Rabbits & Cats

[bowser]

Hi everyone,

A couple of weeks ago we adopted a little lop bunny that we found running on the road. He is approx 3 months old and is scheduled to be desexed in a couple of weeks.

He is a house bunny and lives in his hutch in the laundry, with free run of the laundry (which is rabbit proofed) and gets let out for several hours of the day to run havoc on the house :wink

We also have 2 cats. One cat is super confident and mellow and gets along with all people and animals - he and Buns are great friends. We have another cat that is a bit skittish and shy - buns bullies him. He sprints after him and bites him, our poor cat is now confined to the bedroom when the rabbit is out, it's not a good situation. I haven't heard of this happening before - the prey being the predators?

I understand there is some territory/hormonal things happening, and that desexing him might help - but is there anyway I can address this behaviour in the mean time? He is spraying everywhere too - over me at least once a day, so he is REALLY defending his territory - how can I make him comfortable enough to realise that he doesn't need to do this?

He is perfect aside from all this, but the cats were here first - I would hate to have to choose between the two.

 

[Watermelons]

If need be, prey will try and fight off predators if they think the predator is weak or not showing signs of advancing they will try and clear their territory.
You need to teach bun its not acceptable to bully the cats, kittys where there first and if need by the bun should be confined to a smallera area if he is going to abuse the shy cat. Eventually they will get along but you may need to discourage your bun from being a bully a few times first. hopefully the issues will clear up when his man bits get whacked off. If necessary the surgery can be preformed sooner if the vet is comfortable.

 

[MagPie]

haha Bowser, you'd think they'd know better. I've been having sort of the same problem. Except, it's humping, biting, circling and peeing on the cat. Putting him in time out didn't really help, hope it works better for you haha. I'm hoping that the neuter he just got will help.

 

[bowser]

Man this little guy is one sexually frustrated bunny!

Magpie - the humping, circling, biting and peeing are all directed at me - its getting worse by the day - today is really bad, it seems my perfect bunny is a distant memory.

He just wont listen, he is so naughty. I've started taping him on the head when he bites, and using a water sprayer when he jumps on the couch to pee. Nothing I do offends him, or makes a difference - it seems the more I tell him off the more he circles my feet and buzzes!

We are taking him to another vet this week to see if they will perform the op. Fingers crossed, this bunny is really wearing my patience!

I never thought bunny's would be suchcomplicated pets - never a dull moment

 

[missyscove]

It definitely sounds like it's time for a neuter, but as for the cats, do they have plenty of spaces they can go to get away from the rabbit? Buns can jump but they aren't very good climbers and if your cat can get up away from the rabbit in the first place that might help you out.

 

[MagPie]

bowser - yes he actually doesn't do it to me. He used to circle me when I first got him, but once I had to give him antibiotics for a month or so he stopped haha. But yes! It definately got worse with the cats. I'd pull him off he'd go right back to it. I'd put him in time out, the minute I'd let him out he would be back to pester the cats. Oooh make sure that the high spaces are plenty high. The only safe place for the cats now is a cat tree which is too high up for Harvey to jump. Harvey has figured out that he can get up and onto the back of the sofa (Merlin's favorite resting spot).

 

[isabelly]

Wow, I didn't realize how lucky I was to have adopted an adult, neutered male.

I also have a skittish cat that came first and a confident rabbit that came second.

At first I baby-gated the hallway so that the rabbit could have some space and the cat could go in and out if he needed. The rabbit was confined to his cage when no humans were home or awake. Then after a few weeks the cat stopped hiding or running from the rabbit.

There was a horrible incidence where some human made the terrible mistake of closing the door on the room where th cat and the rabbit were napping together that ended with a "low" 3-digit vet bill and the rabbit with a corneal scar, but for the most part they get along fine now.

My rabbit is still confined to his cage when there are no humans around though.

I'm sure his extra antics are hormonal and he'll be much calmer after he's neutered.

 

[MagPie]

Hmm yeah I ended up adopting an adult, unneutered male. Plus he's a pretty confident rabbit and likes to push around my cats. One is pretty mellow and doesn't defend himself, the other is also a pretty dominate cat (and a bit of a bully). I had a problem between the rabbit and the second cat (ie the dominate one), where Harvey was chasing the cat and biting him under the belly. The spilt second I went to stop the rabbit, the cat got bunny in the ear (also a big vet bill). He now sports a rather big scar on his ear. That was the first week I had the rabbit, but they have both gotten used to each other. Harvey tends to now just bother the mellow cat haha.

I have to say if Harvey had just ignored the cats, the cats would ignore him too. But he just loves the cats.