doesn't change the other parts of the reasoning. Thirdly, buns can naturally carry bordatella bacteria without it causing them problems, but it can kill piggies. No amount of thought and preparation can tell you which bunnies are carriers and which piggies will be susceptible. The fact that the vet does not seem to know this is somewhat worrying. The RSPCA and RWA both recommend not keeping rabbits and guinea pigs together for good reason, and it worries me somewhat that a course supposedly teaching good animal husbandry are not sticking to this rule. Heck, even Pets at Home keep them separately.

The fact that your bunny and piggie have become 'great friends' I'm afraid tells me just one thing - that they are both lonely and crave company. But for the reasons outlined above, and because of differing body language and behaviour, they will be much happier and better off with a friend of their own species (neutered for the bunnies, same sex or neutered by a very competent vet for the piggies).

Why take the risk of any of these things when it is not necessary for the welfare of the animals to be kept together, in much the same way as why take the risk crossing a road blindfolded when you could just take the blindfold off. It's a nonsensical thing to do in my opinion, as it benefits no-one. Why even go there?
 
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about 15-16 years ago when I had my first bunny, there was no internet and forums, and we got a guinea pig to keep him company. within a month the guinea pig was dead, died on the way to the vet after collapsing with diarrhoea, possibly scurvy, maybe that disease rabbits carry. I feel guilty every day! No one had told us not to do it, no one said it was dangerous, there was no internet on which to research these things.

what kind of animal course is this?? p.s. it's spelt alpaca!! no bunny savvy vet would ever recommend bunnies and piggies together :(
 
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no do not keep them together several reasons

the first being they are a completely different species so although they may huddle for warmth or if frightened they cannot communicate with each other, this is especially sad for the pig as they actually make so many different sounds they have a language and need to chat to each other

Rabbits can also be passive carriers of a disease fatal to pigs

Rabbits can flop down on top of, or kick out at the pig and break its back or legs..we had a pig given in who had internal injuries from a rabbits kick

Also rabbits can get bad bites from pigs which can abcess..our Prudence had to have her eye removed due to her previous owner keeping her with a pig which bit her:(

We liken keeping a rabbit and pig together as you living in a bathroom with an elephant..you both need a different diet, you can't talk to each other and although the elephant may be a very nice one..if it steps on you it will hurt
 
Hi

I never put my rabbits and guinea pigs together, the reason been is that the rabbit will grow and be bigger than the guinea pigs, also the guinea pig can get badly injured or even die.
Not a good idea.

Jay M
 
:D Thanks for your replies but im sorry i dont agree with you, but we are entitled to our own opinion :)

I have kept rabbits and pigs together for many years and like i said providing they have the care and alot of though from their owner then they will be fine. Obviously if there are any signs of stress or unhappyness to either of them they will be seperated straight away

Hancy i did state that piggis have different dietary requirements so i know all about the vitamin C. ;)
 
as well as the (already thoroughly explained) risk of injury to the guinea I personally feel they are probably still lonely. They are different species and while they may co-exist with no ill feelings toward one another it doesn't mean they fulfil each others needs. A rabbit knows it's friend loves it when it's groomed, a guinea communicates with squeaks.

As far as I'm concerned it's like if you were only ever allowed a donkey for a companion. You might be like each other, snuggle up for warmth and even understand each other to a degree but it's not like having a real friend, and that donkey might do you some serious damage.

It's not something I'd personally ever do - and I don't think you'll find anyone on here who will agree that it's a good idea.
 
Jade&Daisy said:
:D Thanks for your replies but im sorry i dont agree with you, but we are entitled to our own opinion :)

I have kept rabbits and pigs together for many years and like i said providing they have the care and alot of though from their owner then they will be fine. Obviously if there are any signs of stress or unhappyness to either of them they will be seperated straight away

Hancy i did state that piggis have different dietary requirements so i know all about the vitamin C. ;)
Click to expand...

To be honest, I didn't bother reading your whole post as it is a ridiculous idea:D
 
Santa said:
:wave:

If I manage to successfully run across a road blindfolded without being hit by a car, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good idea.

It doesn't matter how much thought you put into it, you cannot change the fact that rabbits have large back feet which are designed for stamping and running, and (assuming they have large enough accommodation for their needs) they can and will do so from time to time, especially if they are suddenly startled. Piggies are much smaller and can easily end up with broken backs through this. It happens. Similarly, when rabbits sexually mature they can often pester guinea pigs. I can give you a list of rescues who have separated pairs of rabbits and pigs that come in together, with the owners insisting that they love each other. On separating, it becomes abundantly clear that the piggies in particular are much happier separate. Of course there will be exceptions to this rule but it doesn't change the other parts of the reasoning. Thirdly, buns can naturally carry bordatella bacteria without it causing them problems, but it can kill piggies. No amount of thought and preparation can tell you which bunnies are carriers and which piggies will be susceptible. The fact that the vet does not seem to know this is somewhat worrying. The RSPCA and RWA both recommend not keeping rabbits and guinea pigs together for good reason, and it worries me somewhat that a course supposedly teaching good animal husbandry are not sticking to this rule. Heck, even Pets at Home keep them separately.

The fact that your bunny and piggie have become 'great friends' I'm afraid tells me just one thing - that they are both lonely and crave company. But for the reasons outlined above, and because of differing body language and behaviour, they will be much happier and better off with a friend of their own species (neutered for the bunnies, same sex or neutered by a very competent vet for the piggies).

Why take the risk of any of these things when it is not necessary for the welfare of the animals to be kept together, in much the same way as why take the risk crossing a road blindfolded when you could just take the blindfold off. It's a nonsensical thing to do in my opinion, as it benefits no-one. Why even go there?
Click to expand...

I agree with this.
I am sorry, if someone can see all these responses saying don't do it, and still commences, then they are foolish.

May I ask what college you go to that mixes species?
 
when your guinea gets dangerously injured, don't say we didn't tell you so :(

and I would possibly re-evaluate this "animal care" course you're on.
 
I went on a small animal course at Hadlow. They were breeding from the only aggressive guinea pig I have ever met. I left there;)
 
Jade&Daisy said:
:D Thanks for your replies but im sorry i dont agree with you
Click to expand...

So why bother asking us if you're not going to listen to reasoned argument from a range of rescues, not to mention national welfare organisations? I think it's a very sad situation.

I have kept rabbits and pigs together for many years
Click to expand...

And I may have run across the road blindfold for many years...

Maybe I should stick to roads which don't have bridges, as that way I should come across fewer trolls...
 
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