My bunny absolutely hates our new kitten

[Kattkac]

Hi everyone,

I’m new to this forum and would really appreciate some advice. My partner and I are feeling overwhelmed and stressed about how to introduce our new kitten to our household, which already includes a skittish cat and a pretty dominant rabbit.

Here’s some background information:
We previously had two cats, Jack and Mayflower, and a bunny named Pinto, all living somewhat harmoniously in our small condo. Sadly, Jack passed away last December at the age of 7 due to kidney disease. After his passing, we decided to adopt a new kitten to help with our healing process and to provide Mayflower with a companion. However, the transition has been more difficult and stressful than we expected.

About each animal:
Jack (cat):

• Passed away at 7 from kidney disease
• Very calm, food-motivated, and friendly
• Got along with all animals and was almost dog-like in his personality
• Had free-roam of the condo, and would sleep on the bed at night with us
• Would snuggle and play with Mayflower and was Mayflower's first friend
• Would tolerate Pinto

Mayflower (cat):

• 4 years old
• Came from a rough past (found in a dumpster as a kitten) and was initially distrustful of people
• Became friends with Jack, and has gradually learned to trust my partner and me
• Still skittish, but has become more open since Jack's passing
• Gives Pinto a wide birth - she does not really allow him to come near her at all
• Has free-roam of the condo, and used to sleep in a cat tree but now sleeps on the bed with us at night (like Jack used to do)
• Lately, Mayflower has been hiding under the bed and seems to feel confined to the bedroom space due to the new kitten

Pinto (bunny):

• 6 years old
• Holland lop breed - is very inquisitive and exploratory by nature, but also incredibly cuddly
• He isn’t neutered and has always been the dominant animal in our household. Jack was a bit more tolerant of Pinto, and Mayflower still keeps her distance from him, but he has chased them both before, though not nearly as much as he chases the new kitten now.
• He is boarded off in a smaller separate area at night in our condo (den) but is free-roam during the day - the only access he does not have is the bedroom area.

Olive (NEW KITTEN):

• 12 weeks old
• We have had her for about 5 days so far
• She is very playful, inquisitive, respectful, snuggly and kind in her personality
• She has kept her distance from Pinto and Mayflower, despite just wanting to be friends with both. Mayflower hisses at her a lot and has become incredibly on edge and avoidant. Pinto has been incredibly aggressive towards Olive, lunging suddenly when he sees her to the point where I think he may even be trying to bite her.

The main situation where I need some advice:

We started by confining Olive to one of our washrooms for a couple of days, and since then, we’ve slowly allowed her to explore the condo during the day, keeping her in the bathroom at night. She was able to sneak into the bedroom once, which startled Mayflower, but has otherwise spent her time lounging in the living room area during the day for longer and longer time periods so that the other animals get used to her scent.

Pinto has claim to his den area, and Olive has not dared to venture there as of yet. However, when Pinto is free-roaming in the living room, he’s been very aggressive towards her, lunging at her multiple times. We’ve set up a small playpen for Olive to stay in during these interactions, but she doesn’t like it, and the other animals are still not reacting well to her presence.

My concerns:

Is Pinto’s aggressive lunging toward Olive normal behavior when introducing a rabbit to a new kitten, or is it a sign that he’s particularly stressed?
Will his behaviour likely improve over time, or should we be concerned about further tension and is this creating health issues?
What can I do to help make all of them feel safe and less threatened? Our condo space is incredibly limited, so we can't really use space and separation as a solution.

We would really appreciate any advice or insight into how we can help all of them adjust more smoothly. Thank you so much for your time and help!

- Katarina

 

[Shimmer]

Basically, rabbits are a prey species. Cats are hunters. The kitten is a substantial threat to the rabbit, both in terms of physical damage (even from a 'friendly' paw swipe) and from the stress of being permanently in the presence of something with the determination and capability to harm it.

All I can suggest is that you find a way to keep the kitten and rabbit at a safe distance from each other with some sort of physical barrier (a door, mesh panel, etc). The kitten has the means to escape from an attacking rabbit, but the rabbit is stuck with the predator as things are at the moment - which is ultimately not good for the rabbit.

 

[William]

Rabbits around cats can be tricky because it takes only one swipe from the cat to cause damage and infection. Rabbits have delicate skin that tears easily, they can be prone to abscesses, and cats have bacteria in their claws and teeth. Not to mention if a claw hit their eye, or if the cat bites...

Then there's the prey vs predator issue. Even a friendly cat can be viewed as a predator by a rabbit and feeling unsafe means stress and aggression.

I'd see if there's a way to keep the kitten away from Pinto, especially while Olive is a young kitten. Young kittens are very playful which is not a good combination with a rabbit.

 

[Zarla]

I think social media is misleading and has normalised the idea that cats and rabbits get along by showing videos of rabbits huddled down being groomed by cats. Everyone in the comments goes 'ahhhh', even though the huddle itself is a fear response in a predator/prey dynamic.

Your kitten is getting bigger and older and may decide one day soon that she doesn't like being chased, and then she'll do more damage in two minutes to Pinto than Pinto is capable of in an hour. Bear in mind that your kitten has teeth and claws designed to shred meat while your rabbit has claws made for burrowing and teeth designed to chew hay.

The best solution is simply not to keep a prey animal and two predators in the same space. If you do and you leave them alone together, you risk returning to a bloodbath. In your place, I would move to a bigger flat with a separate small room for Pinto, or rehome him. He'll also be a lot happier if he's spayed, which a rescue would do.