cats and a rabbit

[zednon]

I got a rabbit about a week ago, and issloation didn't work very well. the rabbit is kept in my bedroom and she is very good about the litterbox in there, if I keep the door closed her room is frezzing cold and the rest of the apartment is too hot. so I blocked it off, that worked untell ym cat knocked in over, then I added more NIC cubes butnow jumps over it. The cat also had open the door to the room. I have 2 cats, one who I dont' think can smell, and doesn't care if I add an other cat or rabbit into her life. she already grooms the rabbit. Then I have my feral, who is more like a stray cat that's inside that I give food. My cat willow, from day one has gromed the bunny and has been depirt to play with her, I think she already has a name for her, (she uses different meows to call me, the other cat, and now the bunny), then sleep together too. Nowwe have my feral,who is scared todeath of me, I don't know if he is running from me or chacing the rabbitI havefound him staring at the rabbit cage, and staring at the rabbit. Myrabbit is fenish gaint so I'm hoping when she out weights my 13 lbs main coon, and hit put him in his place, I think any fast movement of something chacing him ought to do, sadily shedoesn'tlike to be handled becuase if I started to small like her more I think ghost would be morenevers of her. She does use her litter box very well and doesn't have any issuses. is there any tricks I can do to get this two to get along?

 

[jcottonl02]

I found it a little hard to understand your post (sorry- I am quite tired anyway lol).

You say you have a Maine Coon, and Feral/Stray cat, and a Flemish Giant?

Cats and rabbits can get along absolutely fine- my Benji does (Pippin is very scared of the cats, so I keep them away from him at all times), but Benji will groom the cats, and the cats will groom him back. If he hops away, they don't chase him- they have just lost interest in him over the years, and just get back to grooming themselves or whatever as he runs past.

Of course, cats and rabbits should never be left unsupervised together, no matter how well they get along. Cats are predatory by nature, and rabbits are prey. Rabbits will run- this can cause the cats to begin 'chase'. Also, I recently found out that cat scratches (or bites? Correct me Pipp ) are quite dangerous to rabbits, so be very careful that this doesn't happen. If you have a cat and a rabbit who don't seem to get along, then just don't allow them to come in contact with one another.

As for the Feral cat- I am assuming this means basically wild, right? I do NOT think this is a particularly great idea to have around your rabbit, even though it's a Flemmie. Feral and Wild cats have all their natural instincts. Rabbits are their food. Perhaps not a 20lb rabbit but still, I would definately not take the chance of them getting in a fight, and a scratch or bite to the face or belly for EITHER of the animals, but I think it would do a lot more damage to the rabbit.


So, have you already introduced them? In a quiet, calm environment, where you have hold of your cat (s)?

Does your 'feral' cat just roam the house? If so, then you must supervise your rabbit at all times when he is out of his pen, and even so, I don't think this is a fabulous idea, having a feral cat and a rabbit in the same house.


I think your rabbit's pen should be in a room where the cats cannot get into- so you can close the door, and know your rabbit is safe from swipes and teeth through the bars, while you are out or not looking. You will have to find a way to isolate your bun for when you go out etc. I know the pen is already in your bedroom, and the temperature is not great, so is there nothing else you can do?

The cat 'staring' at your rabbit also has me worried. It might just be intruiged at this new animal in the house, but I still would be a bit concerned that it was watching a natural prey, and perhaps waiting to swipe when the rabbit came close to the bars.

My cats pay no attention to the rabbits, except perhaps to give them the occasional groom, but generally ignore them, so I don't have to worry too much if one of the cats wanders into the room with me and the bun, as long as I watch, because generally they just curl up asleep and the just ignore the bun when they come to investigate the sleeping ball of fluff. They open an eye, see the bun, and just go back to sleep.

Jen

 

[zednon]

Ghost is in a weird siuation, I very much don't want a feral, I've depretly try to return him to the resucer who told me he was a "shy cat" I've emailed and contacted every feral group in a 500 mile radies because I just don't know what to do with him. I've tried it all with him, caging keeping him alone in a room, only feeding when I'm in the room. I end up with a cat who stams himself into the cage, walls, or doors, or doesn't eat for days becuase the fear is too great. I'm scared he is going to hurt himself badly.

