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Rabbits and Guinea Pigs together?

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BattleKat said:
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.
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I have staffys with cats and there fine and there different species they sleep together .... Plus I put pigs with my bucks for years keep them company I buck I have has been with his pig mate for 5years even when I put them in the garden they go together
 
Belgian hare boy said:
I have staffys with cats and there fine and there different species they sleep together .... Plus I put pigs with my bucks for years keep them company I buck I have has been with his pig mate for 5years even when I put them in the garden they go together
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:roll:

I wonder if trolls need companionship...
 
I think its a shame that rabbits and guinea-pigs arent meant to be kept together because of different diseases that can be spead and cos of causing injury to them as they make lovely companions for one another.

At one point I had 2 guinea-pigs and a rabbit living together and they 3 used to snuggle up in a line. At another point I have had 3 rabbits and a guinea-pig living together (they had a shed so enough room) and they got one really well, and my favourite combination was my Skippy bunny I have now and my old guinea-pig I got her nearly 6 years ago and my mum got her for me as a surprise, and Skippy and Buttons (g-pig) were in the same cage in pet shop and were sitting with one anotehr and since the day they came home, they were never apart until Buttons died, they snuggled up to one another, he would sit on her back, if she moved in the garden he would follow, etc.

Certain palces do still allow these to be kept together and live together, and as much as im gonna get told im wrong here, if I felt it was the right thing to do, I would do it again, as my rabbit guinea-pig pairings have been the cutest I have ever had, and I think rabbits just see them as there own babies, and make sure they look our for one another, as when I had the 3 rabbits and guinea-pig, Buttons knew that Skippy was the one he went to when he wanted to sit peacefully and just be close to someone.
 
Staffys and cats sounds to me as if you have more than one of each meaning that your dogs and cats can chose which species it would prefer to have as company. Also dogs and cats are often left to free range a house/garden and come and go as they please (especially cats) therefore having the choice of where to go and who to be or not be with.

Rabbits and Guinea Pigs housed together very rarely have this choice and are often confined to a hutch, unable to get away from one another. Leading unnatural, unhappy lives with the Guinea Pig most likely in fear of it's giant 'friend' that is more that capable of ending it's poor life with one kick of legs!

I don't think they should ever be housed together, it would not be done with any other species and all the evidence suggests it's not good for either of the animals welfare so why on earth do it??? Rabbits should live with rabbits and guinea pigs should live with guinea pigs!!!!!
 
samantha m said:
Certain palces do still allow these to be kept together and live together, and as much as im gonna get told im wrong here, if I felt it was the right thing to do, I would do it again, as my rabbit guinea-pig pairings have been the cutest I have ever had, and I think rabbits just see them as there own babies, and make sure they look our for one another, as when I had the 3 rabbits and guinea-pig, Buttons knew that Skippy was the one he went to when he wanted to sit peacefully and just be close to someone.
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So the pairings were made for your benefit and not the animals.
 
I personally could not sleep at night knowing that I had left a guinea pig and a rabbit together, on the off-chance that it would be ok. :?
 
Belgian hare boy said:
I have staffys with cats and there fine and there different species they sleep together .... Plus I put pigs with my bucks for years keep them company I buck I have has been with his pig mate for 5years even when I put them in the garden they go together
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I can only assume you're trolling but for the sake of argument....
Dogs and cats are a different matter. A dog isn't going to accidentally cripple a cat or vice versa. And, as has been said, they generally have a choice of where to go and the ability to get away from each other and the choice to be together if they want to.

Putting a guinea in with an un neutered buck brings on whole other issues since the bucks would, inevitably, hump the guineas - not only scaring them but risking serious damage.

I highly doubt you've had guineas with sexually mature non neutered bucks for years with no problems.

for the record I had a guinea and a rabbit together for years with no problems and they seemed to 'like' each other - the guinea followed the rabbit around everywhere. But on reflection I see that the guinea would have been so much happier with guineas (it following the rabbit was it's group instinct) and the rabbit with rabbits. There's just no need for that kind of pairing with the risks you're taking and the happiness of your animals compromised.
 
For my bucks it's a pig or no one at all which is better plus the pigs are with small rabbits my hare buck is on his own as he is big and very powerful but I have never had a problem
 
BattleKat said:
I can only assume you're trolling but for the sake of argument....
Dogs and cats are a different matter. A dog isn't going to accidentally cripple a cat or vice versa. And, as has been said, they generally have a choice of where to go and the ability to get away from each other and the choice to be together if they want to.

Putting a guinea in with an un neutered buck brings on whole other issues since the bucks would, inevitably, hump the guineas - not only scaring them but risking serious damage.

I highly doubt you've had guineas with sexually mature non neutered bucks for years with no problems.

for the record I had a guinea and a rabbit together for years with no problems and they seemed to 'like' each other - the guinea followed the rabbit around everywhere. But on reflection I see that the guinea would have been so much happier with guineas (it following the rabbit was it's group instinct) and the rabbit with rabbits. There's just no need for that kind of pairing with the risks you're taking and the happiness of your animals compromised.
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The thought of a little guinea pig in with a big kicky legged belgian hare buck makes me cringe.

