Cinder (rabbit) & Binx (cat) bonding questions

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Buns4Life_Cinder

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Hey guys! I'm trying to bond my rabbit and cat. The rabbit is a little over a year old and the cat is half a year old. I don't even know how to start, so since September 1 they just haven't been able to be out together. Only Cinder in her cage and Binxs wandering my room. Sometimes he paws at her but most the time it doesn't bother her. So can you guys help me please?!🐇🐰🐈🐱
 
I'm interested in hearing some responses also. I have now two Flemish 3 month old baby rabbits and I got them so that they wouldn't be intimidated by cats when they grew up. (Flemish rabbits are big.)
 
There was a thread here on RO a year or more ago about a cat that scratched a pet rabbit. I don't remember the specifics, but I do recall that the scratch caused an infection that killed the rabbit in a very, very short time.

That came to mind when OP mentioned the cat "pawing" at the rabbit.

I tried to do a search to find that thread but wasn't successful.
 
It's not so much him scratching her because his (the cats) claws are gone. I was just wondering if you guys had any typos to help me bond them bc I bonded Cinder ( my rabbit ) with another one of my cats and it worked, but I still watch over them like hawks when they're together
 
I thought there were a number of RO members who have both cats and rabbits. Hopefully they can chime in.
We have dogs that get along with our bunnies, but don't have cats, so can't offer any suggestions.

Good luck with the process!
 
Thanks anyways Blue Eyes! We have dogs too but only one gets along with the rabbit because our other one hunts for a living and he is huge! But thanks!
 
Thanks anyways Blue Eyes! We have dogs too but only one gets along with the rabbit because our other one hunts for a living and he is huge! But thanks!

Ha! We have big dogs too! They will chase the cottontails and jackrabbits in a heartbeat but are (fortunately) very good with our pet bunnies.

First photo is our labradoodle (taken last Christmas). The other is our Newfoundland mix rescue.

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Oh they are so cute! Well maybe a different year I can get my dogs bonded with her! She's a very stubborn rabbit and she doesn't get scared easily even though she is so tiny. The last rabbit I had was a Flemish Giant and when he was about 6 months old our dog got down there but that rabbit just thumped as loud as possible and my dog ran away with his tail tucked between his legs!
 
I have a cat who wants to pretty much be in my room 24/7 and I have to "kick him out" when it is time for Snickers (the bunny) to have floor time. Milo (cat) does paw at Snickers through the cage bars but never claws out, I think he is mostly curious about him. That being said, I would never, ever trust a cat (declawed or not) around a rabbit without supervision. Cats can still bite, and even without claws they can still hunt. It would take very little for kitty to pounce the rabbit, pin it, and be done with it - and their bites, should a rabbit survive, contain a LOT of bacteria. My niece was bitten by an elderly cat and hospitalized due to all the bacteria in the mouth of the cat. So even without claws, do not assume the danger is gone, I am afraid.

There has only been 1 time in which my cat and rabbit have been loose together and it was when my grandfather let my cat back in my room without knocking first while Snickers was out in my room. They both ran under the bed but luckily only looked at eachother like "What are you?!" and I was able to chase my cat out of the room and put my rabbit back in the cage. I probably over-reacted but I was very scared, my heart was racing! I was terrified my cat would hurt him.

So in a nutshell, proceed with caution and do not leave them unsupervised at ANY time. Your kitty and rabbit may learn to live together and tolerate one another's presence - and they may even become buddies - but they should never be left without supervision. Cats react to sudden movements, which rabbits are so prone to making. Your kitty won't be thinking "he is family" when instincts kick in, and he may even be trying to play. But kitties play rough and make eachother scream when they play, let alone add in the fact that bunnies are much more fragile and not suited for that play. So even if your cat doesn't mean to, he could potentially hurt the bunny.

Good luck!
 

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