I'm bacily stuck, my choices are release, drop off at a kill shealter and they kill him, put him to sleep myself (which I'll do if he is ever sick), or just leave him be.

These are the same cats who can't be bothered to kill a mouse in the kitcion. I figerd a rabbit would not be of any instrested to the cats. One of them was scared to deaht of my freinds ginny pig.

 

[jcottonl02]

zednon wrote:

Ghost is in a weird siuation, I very much don't want a feral, I've depretly try to return him to the resucer who told me he was a "shy cat" I've emailed and contacted every feral group in a 500 mile radies because I just don't know what to do with him. I've tried it all with him, caging keeping him alone in a room, only feeding when I'm in the room. I end up with a cat who stams himself into the cage, walls, or doors, or doesn't eat for days becuase the fear is too great. I'm scared he is going to hurt himself badly.

I'm bacily stuck, my choices are release, drop off at a kill shealter and they kill him, put him to sleep myself (which I'll do if he is ever sick), or just leave him be.

These are the same cats who can't be bothered to kill a mouse in the kitcion. I figerd a rabbit would not be of any instrested to the cats. One of them was scared to deaht of my freinds ginny pig.

Firstly, keeping a caged, feral animal alone in a room for a few days with only interaction being feeding, doesn't seem an awesome strategy for trying to get him used to social interactions. It's just making him frustrated. It needs to be used in conjunction with other methods, and needs to be progressed forward. You need to be in the room a lot etc.

I would read these- they seem very good to me.

http://www.messybeast.com/feralkit.htm

http://www.catchannel.com/experts/marilyn-krieger/bringing-adult-feral-cat-into-household.aspx

http://petsupplyguy.com/60/socializing-a-feral-cat/


Erm.......a kill shelter? PTS him yourself???? No, and no! Just no and no and no altogether no no! lol. No no. First, no. Second OH NO!!!!
A feral cat can look after itself. It's instincts to hunt are there. It's pratically wild anyway. If you had to do something, I'd release him, rather than put him in a situation that means certain death.

Is he Semi-feral or really feral?

Have you thought about neutering him? That could really help.

If you really can't 'tame' him or 'domesticate' him, then returning him back to his original environment is the kindest thing to do, according to this source. Definately don't put him in a kill shelter. That's not fair. Just because you can't tame him, doesn't mean he can't go and join the other wild cats out there, where he was from originally.

Also, has he had vaccinations? If not, then I dread to think what he could bring to you and your bunny. Like I wouldn't give a wild fox a big hug and rub it over my sofa (not that it would bite me first but you get what i mean lol!!)

[font="Arial,Helvetica"]Taming adult ferals is traumatic for both parties, time-consuming and often unsuccessful. It is not usually possible to verify whether late-tamed cats were feral from birth or strays gone wild which were subsequently re-tamed, in most cases I suspect the latter. I do not promote the confinement and taming of adult ferals - these are not temperamental pets, these are wild animals which find close captivity and forced human contact stressful. Most are best neutered and rehomed to a semi-wild environment, e.g. as working cats at stables, where they can choose whether to socialise themselves with people.
[/font][font="Arial,Helvetica"]The process of taming an adult feral is much longer and harder than working with kittens and I prefer to neuter and release wild adults. If you are prepared to make a lifetime commitment then it may be worthwhile. Bear in mind the following:

• If the cat shows no signs of progress over 5 or 6 months, seriously consider returning it to its colony.
• If the cat is, and remains, extremely aggressive towards humans, then trying to tame it will probably be very stressful and almost certainly unsuccessful.
• If the cat's health suffers as a result of stress, consider trap-neuter-release (TTVARM) instead. I have known feral adults die due to the stress of confinement.

