Dogs & Rabbits - can they live together?

[Jaysmonkey]

I have eight cats and eleven rabbits and they all live together in harmony. When I was at the vet yesterday with Apple I was talking to another customer who said one of his cats killed one of their rabbits

When the rabbits and cats go out in the garden in the summer it is the rabbits who chase the cats, not the other way around. The cats just climb a tree when they get fed-up. Pippa curls up with George and Gemma.

I know I am taking a risk but trying to keep them separate would be a logistical nightmare. I don't let the cats have unsupervised access to Mr Banoffee Pie (guinea-pig) even when he is in his cage as they could hurt him through the bars. They don't pay him any attention though but I wouldn't risk it as he is that much smaller.

I'm for multi-pet households - just thought I'd share another experience with cat and bunny. My bunny Peter had to have his eye removed because his continous chasing of cats that came in the garden resulted in one day one fighting back, hitting him with claws out, the claw broke off in his eye and thus he needed his eye removed. He lived a happy life with just 1 eye, but the point is it doesn't matter if the rabbits chase the cats one retaliation and it could be a disaster.

Again though I am for multipet households.

 

[Aly&Poppy<3]

My rabbits are very different. Lola and Donny hate my aunties dog and my nans dog. My aunties dog will bark and that scares them so I go out with her to watch them.. My nans dog however doesn't bark and is very caring towards them when Poppy was outside and a bit poorly Lucy (the dog) would lie next to her for hours.

The cat loves all of the bunnies, but only Poppy has met the cat properly when we were syringe feeding her. The cat would hit me if Poppy pulled back :shock: :lol: I would never leave my rabbits alone with a dog because they get very territorial and I don't want them hurting themselves. The cat from the pub next door walks through our garden sometimes but the rabbits don't care, I do watch them but it's only dogs they don't like, and we don't really have dogs visit anymore because my mom doesn't like it when the bunnies get upset

(Roxy is an indoor cat, so never meets the rabbits unless they are in the carrier going to the vets)

I wouldn't put them in a position where they would be in any danger or get upset and I don't think any one would really

 

[bunnylicious]

They're not Pokemon, you don't have to have one of each.

Yeh I think we have got your opinion:roll: Stop insinuating that everyone with multiple pets are stupid or narrow minded.

 

[Stator]

Yeh I think we have got your opinion:roll: Stop insinuating that everyone with multiple pets are stupid or narrow minded.

I think you need to read my posts more carefully. I've never insulted anyone by calling them stupid.

 

[loppy ears]

Dogs can be very happy as a single dog as long as they get lots of human company, even if you have more than one dog they still need human company.

I am glad you do not have to collect them all like Pokemon because there are too many different breeds to ever hope to do that.

Even if I did not have dogs my rabbits would smell and hear dogs, I was sitting in my kennel earlier and could hear at least four different dogs barking (none of these dogs are mine) and I could hear the dog who lives at the end of my garden sniffing and scratching against the fence.

 

[Maizey]

I think you need to read my posts more carefully. I've never insulted anyone by calling them stupid.

I think you need to re read your posts and yes you have insulted me amongst others.As you have never had a dog how can you judge others!!!!!!!!!

 

[littleboots]

I think you need to re read your posts and yes you have insulted me amongst others.As you have never had a dog how can you judge others!!!!!!!!!

:thumb:

 

[yvette]

I think its been settled that these different species CAN live together, but with assistance,care and awareness.

 

[Lea-Anne]

I think its been settled that these different species CAN live together, but with assistance,care and awareness.

:thumb::thumb:

 

[Stator]

I think you need to re read your posts and yes you have insulted me amongst others.As you have never had a dog how can you judge others!!!!!!!!!

I have not insulted anyone. Just because I think you are completely and utterly wrong does not mean I have insulted you. Also the fact that I don't have a dog is irrelevent. I am not talking about individual dogs. I could have owned awful dogs or perfectly behaved dogs, it makes no difference. The fact is that incidents can occur when you let dogs and rabbits interact and because of the size of dogs and their teeth the rabbit can end up dead before you have time to react. That is needlessly endangering the rabbits welfare. If you feel I am judging you, so what? I'm sure you judge other people all the time when you think they are endangering their animals.

 

[Stator]

I think its been settled that these different species CAN live together, but with assistance,care and awareness.

It's not a question of can, but should. You can keep rabbits and guinea pigs in the same hutch, but shouldn't.

 

[littleboots]

I think you not having a dog is absolutley relevant!
Gives you no right to tell others what they should or shouldnt do... when you have no experience.

 

[honeybunny]

of course you can have different types of pet..such as dog and rabbit..you just need to use common sense re security..and don't make the mistake of thinking you know what your dog is thinking..however much you convince yourself you do..you don't

 

[Stator]

I think you not having a dog is absolutley relevant!
Gives you no right to tell others what they should or shouldnt do... when you have no experience.

