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Bunnies and piggies living together

Anyone have any links to good info on why guinea pigs and rabbits shouldn't be housed together?

Not sure on links but some things i usually talk about when people ask:

They have different dietery needs, guineas cannot synthesise their own vitamin C so need vitamin C supplements whereas bunnies dont, amongst other things.

Bunnies have very powerful back legs and may, either deliberately or by accident, injure the guinea.

Bunnies can carry a bacteria called Bordatella bronchiseptica (spelling may be incorrect). This can cause respitory disease i guineas but cause the bunny no harm.



If you wish to keep them together id advise having 2 water bottles, one with a Vit C supplement and one without, along with 2 food bowls AND the guinea needs a place he can get into to hide in case the bunny starts to bully him, this needs to be a seperate part of the hutch / enclosure with an entrance large enough for a guinea but not large enough for a rabbit!
 
I tried to explain to a pet shop owner yesterday why they shouldn't be kept together, she was having none of it :roll: So I want to put something concrete in the post to her from a reputable source! Whether she'll bother to read it or not, I don't know. But it'll make me feel better.
 
I tried to explain to a pet shop owner yesterday why they shouldn't be kept together, she was having none of it :roll: So I want to put something concrete in the post to her from a reputable source! Whether she'll bother to read it or not, I don't know. But it'll make me feel better.

I work in a pet shop also and we keep bunnys and pigs together. They are only kept for a short period of time together and are checked often, we also isolate any bully culprits and ensure the food we feed them is good for both guineas and bunnies.

Them being kept together was something originally done because neutering rabbits was a dangerous operation so was deemed better to have a guinea companion. Nowadays it really isnt that risky an op so usually a bunny is recommended.

There are steps you can take to ensure both animals are fine but in the best case, a bunny is a better companion.
 
I work in a pet shop also and we keep bunnys and pigs together. They are only kept for a short period of time together and are checked often, we also isolate any bully culprits and ensure the food we feed them is good for both guineas and bunnies.

Them being kept together was something originally done because neutering rabbits was a dangerous operation so was deemed better to have a guinea companion. Nowadays it really isnt that risky an op so usually a bunny is recommended.

There are steps you can take to ensure both animals are fine but in the best case, a bunny is a better companion.

I'm surprised you would still keep them together, as your obviously know that it's not the best way to keep them (as per your previous bullet points). But at least you know the risks. She refused point blank to believe anything I said. She also tells customers that they are fine to pair up and live together (a friend bought a bunny there a while ago, which I found out after going to the shop yesterday, and told me that they were thinking of getting a guinea pig on the pet shop's advice).
 
I'm surprised you would still keep them together, as your obviously know that it's not the best way to keep them (as per your previous bullet points). But at least you know the risks. She refused point blank to believe anything I said. She also tells customers that they are fine to pair up and live together (a friend bought a bunny there a while ago, which I found out after going to the shop yesterday, and told me that they were thinking of getting a guinea pig on the pet shop's advice).

If it was my choice, id seperate them, but i am only an apprentice in said pet shop so i can do nothing about it. The animals are in no immediate danger though and every precaution is taken and we have never had an issue with any of the animals causing the other harm or worse. :)

Just found something you could link to the person if you wish:

https://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/rabbits/company/rabbitsandguineapigs

An article from the RSPCA explaining their position.

But what i beleive is, it is possible for bunnies and guineas to live together if precautions are made and everything covered (e.g diets, space) but another rabbit is the ideal companion.
 
If it was my choice, id seperate them, but i am only an apprentice in said pet shop so i can do nothing about it. The animals are in no immediate danger though and every precaution is taken and we have never had an issue with any of the animals causing the other harm or worse. :)

Just found something you could link to the person if you wish:

https://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/rabbits/company/rabbitsandguineapigs

An article from the RSPCA explaining their position.

But what i beleive is, it is possible for bunnies and guineas to live together if precautions are made and everything covered (e.g diets, space) but another rabbit is the ideal companion.

Thanks :thumb: I was also told, by the person who bought their rabbit at the shop, that he has been in there since and seen a dead rabbit in one of the pens and staff haven't noticed. So I don't have complete confidence in them knowing anything or taking any kind of precautions really :lol:
 
Thanks :thumb: I was also told, by the person who bought their rabbit at the shop, that he has been in there since and seen a dead rabbit in one of the pens and staff haven't noticed. So I don't have complete confidence in them knowing anything or taking any kind of precautions really :lol:

Doesnt sound very good at all!
 
While it might be possible to cater for the two species together in terms of space and diet you can't really stop a rabbit injuring a guinea pig by accident.

I've definately seen sources that detail why they shouldn't be kept together in any circumstances but I'm on my phone at the minute so will look them up later for you.
 
She was actually really rude to me and thinking about it makes me really :evil::evil::evil::evil::evil:

I was being nice! :lol: Apparently rabbits can't cause guinea pigs illness (I couldn't remember off the top of my head what it was!). And also she disagreed that rabbits can hurt guinea pigs because it has never happened to hers :roll:
 
I really don't understand why people still think it is ok to house the two species together :(

Injuries aside rabbits carry Bordatella in their nasal passage which is fatal for pigs :( The illness piggy backs on other illnesses so it can express itself as a respiratory problem, which can develop into pneumonia or worst case scenario it can bring on sudden death :(
I've known someone to loose a whole herd of pigs within 48 hours due to keeping rabbits and guinea pigs in the same airspace (they weren't even housed together, just in the same shed) and the only way to know for certain is to do a necropsy.
 
I tried to explain to a pet shop owner yesterday why they shouldn't be kept together, she was having none of it :roll: So I want to put something concrete in the post to her from a reputable source! Whether she'll bother to read it or not, I don't know. But it'll make me feel better.


I friend of mine works in a pet shop and was insulting some girl who told him they shouldn't be keeping pigs and rabbits together, and that he obviously knows best because he has an animal welfare degree :roll:

So I'm trying to find links that state it so that him and his smug friends who have "kept them together with no problems" can go shove it haha.

I found these two

https://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/rabbits/company/rabbitsandguineapigs
http://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-health-a...nea-pig-a-suitable-companion-for-a-rabbitnbsp

Unfortunately the RWAF doesn't have much on it.
 
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