[/font]http://www.messybeast.com/feralkit.htm

I would still keep all your cats away from the rabbit, really, if one of the cats is feral (or a tamed feral, if this is the case in 5 months time).

Jen

 

[zednon]

thank you for your links, I've been there, and I have email the person from www.messybeast.com. One resuse even said you can think about putting him to sleep. it's been a yr and half, he is fully up to date on everything, and fixed(the vet hates me, he was in a pillow case the whole time) I even moved into a bigger apartment so he woudln't be always running into me. which he has been better then my studio. most people say keep him away from the other cats so he has to go to you for attation, thus in a studio apartment its ether a cage or a bathroom and watch him slam into everything into the room becuase he is so scare of me going to the bathroom or taking a shower.

I want nothing more then to put him back, but I've hit brake walls, I didn't put out a trap and think hey, there going to kill a cat down the road at the shealter but I want a free one who has never been touched by anyone. I went to a recuse and adpted him, with in the first hour I was beging the rescuse to take him back but they refused. I would love to find some where to put him where he wouldn't be unhappy, but unless I'm going drop him off and hope for the best, I really don't have any choices. I have hunders of emails from every group in the area, those taht would email me back would say the same things, nothing works.

 

[jcottonl02]

Oh that's really good! Did u get any reply?

Hm....that's really odd about the rescue. I don't understand why they would have kept a feral cat.......and then tried to give it to a home. I think that's lovely that you went to a rescue to adopt a cat.

And you've already got him fixed and up to date on his vaccinations- that is really good.

It's seems like you really have done a lot for him. Is there any 'expert' you can call to come and help?

Do you really want him? If you have emotional ties to him, and would be really sad to see him go, then I'd say stick a little longer. With your methods, have you truly and honeslty put 110% in, and devoted your full days for months on rehibiliating him? If you have, then maybe it's time to think about 'releasing' him. Perhaps you can still put food outside for him at the same time every day or something, if you are worried about him to begin with, but I doubt he'll need it.

If you haven't (which I can't totally understand, cos it's probably really disheartening), then give it one final go of all your effort for a few months or so. You will probably end up with a load of scratches, and you'll be stressed, but it could work. Otherwise it's not fair to him or you to stress you both out so much, so after a few months of really intense work, perhaps think about letting him go.

How feral is he? Does he ever let you touch him? Does he spend a majority of the day outside? Etc. etc. How much human contact have u ever had with him? Do you think he can hunt for himself? If he really is feral, then definately releasing is the kindest thing- logically of course! He'll do fine by himself, as he clearly doesn't want any human interaction. If he isn't totally feral, but just not used to human interaction, and a scared and shy cat who probably couldn't fend for himself, then maybe you need to rethink the releasing thing, and perhaps think about the 'working cat' option of a stable cat, farm cat or something. They have food and shelter, but don't have to spend any time with humans.
Anything is better than sending him to a kill shelter.

Jen

 

[zednon]

I live near NYC, relessing him outside my apartment just isn't relistic, I'm not staying here for the rest of my life I can't exictly trap my cat every time I move. In the last month, he has started to come up to me for attation, the rules are:
1) I can't start it he has to nugge my hand wiht his head, otherwise he runs away.
2) I can't move any other part of my body such as uncrossing my legs, or typing on the key bored, he once freaked out becuase I moved the mouse to fast.
3) I have to be sitting on the sofa with the other cat touching one part of me.
4) I can't pet him with my left hand just my right, if he sees the other hand he runs away
5) I have to totaly incor him and pay full attation to willow(the other cat) in order for him to check out the petting thing.

He'll jump in my lap but if I do anything to him beside pet with my right hand he freaks out. I've pet him too the point where my hand hurt (what 1st world problems I have) but when I walk across my living room he runs full speed into the bedroom door if it's closed. becuase he wants to jump on the cat tree that's in the room. He'll poop himself if I go near him and he can't get away.

