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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Kitten and Bunny

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    • Eucalyptus
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        Hi there. I really hope that people don’t immediately judge and attack me here (I’ve seen it happen to people on other sites). Please keep in mind that I’m posting on here to get information and that shows that I’m not mindlessly going for it without any precautions or anything.


        My boyfriend and I are going to be getting an apartment together soon, and we definitely want a pet (we’re total animal lovers). The thing is, I’ve grown up with cats and love them, while he’s grown up with bunnies and loves them. After years of being together and now at the point of getting our place, we’ve considering trying to raise one of each together.

        We’ve discussed it, read stuff, and watched videos. Apparently it’s VERY possible to have a cat and bunny living together in peace and harmony, and imagining that is just like a dream come true for us. We’ve seen pictures of a bunny cuddled up with a cat, a cat grooming the bunny, etc. and we just get all warm and fuzzy inside thinking about it.


        Also, I’ve seen that link thrown around on some other similar posts to this (which was very helpful) but I really want to hear about any personal experiences. We won’t be getting our pets for quite a while (we want to make sure that the place we move into is going to be a safe place because our pets are like our children), and we want to take time to gather information about this. 

        So any advice, information, tips/recommendations? Any personal stories? Everything helps here.


        Some specific questions we have:

        1. How old were your kitty and bunny when you got/introduced them? Do you think that age makes a difference?

        – My personal thoughts: We want to get a kitten as young as possible because the kitten will be raised with a bunny, growing up side by side with it, and be much more likely to view it as a family member (even a sibling) which would lower the chances of it suddenly viewing it as prey.

        2. What cat and bunny breeds do you have? Any recommendations?

        – My personal thoughts: We are considering a larger breed of bunny because I know how cats are – they love to chase something much smaller. And a smaller moving object/animal is an easy target. That, and we absolutely adore French-lops. *w*

        Also, I know that some cat breeds are gentler than most. We’ve considered Maine Coon because they’re the “gentle giants.” My personal experiences is that they’re very sweet cats, even if they’re huge. But again, maybe age, size, breed, etc won’t matter for this.

        3. Did you have problems with litter boxes? Specific litters for your cat and bunny?

        – My personal thoughts: I’ve read some stories about certain cat litters being DANGEROUS to bunnies. More likely than not, the bunny will end up checking out the cat box (which will always be clean unless the cat just went) and bunnies like to eat litter. I’ve heard there are some pretty bad litters, and I would never want anything to eat that dusty gray litter. I always use a corn based, biodegradable one (because you can flush it), but I’ve heard that it can make the bunny fat from eating it. We wouldn’t let the bunny eat it, but if it happens to, I don’t see it being that bad since it’s all natural. As long as it doesn’t eat a whole ton, I don’t think it would get really fat …. or would it?

        4. Have you ever gotten to the point of trusting them alone together? Any stories?

        – My personal thoughts: If we get a kitten, we will definitely not leave them alone together. I know how kittens are, and even the nicest, gentlest ones can get a little rambunctious. We definitely don’t want any accidents. But when they’re both older and things seem nice, would you still recommend never leaving them? What about when you’re sleeping? We’ll be in a 1-bedroom, so we’d hear any odd noises (and I wake up easily if I hear something wrong). We’ll definitely have a retreat area for the bunny specifically.

        5. Did you ever have any accidents (playing too rough, or the cat/bunny actually attacked the other)?

        – My personal thoughts: I definitely don’t want to risk anything, but I believe you have to be prepared for the worst. I know that cat scratches or bites are very toxic and can turn into an abscess (had it happen to my kitten once). I don’t want to expect this, but rather, be prepared in case this happens. And we just want to know if anyone has had anything seriously go wrong (and how it turned out).

        6. Any problems with food and water?

        – My personal thoughts: We both know that cat food has way too much protein in it to be healthy for a bunny. We already plan to feed our cat on the kitchen counter (we’ll place the kitten up there when it’s too young to jump, and it’ll learn to go there when it’s older), and have the bunny’s food in it’s area (with water). From what I know, bunny food is really just grass and other veggie related foods, so I doubt the cat will even care to eat it (and if it did, it wouldn’t matter for the cat). 


        * We both know all the risks. Cats are natural predators and bunnies are prey. Instincts, etc., etc., etc. And unless you can say that every attempt has ended in a bloody failure, please try to contribute positive inputs.

        EDIT: Thank you all for the warm welcomes! I’m glad this site is so friendly. :3 Also, all of the inputs and opinions so far are highly appreciated!

        EDIT 2: WOW, I can’t believe how many of you guys have so many pets! 6 bunnies and kitties? Crazy! @_@ The most I ever had was two cats and a litter (they mated). And that was insane for us. XD


      • Kokaneeandkahlua
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          Welcome!! We won’t attack you i know some forums are like that

          I personally don’t have rabbits and cats; but I know another risk is disease transmission so you want to have kitty checked out and vaccinated and wormed before introductions.

          Also soft paws-those plastic claw covers may be an excellent safe guard -they are a humane alternative to declawing and will protect your furniture too!

          I wouldn’t worry about ‘as young as possible’-make sure bunny and kitten stay with mom at least 8 weeks. 9-10 is better-they learn socialization and other skills and get health benefits. Don’t take anyone home that is younger than 7 weeks as that is a big health risk and behaviour risk. you can introduce and train young pets, they don’t need to be too young. My dog is a super predator and we adopted him at two years old.Though it appeared at first he would never be able to be even supervised around bunnies, he easily trained to be trustable and gentle around them.