What's the betting BHB see's nothing wrong with breeding his dogs and cats either?! ..... ;)
 
Belgian hare boy said:
For my bucks it's a pig or no one at all which is better plus the pigs are with small rabbits my hare buck is on his own as he is big and very powerful but I have never had a problem
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The obvious answer is neuter the male rabbits; pair with neutered female rabbits. Somehow I dont think that will be accepted.
 
Belgian hare boy said:
For my bucks it's a pig or no one at all which is better plus the pigs are with small rabbits my hare buck is on his own as he is big and very powerful but I have never had a problem
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Personally I think no company is better for your rabbits than a guinea pig. The guinea pig will probably be scared and it'll just give the buck something to get sexually frustrated over.

I think your bucks would be better off with more space and lots of toys tbh.
 
Crunchie said:
So the pairings were made for your benefit and not the animals.
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Not my benefit no, when you see how close they are and how they interact with one another, you could tell they get on, I would never have dreamed of splitting these 2 up, as I know from after Buttons died how heartbroken Skippy was and she still had rabbit company, so you now tell me that they didnt have a bond, if they hadnt of cared about one anotehr then when he had died she wouldnt have given 2 monkeys and would be hoping about with the rabbits, but she wasnt.

Also on the space thing Hayley, mine had a shed so had plenty of space to split up if they wanted, plenty of different things like tunnels etc to go so they could seperate, but where would u find the guinea-pig wherever the rabbits were, so if he didnt like it he would have stayed away from them but he didnt.

I will add though, mine have always been female rabbits with the guinea-pigs so no risk of humping or anything, as that I can see where a problem could arise
 
My friend had a bun with a piggie. He was un-neutered and used to hump him constantly. He used to squeal and hide in a tiny tunnel constantly. (this was before it was known that pigs and buns shouldnt be kept together) This pggie died very young and i ended up with bun because they had no time to handle him.

Keeping pigs and buns together is a very bad idea even if you think its ok they can pass diseases to one another. Also i believe that the pigs get stressed out as they are not meant to be with buns and vise versa.
 
samantha m said:
I will add though, mine have always been female rabbits with the guinea-pigs so no risk of humping or anything, as that I can see where a problem could arise
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I must have imagined all the times my spayed female rabbit has jumped on my male, pinned him to the floor and humped him into submission. :shock:

Maybe my Honey is just a dirty girl.
 
samantha m said:
Not my benefit no, when you see how close they are and how they interact with one another, you could tell they get on, I would never have dreamed of splitting these 2 up, as I know from after Buttons died how heartbroken Skippy was and she still had rabbit company, so you now tell me that they didnt have a bond, if they hadnt of cared about one anotehr then when he had died she wouldnt have given 2 monkeys and would be hoping about with the rabbits, but she wasnt.

Also on the space thing Hayley, mine had a shed so had plenty of space to split up if they wanted, plenty of different things like tunnels etc to go so they could seperate, but where would u find the guinea-pig wherever the rabbits were, so if he didnt like it he would have stayed away from them but he didnt.

I will add though, mine have always been female rabbits with the guinea-pigs so no risk of humping or anything, as that I can see where a problem could arise
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Females hump too, as a dominance thing - they're often more agressive about it too. :shock: I should also imagine you rabbit 'grieved' because it was lonely, not because it particulary missed the guinea pig. And like was said before, the guinea pig would follow the rabbit because it's instinct for it to be in a group. Safety in numbers. It would have been sitting by the rabbit in the hope that it'd be less likely to be eaten rather than because it enjoyed a snuggle. Rabbits are best off with other rabbits. Guinea pigs are best off with other guinea pigs.

I don't suppose a person would much fancy spending their lives sharing a room with a gorilla. (and actually, that's not the best comparison as people and gorillas are really quite similar. Buns and GP's are not).

I'm not trying to say all rabbit/GP pairings will end in tradgedy, but the risk is there so I don't understand why people take it. :?
 
I'm a late comer to the party but I also give up with BHB

samantha m said:
Also on the space thing Hayley, mine had a shed so had plenty of space to split up if they wanted, plenty of different things like tunnels etc to go so they could seperate, but where would u find the guinea-pig wherever the rabbits were, so if he didnt like it he would have stayed away from them but he didnt.
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it's likely the guinea stayed with the rabbits because it's their herd instinct telling them to stay within a group, any group, for safety. If you'd given him a group of guineas and a group of rabbits I guarantee you he would have grouped with the guineas.
If I left you with only dogs for the rest of your life I bet you'd hang out with them a fair amount of the time but it doesn't mean they're as good company as other human beings.


I will add though, mine have always been female rabbits with the guinea-pigs so no risk of humping or anything, as that I can see where a problem could arise
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all rabbits hump, it's a dominance thing.

I sense that you don't really know much about either species of animal if you don't know that guineas are herd animals and rabbits hump regardless of sex. I hate to be quite so blunt but I'm really shocked that someone doing a course in animal care can be so misinformed.
 
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