The county Ghost (the feral) is from as a 100% kill feral they used to kill any cat who wasn't owener surander but the shelter talk them down to only cats who show signs of being ferals, I'm guessing who caught him put him with the tame kittins she was sending to the foster home becuase most kittens become tame pretty fast. ghost however wasn't that way, I used to foster shy kittens who where low side of freindly, inculding my cat willow, litery I've done it all with ghost baby food on my fighers, sponge baths to simlate me grooming him, brushing him.

What should be rememberd USA cats aren't native, there an old world pet, brought over on the boats. every feral in the USA is 100% the fault of someone. question really should be is it right to let a alien animal live outside in a place that was never ment to have them. After my time with Ghost I have mix feelings about ferals. I do belive in TNR, and just letting the poplation die out. I don't belive in feeding ferals or taming them, its not like there's a lack of cats that we need to look outside for them.

The most contact I've had with him is to pet him 4x in the last month. He'll watch me sleep, and he tends to be in the room with me watching, then if I move its a run for your life

 

[jcottonl02]

zednon wrote:

I live near NYC, relessing him outside my apartment just isn't relistic, I'm not staying here for the rest of my life I can't exictly trap my cat every time I move.

Sorry- I don't really understand this. I understand you don't want to release him into a city, but surely if you release him, if you move, you wouldn't go looking for him to 'trap' him again- cos he'd be 'free'.?? That's the whole point of releasing him back into 'the wild'.

Yes, there have been many species introduced all over the world that aren't supposed to be there. Rabbits in Australia, for example. But it's happened. There are many wild cat species (mostly larger cats, but some of a similar size to domesicated cats- part of the puma family) in America, and they do just fine, so it's clearly an environment that is good for them.

Lol I don't think cats would struggle particularly anywhere, unless it was VERY hot or VERY cold. Cats (big or small) reside very happily in number all over the world.

Whatever the situation may be, if you don't believe in taming feral cats, or releasing them back into the wild (feral by definition means 'wild' or 'untamed'), shouldn't mean his fate is death. We domesticated cats in the first place. You say he was feral as a kitten? In that case he belongs back in the wild, in my opinion. If he started in the wild, and hasn't been tamed, then he can easily go back.

BUT, having said that, you seem to be making some progress. He doesn't seem totally feral to me at all. He enjoys your company. He likes to be stroked and petted by you. He just seems like a very scared cat etc. I knew a cat like that. If ANYBODY went near it except for it's owner, who it acted like a baby with lol, it would swipe and hiss at them. If it decided to climb onto your lap, however, you HAD to sit there and stroke it and not move at all, otherwise you'd get a swipe and a bite lol. You had to wait for it to decide to leave LOL!.

So does he never go outside?

Jen

 

[zednon]

Most people that sugested it in the states at any rate want me to be in one place for his life. so I can leave food out. and I really don't want to release him into the streets of NY, there's too much of everything, he is scared to death of people. I just don't think it would be right or fair

Yes and no on your point they kill song birds and what not. there's no natural preders here and they carry diesos and die at 5 or so. The everment might be good for them but the local speshies might not agree. I belive the rabbits in Australia cause havic to the locatal envermint, or the cows in Hawii, there's no preders to kill them, it makes life more difficalted with out that bance.

I do belive in TNR and letting them die outside. wouldn't be great if shealters only had to deal with happy cats who wanted home and not knock up cats and there kittens? Or ferals someone thought they would caught and bring in, and the shealter is left with two choices keep in cage a for the rest of its life or kill. As a rule I belive in fixing everything, and there should be permint out there if people want to breed, even if it's just inrolling in shows 2-3 times per year, including non-conformation shows, hunting, fly ball, earth dog, ect. this would still permint non akc dogs being breed, and fines if a dog or cat isn't fixed, aftear a year and mantory abortion laws on pets.

He doesn't go out, he wouldn't come back, there's mixed views in the US if you should let your cats out, I tried it with one he never came home. He was micro chiped and had a collor. Collor must of broken off or something, and the chip is a wast of money with a cat no one scanes it, I learn this after the facted.

I guess I'm going to try the old trick of pertending the rabbit is a cat. just let them get used to smell.