Bunny Friends - Conflicting Advice

[laralou]

Hi everyone!!



I have a 6 month old bunny called Hugh, who we have just got neutered. We feel guilty that Hugh spends his days in his cage when we are not around and felt we could get him a little friend - a guinea pig!



We asked the vet if this is doable and she said - yes - this is fine. There are many documented cases of rabbits living with guinea pigs happily. So yesterday afternoon my other half said I could go and pick out a roommate for Hugh.



I went to Pets at Home and had one in mind that I wanted to take home. I asked a staff member there and she said it's not advisable. (The very I went to is at the back of the Pets at Home store!) I'm a bit confused as I have read conflicting advice all over the Internet as well.



Can we get a guinea pig to live with our bunny? Would we have to introduced them slowly to each other? Would it matter if we got a male or a female?

 

[BlazeBunnies]

Rabbits can hurt guinea pigs easily. I wouldn't advise it. I would say get another rabbit... Here look at this
View attachment ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1435571767.052035.jpg

 

[BaileyBoy]

Your vet is correct, rabbits and guineapigs can and do live together nicely. Just keep in mind that not all rabbits like guinea-pigs, and they have completely different dietary needs. What I recommend doing is attending/contacting your nearest guinea-pig rescue (there is such thing). Some examples are The Cavy Cottage, Porsche's Rescue and The Australian Cavy Sanctuary. RSPCA may also have guinea-pigs. I recommend rescues because they will often help you bond/ introduce your pets together. I got my 2nd rabbit from a rabbit rescue, and she did the difficult task of bonding them. Not only would you be receiving expert help but also saving a life.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rabbits/company/rabbitsandguineapigs
http://kb.rspca.org.au/Can-I-keep-guinea-pigs-and-rabbits-in-the-same-enclosure_310.html

Good luck introducing a guinea-pig!

 

[BaileyBoy]

It is probably a less stressful idea to get another bunny as a companion for your existing bunny, but by all means try seeing how your bunny reacts with guinea-pigs.

 

[ladysown]

bunnies and guinea pigs... everyone has differing ideas.

If your rabbit is HEALTHY and is a smaller breed bunny AND housed on a solid bottomed cage, then by all means... give it a shot. It will probably work out just fine. Just make sure each has a place to call their own (a hidey hole for piggie, a jump up area for bunny). You can feed them rabbit food just make sure you get some Vitamin C into your guinea pig (I use chewable vitamin C tablets). I raise both and have never had an issue with them living together.

 

[Aki]

The problem, like in every cohabitation, is that you can't know how it will go before you try. As MC Bunnies' post pointed out, you can't know if your rabbit has Bordetella or not and you can't know if he will bully the guinea pig or not (most of the bullying seems to stem from the fact that bunnies have a strong sense of hierarchy and ways to show it, whereas guinea pigs don't - a dominant rabbit might attack a guinea pig who would refuse a grooming demand because he doesn't understand it, that kind of thing). It's true that I've seen people having both, BUT in most cases the guinea pig and rabbit were housed separately to avoid accidents and problems with the diet and were just put together when they were out of their cages.
And anyway, you also see a lot of people with rabbits cuddling with cats and dogs on the Internet : both my dog and my parents' cat have always tried to eat my rabbits no matter what we did. And I chose a dog breed that was supposedly very friendly with other animals. I was hoping they would get along but... that's life. So now, the rabbits have their own side of the house (they're not complaining).

So, if your heart is set on the guinea pig, you may attempt it. Know that it might not work as well as you hope it will and that you will need to be preparated to keep them separated in case things go wrong. But if you only want a companion for your bunny, I think a female spayed rabbit might be a safer choice. It will also be more satisfying for your rabbit, as they will share a common language (nobody understand a rabbit like a rabbit).
Well, that's just my opinion ^^.

 

[Blue eyes]

Not exactly sure why you are posting the same question again when you already received several responses to your first posting. Is it that you are waiting for "the answer" that you are hoping for?

Ultimately the decision is yours, but do consider ALL of the answers. There is always risk putting two species together, regardless of how many others may have no issues. As I mentioned earlier, one RO member was completely in the "they are fine together" camp -- that is until her little bunny gave an unintentional kick to her piggy. Poor piggy wound up with broken ribs and internal injuries.

Be aware of the risks and then you can make an informed choice.