Cat Playing with Rabbit?

[LumLumPop]

I have an approximately 7 month old male kitten(neutered). He and Clark have known each other since they were babies. They like to play together a lot. What usually happens is they take churns chasing each other and Tommy occasionally bats at his ears then they cuddle and groom each other. Tonight I witnessed something that worried me a little,though. Tommy lunged and tried to bite the side of Clark's neck! I've never seen him do this before! They weren't playing at the time I was trying to clip Clark's nails. I had him upside down in his "trance" when Tommy lunged. I yelled to scare him away. Must have woken Clark up because he jumped up and ran to my side. Was this just a spur of the moment thing? Should I still let them play together? Tommy is Clark's only animal friend and I'd hate to split them apart but I don't want Clark to get hurt!

 

[Imbrium]

The kitten was probably either just playing or was jealous that the bunny was getting all the attention, but unfortunately cats pose a serious risk to bunnies - a bite or scratch from a cat can potentially be fatal ><

This thread has more information on the risks of cats and bunnies: http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=74390&forum_id=1

I definitely wouldn't allow them together unsupervised for a while and would lock the cat up when you're doing nails since the bunny can't defend himself (btw, I recommend against trancing - they may look relaxed, but it's actually quite stressful for the bunny because it's a fear-based response that they use to play dead in hopes of escaping from a predator). Watch them closely and make sure the bunny is able to discourage rough play well enough that the kitten doesn't try to bite or scratch or anything. If it appears that this was an isolated incident that you're confident won't happen while the bunny's not being held on his back, then you can consider letting them play together freely. If not, then you might try again once the kitten is older and has settled down some.

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Maybe the fact that your rabbit was in a vulnerable state egged on the attack? In the wild, an injured animal will attract predators. Your bunny in a trance state, which can make them fearful, could've made your cat want to attack him because he may have been perceived to be injured. Even though they may get along well there are always circumstances which arise that will make us respect that it is predator vs prey instinct that they have. Nail trims alone and close monitoring are the best thing. But there's no reason they can't still remain friends

 

[LumLumPop]

make sure the bunny is able to discourage rough play well enough that the kitten doesn't try to bite or scratch or anything.

The thing that worries me is that Clark is super passive/submissive and I can't quite picture him retaliating against Tommy. I'll supervise them more closely now. About the trance thing I'm not sure,it's the only way I can clip their nails without them bucking or flipping out and kicking and I don't want them to hurt their back.

I'll definitely start locking Tommy out of my room while I'm cutting nails. Also another reason I trance Clark is that he's a dark colored rabbit to I can't see his quick so I Clio his naim bit by bit. I'm always worried he'll move and I'll cut to much off by accident.

 

[JBun]

Trancing isn't ideal, but if it allows you to get your rabbits nails trimmed safely, and it doesn't overly stress your rabbit, then I don't see any harm in it, since you are only doing it for a few minutes anyways.

 

[Imbrium]

One thing that helps with dark nails is to prop up (or get someone else to hold) a flashlight behind the nails so that you can see the quick

 

[LumLumPop]

Wow I never thought about that! I'll deffinalty try it next time!

 

[Imbrium]

I forget where I learned that, but it's a very helpful trick for sure! It lets you get through nail trims much faster on a dark-nailed bunny without having to be so paranoid about clipping them too short .

Also, if you think you might be up for trying a nail trim without trancing, you might be interested in watching the video I made recently - it's about handling/picking up rabbits but I also went into nail trims and showed how I trim nails on my bunnies (the nail trims actually take up most of the video). I hold my rabbits on their backs but don't trance them, so you'll be able to see what I do to prevent kicking/struggling during nail trims.

The keys to preventing struggling are to be firm and confident and to keep their back end held securely. It takes a little practice to get down but once you and your bunny are used to it, it gets quite easy. Keep in mind that what I show in the video works for my bunnies, but every bunny is different so there's no one "right" way - if you try something and it doesn't seem to work for you, don't be afraid to alter your tactics a bit .

 

[LumLumPop]

Yes I know. The thing is Clark LOVES to be held and handled. For some reason though,as soon as he sees the nail clippers he goes nuts! I've never clipped his nails too short and I got him as a baby so I don't understand why he's so mortified of getting a little nail trim!

 

[Imbrium]

I'll see if I can make another video for you soon - my new rescue bunny is a total cuddler, loves to snuggle, loves to be pet, licks the crap out of everyone... but he does NOT want to be picked up or restrained and, at over 7 lbs (of seemingly pure muscle), he puts up a hell of a fight! Just holding him in place for reasons other than petting - without trying to pick him up - is really tough. I have a feeling it's going to be a big learning experience for me when I do his first nail trim, so he'll make a much more helpful demo bunny than my girls when it comes to showing how to deal with a fighter.