Here's that article I was looking for:
Guinea Pigs with Rabbits? NOT a Good Idea.
Despite how it seems in the cute and fuzzyBlockbuster commercials, guinea pigs and rabbits do NOT make idealcompanions. Such pairings are often disastrous, both for the guineapigs and the rabbits; so before you attempt this, please give seriousconsideration to the following issues:
Diet.Although guinea pigs and rabbits are bothherbivores who eat primarily hay, they require different nutrients andconsume different quantities. For instance, guinea pigs need a regularsupply of Vitamin C, which they get both from their daily vegetableintake and specially-formulated pellets. Guinea pigs shouldNOT eat rabbit pellets, as these are formulated to meetthe rabbits digestive needs only and do not contain extra Vitamin C.In addition, some rabbit pellets, designed for use by breeders andlabs, contain antibiotics that are potentially harmful to guinea pigs.To complicate matters even further, while the House Rabbit Societyrecommends limiting a buns pellet diet, guinea pigs can have unlimitedaccess to their own pellets. And when it comes to vegetables, it canbecome very difficult to make sure that each animal is provided withthe correct roughage for their nutritional needs. Attempting to managethese very different dietary requirements can be a very challengingtask.
Size and strength. Even the smallest dwarf rabbit can pose aphysical danger to a guinea pig, especially if space is limited.Rabbits often kick or stomp with their powerful hind feet when they areexpressing their emotions. Whether a rabbit is jumping for joy orthumping out of annoyance, a guinea pig stands a good chance of gettinghurt. This is not as uncommon as you might think. Rescuers and otherconcerned animal welfarists often encounter guinea pigs whose legs havebeen broken after being caged in a pet store with a rabbit. Suchinjuries often require surgery and a lifetime regimen ofanti-inflammatory medication.
A recent story:
A guinea pig and was bonded with adwarf rabbit. All was well on getting along, until a noise in the homestartled the rabbit who was lying next to the guinea pig. Theunintended injury caused from the jump of the dwarf rabbit resulted inthe death of the guinea pig.
Immunity. Most animals carry organisms which are not harmful tothem but which can be fatal to other species. In the case of rabbits, avery common bacteria found in their respiratory tract is Pasteurella.While antibiotic treatments can control this disease, it often lingerson in a carrier state and requires occasional treatment. Rabbits canlive a long life as carriers of Pasteurella and not even show anysymptoms. However, guinea pigs are highly susceptible to respiratoryinfections, and their fragile immune system is not equipped to battlethis pathogen. If exposed to Pasteurella, a guinea pig is many timesmore likely than a rabbit to succumb to the organism and die. It is achance that not many of us would like to take with our beloved pets.
Even if you attempt to remove all the dangers mentioned above, youmay find yourself in a situation of severe incompatibility. Listen towhat one guinea pig owner has to say about her experimentation with arabbit-guinea pig match:
"At first I thought it was a greatidea to put my rabbit in with my guinea pigs. They were free-range so Ibelieved that space would not be an issue. I had the rabbitblood-tested for Pasteurella (note: these testsoften give false negatives) and designed what I thought was aclever environment, with the rabbits food up high where only he couldget at it.
But the situation didnt work out the way I had planned. The rabbitwent around eating all the guinea pigs pellets and hardly touched hishay. He was possessive about his vegetables and would 'ork' and dive atthe guinea pigs if they came near him during veggie time. And I soonrealized that my rabbit was very lonely. He would follow the guineapigs around and groom them, then put his head down to be groomed inreturn. The pigs would just walk away. Pretty soon he was spending allhis time on his food shelf, looking bored and angry.
I realized that I had made a mistake and adopted a nice spayed femalebun to be his companion. Everyone is much, much happiernow."
This story illustrates another point that should be considered if youever find yourself contemplating a guinea pig-rabbit match:
Social Life. Have you ever watched two rabbits together? Theylike to snuggle and groom each other constantly. Guinea pigs, on theother hand, do not groom each other on a regular basis. Nor are theyhabitual cuddlers. Instead, they like to maintain their own personalspace and dont often like to share. In this kind of environment, arabbit could become very lonely and a guinea pig might start feelingharassed. Keep in mind, then, that rabbits and guineapigs are quite different animals, one of them desiring a close,affectionate bonded pair, the other sharing a more limited interactionwith a herd.
Above all else, we should remember that it is our responsibility toprovide a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment for our pets thatresembles as closely as possible their natural environment. And guineapigs cannot thrive in an environment where their well-being isthreatened by an improper diet, the risk of injury, foreignpathogens, and companions with whom they do not share a commonlanguage.
Rabbit info contributed by Nikki, Orange County Cavy Haven.
The thing is, with as big as your bunny is goingto get, I just don't know how well a guinea pig would fare. Just somefood for thought...