So only people who have kept ferrets can say whether ferrets and rabbits should be kept together?
Foxes and rabbits?

No matter how much experience you have with dogs, there is always a possibility that a dog can kill a rabbit and you could do nothing to stop it if it does happen.

 

[RubyTed]

So only people who have kept ferrets can say whether ferrets and rabbits should be kept together?
Foxes and rabbits?

No matter how much experience you have with dogs, there is always a possibility that a dog can kill a rabbit and you could do nothing to stop it if it does happen.

I don't think anyone would recommend keeping rabbits and ferrets together. People aren't keeping their rabbits and dogs together. They're living in the same household.

 

[William]

So only people who have kept ferrets can say whether ferrets and rabbits should be kept together?
Foxes and rabbits?

No matter how much experience you have with dogs, there is always a possibility that a dog can kill a rabbit and you could do nothing to stop it if it does happen.

No, you dont necessarily need to have those species to say but it sounds like you haven't had any experience with keeping multiple species in the same house so you're inexperienced and biased towards it. If you had experience you would probably realize how easy it is and how any species can be kept at the same time as long as you are sensible. I don't yet have any experience with keeping foxes and ferrets away from rabbits but based on my experience with cats and dogs I imagine it wouldn't be very hard. They can't chew through a solid wood door for one thing, nor would they probably try to unless really bored. it's just common sense that foxes/ferrets would need to be kept in separate rooms from rabbits or else in really secure cages/enclosures. And ferrets and foxes (well some foxes - fennec, swift, north american gray, and corsac are generally not as destructive as red and arctic foxes are) should be semi-supervised when free ranging the house anyways unless you're sure the house is completely ferret/fox proof.

I haven't heard you mention that 2 predator species shouldn't be in the same house. Like, are you okay with dogs and ferrets being kept in the same house?

 

[littleboots]

So only people who have kept ferrets can say whether ferrets and rabbits should be kept together?
Foxes and rabbits?

No matter how much experience you have with dogs, there is always a possibility that a dog can kill a rabbit and you could do nothing to stop it if it does happen.

And there is always the "chance" two rabbits will fight.... do we keep them separate just incase?? I think not

 

[Stator]

And there is always the "chance" two rabbits will fight.... do we keep them separate just incase?? I think not

rabbits can't kill each other with one bite.

No, you dont necessarily need to have those species to say but it sounds like you haven't had any experience with keeping multiple species in the same house so you're inexperienced and biased towards it. If you had experience you would probably realize how easy it is and how any species can be kept at the same time as long as you are sensible. I don't yet have any experience with keeping foxes and ferrets away from rabbits but based on my experience with cats and dogs I imagine it wouldn't be very hard. They can't chew through a solid wood door for one thing, nor would they probably try to unless really bored. it's just common sense that foxes/ferrets would need to be kept in separate rooms from rabbits or else in really secure cages/enclosures. And ferrets and foxes (well some foxes - fennec, swift, north american gray, and corsac are generally not as destructive as red and arctic foxes are) should be semi-supervised when free ranging the house anyways unless you're sure the house is completely ferret/fox proof.

I haven't heard you mention that 2 predator species shouldn't be in the same house. Like, are you okay with dogs and ferrets being kept in the same house?

People have posted on this very forum about accidents that have happened and one animal has got access to an area they shouldn't have and one of the animals has ended up dead. Accidents happen, no matter how careful you THINK you are going to be.

I wouldn't keep any predator / prey species in a house together if either of them were allowed loose. So if I had a dog I wouldn't keep any species that it could kill.

 

[emmiiee]

can't believe this thred is still going, I thought most agreed its totally down to the dog and the rabbit!!

YOU as the owner know YOUR animals and HOW they will react!

I have 2 labradors who couldnt care less about the rabbits, (or cats or chicken) Yet some of my rabbits don't like the dogs so they don't mix!

It's not rocket science!!

 

[William]

rabbits can't kill each other with one bite.


People have posted on this very forum about accidents that have happened and one animal has got access to an area they shouldn't have and one of the animals has ended up dead. Accidents happen, no matter how careful you THINK you are going to be.

I wouldn't keep any predator / prey species in a house together if either of them were allowed loose. So if I had a dog I wouldn't keep any species that it could kill.

I'm a lot more afraid about bonding rabbits than I am keeping a dog in the house. Rabbits can seriously injure and as we all know rabbits don't always do so well with vet visits and surgery if it comes to it and wounds are prone to abscesses and infection.

But where do you draw the line? 2 parrots that don't like each other could very well kill each other. A rat can kill small animals. A rabbit could binky and accidentally land on a guinea pig, breaking the pigs back. A raccoon could open a fish tank and eat the fish. The list goes on and on. Any animal can kill other species, even animals of the same species. you've just got to keep them separate from each other.

Anyways, no one was talking about letting a rabbit free range with a dog. We're talking about keeping them both at the same time. A rabbit could easily be kept away from a dog by keeping them in separate rooms.