A few questions :)

[Holly11]

I don't post often on this forum because I'm mainly reading, reading, "aww"ing at cute pictures, and reading some more :biggrin2: I currently don't have a rabbit, and have never owned one before. I was able to persuade my parents before about three years ago, about letting me get a rabbit. But then, my mom met a Ragdoll cat, and loved the breed. She then persuaded my dad, and they let me get two Ragdoll kittens. Later on we added another furry family member about two years ago. Now I have three cats, all Ragdolls. For years I wanted a cat, and it was very hard to pick between a bunny or a cat. Still, I've always wanted a bunny for a long time. I have a few questions as I'm planning to re-persuade my parents again about getting a bunny (really I've been planning to for a while, but have been chickening out about asking them again).

First, I'm thinking it would be easier, because I've done it before, but now I have three cats. For those of you who have cats who get along/tolerate the rabbit/s, was it easy or hard introducing them? The youngest cat of the three (who turned 2 years old three days ago) likes to be in charge. The other two don't really care.

About when do the hormones start to really affect their temperament? Is 5-6 months old about the right age to spay/neuter? Or can/should it be done earlier?

For the NIC cages, as I plan to build one, I found some panels on eBay. Is $76 for 33 panels and 32 connectors a good deal? I like to have extra, just in case!

And finally, are younger rabbits a bad choice for a first time rabbit owner? There is a threesome at a shelter that are all female and bonded (supposedly, the description says they are). They are about 8 weeks old. The description also says that whoever is interested can take home all, two, or one of them. Would a young threesome be over the top?

So sorry for the long novel, free cookies to anyone who read all of that! And so sorry for all the questions!

 

[NDrAbBiTs58041]

Im new to this but I would not get all three at one time. Just saying if you did get all three you would need a cage big enough and do you know if they are together at the store? If not you have to intro's with ANY bunny that you decide to get doe or buck. However its not recommened I dont think to but does with bucks unless you are breeding.



Sorry i couldn't be much help, just what I have read from other posts on here.

 

[woahlookitsme]

I have two cats that act differently but at no time would i ever leave them alone with my bunnies. My rabbits are all outdoor and we bring them in for exercise time every once in awhile.

My cat is Roxi. She isn't much into the rabbits and doesn't chase them around. She will sniff them and go on her way licking and grooming. She has pawed at the bunnies when she first met them but i popped her on the nose and she has learned to leave them be.

My brothers cat is Oreo. He is a hunter and stays behind closed doors while the rabbits run. Nuff Said. lol

Although there are some cats i have seen on the pictures in here that will lay around and even groom bunnies. So it all depends on the cats. But definitely introduce them slowly. Roxi didnt get the chance to smell the bunnies until she stopped jumping on my apartment bunnies cage and ignored him as he raced around his two story house.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I don't have cats, so can't really answer that question. I would say that it really depends on the cats and the rabbits, some might get alone but others might not. Even a cat who gets along with rabbits could have issues if the rabbit doesn't like cats. You do have to be careful and have control over the situation. Don't have both out at the same time, have the rabbit in the cage, then have the cat in a cage and let the one out come up to the cage. Only introduce one cat at a time.

Hormones tend to kick in around 4-6 months, but it does vary. You might not see a change until later. Some rabbits don't really get as effected as others. I currently have 2 intact buck, one is about 16 months and the other almost a year. The older one is calm and doesn't really have too many hormonal issues, the younger one is just a hormonal thing. I have heard that they do mellow a bit as they get a bit older, but it really depends on the rabbit. If you plan on spaying or neutering, it is best to get done around 5-6 months to avoid having to deal with the hormones. I would not get a rabbit neutered much earlier than that. I do think that they need the hormones to grow properly and I don't really like getting them done really early. Some vets won't do really young rabbits as it can be a bit more risky do to their size and immaturity. You should talk with the vets about it and make your own decision.

That price for NIC grids is a rip off. Even at full price, I can get more for that money. A set around here costs about $20 and has 13 grids. So for 39 grids, it would only be $60. That is full price and I don't even like to pay that. I can get them for about $5 a set at garage sales and a friend of mine has gotten a bunch free. I would check retail stores as they do go on sale. Garage sales and classifieds sites (like kijiji) are also good.

Young rabbits can be good, but you need to know what you are getting into. Many rabbits get surrendered due to normal behaviours that are associated with hormones when they are around 5-9 months old. If you are prepared to deal with that, then a young rabbit is great.
I would not get 3 young female rabbits. There is a good chance they will not get along once they reach maturity. This can even be the case when they get spayed. I do think it would be better to get one now, get her spayed and then look for a neutered male (or get a slightly older one and get him done). Male/female pairs tend to do best with both are fixed. You can take the chance, but be prepared that they might not get along and you will have 3 separate rabbits.

 

[Pharfly]

I agree with what the others have said. I personally would not get 3 bunnies, 8 weeks is young and they can be very hard too sex. Chances are you could end up with a mixed sex group and a herd of bunnies! lol Young bunnies are more sensitve when it comes too food, changes in diet seems too affect them more then adults. Plus it's recomened too have them spayed/neutered as pets it helps calm them down. 3 spays can be very expensive.

The NIC cubes does seem over priced, Check out Home depot, wal mart, target and other stores like that you should get a set around $20, 2-3 sets should give you enough too build a good sized cage. I found a set of 4 cubes at goodwill for $5. So keep checking

My 2 male cats avoid the bunnies, I held my orange one for Nova too sniff and she mounted him lol! My black cat on the other hand thinks she is a bunny, she sleeps in the cage all the time.
I cleaned the litter box and Biggs thought it was comfy! Nova had too check her out, Nova was 9 weeks in the pic lol

More recent pic of the 2, napping on the shelf in the cage

 

[Holly11]

Thank you everyone for the answers! Just to clarify, I would not be leaving the cats alone with the rabbits. I don't want anything to happen, and all I want is for the rabbits and the cats to know that the others exist in the same household

And the three bunnies have been adopted from the shelter! I'm glad that they have found a home. I'm now looking for an adult rabbit.

I'll definitely go look for a better deal on cubes. Hopefully I'll find one!

Pharfly: I did not think of Goodwill! I'll have to check the one kind of nearby me to see if they have any.

Thank you again everyone for the help

 

[MiniLopHop]

I agree that the bunny/cat interactions depend on the personalities of all involved. I have 4 rabbits (as 2 pairs) and 2 cats. One of the cats is very much a "typical" cat, everything is on her terms. She doesn't care either way about the rabbits as long as no one disturbs her.

My other cat, Andre, adores everyone! He thinks he's half rabbit and I had issues with him eating hay at first (then would puke on the carpets). Two of my rabbits don't like him and tend to be afraid when Andre tries to play with them. I just added a higher level of grids to their NIC house, so it is three tall. That's tall enough to keep the cat out of their house. He will still sit and watch from a distance, but that keeps the bunns happy.

My other two like to play with Andre. Becky loves games of chase- cat chasing the rabbit one way, then they turn around and the rabbit chases the cat. He will groom both rabbits and likes to nap with them.

Because my rabbits are much more free roaming (one pair has a cage, but it's never closed so they have the whole downstairs to roam; the others have half a room so I can keep the cats out of their actual space) the cats are left alone with them. There has never been a hint of hostility from the cats.

Andre welcoming Indy into the family (first meeting the cat groomed him)

Andre and Becky taking a nap on our bed