        • Roberta
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            I’ve got 5 cats and 5 buns, the youngest cat was 2ys old when I got the buns. Never had a moments worry. Bilbo 12yr old cat loves to sit in the play pen with the buns but eventually leaves after everyone has chewed on his tail. The oldest cat just ignores them completely, another is terrified of them and is convinced they are all descendants of “The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog” The two youngest love to watch them and Finn loves to play through the playpen but runs away if the buns get too boisterous. The only worry is Luna and after 12 months she’s never shown interest in doing anything other than sitting and waving her tail whilst they frolic.
            Diseases are a concern especially ones transmitted by fleas so everyone has regular treatment. Advantage for the cats and Revolution puppy and kitten for the buns (always get your vet to check the dosage for the buns as a single ampule will last several buns for multiple treatments.)
            The biggest concern would be when you’re bun reaches adolescence and decides to vent its amorous attention on the cat. So desexing is essential once they are the right age and weight (also prevents spraying and encourage good bunny litter habits) both male and female rabbits will spray and leave territorial poop if they are unspayed/neutered.
            It worries me that you were concerned about being judged and attacked. That’s awful that you have been to other sites and had to experience that sort of treatment. You won’t suffer that here…. It sounds to me like you are doing your research and trying to provide the best home possible for your future pets.
            For encouragement I have attached a pic I think you might like. Try to guess who is being the dominant one LOL.


          • BinkyBunny
            Moderator
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              Welcome!  I think it’s great you are asking these questions prior to making decisions.  I am sorry you have felt attacked before. I know that with any forum, there will be strong opinions and sometimes that can come off as rude (even if that was not the intention).  Hopefully we can provide you with some good information and advice to consider. 

              The experiences between rabbits and cats vary widely.  From cats being predatory to the rabbits being the one that scare and attack the cats!   I envy the cuddly bunny cat relationships I have heard of and seen before.  That is not the case in our house. Our cat is predatory, but he has aged and become indifferent over time, but if he is challenged, he quickly turns into a scaredy cat.  Vivian has no fear of our cat and he is a bit intimidated by her. However, I don’t trust him not to bat at her if he felt cornered or  threatened before running away..  The tips of cat nails have a little hollowish hook area that harbors nasty bacteria and one little scratch can cause an abscess in a rabbit.  So that is what I am more cautious of.    

              I don’t know if getting a kitten would be better or not.  Maybe someone else will be able to offer advice about that.  But here are my thoughts on it:  Kittens have a lot of energy, and their type of play may be too rough, nails too sharp and playful bites too sharp.    If you get a baby bunny, when he/she reaches sexual maturity, spraying, marking and mounting may come into play especially when you have another animal in the house and your cat could be the target, which could cause some “relationship” issues.   So those are things to consider when weighing what is best for your situation.  Maybe someone will have good advice on how to deal with those issues.   With that being said — I DO NOT have first hand experience with kittens and baby bunnies together — so hopefully someone who does, will be able to pipe in. 

              I know that rabbit language and cat language is completely different and sometimes what the rabbit is asking of the cat via body language can be seen as baffling, aggravating or threatening to the cat. 

              For me if I could do things over again I would look for two mellow personalities.  That means I would go to rescues and seek adult rabbits and cats with their personalities already established so I know what to expect.  I would want personalities that may be best suited for each other.  Knowing that the likelihood of them being cuddle buddies is low, but wanting some form of tolerance so I don’t have to worry about one getting injured would be enough for me. . 

              I don’t know much about being able to socialize a kitten, but I know that rabbits can change their personality quite a bit once they reach sexual maturity, even with exposure.  For example, they can tolerate being handled if they are used to it, but that doesn’t mean that if they were”cuddly”  as a baby, that they will remain that way once they reach sexual maturity — most don’t. 

              The questions you have asked are really smart and shows you are really thinking this through first. I have a feeling you will get a variety of experiences with differing advice that you will have to mull over to figure out what’s best for you. 

              Good luck! 

              Edited to add: While I  wrote my long-winded post, Roberta posted before me and wow…5 cats – 5 bunnies. Can’t get more bunny and cat than that!  

              I also forgot to mention — There used to be this very sweet mellow cat at the HRS in Richmond who would just wander around the rescue and he never seemed to interested in harming a fly.   I was there trying to bond one of my bunnies, and the cat jumped in the pen to just hang out and rest and watch what was going on.   He had a completely different personality than the cat we actually have. 


            • Eucalyptus
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                Posted By Roberta on 07/13/2012 11:25 PM

                I’ve got 5 cats and 5 buns, the youngest cat was 2ys old when I got the buns. Never had a moments worry. Bilbo 12yr old cat loves to sit in the play pen with the buns but eventually leaves after everyone has chewed on his tail. The oldest cat just ignores them completely, another is terrified of them and is convinced they are all descendants of “The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog” The two youngest love to watch them and Finn loves to play through the playpen but runs away if the buns get too boisterous. The only worry is Luna and after 12 months she’s never shown interest in doing anything other than sitting and waving her tail whilst they frolic. 

                That’s just adorable. ^_^ 

                Posted By Roberta on 07/13/2012 11:25 PM 
                Diseases are a concern especially ones transmitted by fleas so everyone has regular treatment. Advantage for the cats and Revolution puppy and kitten for the buns (always get your vet to check the dosage for the buns as a single ampule will last several buns for multiple treatments.)

                Oh definitely, I’ve had pets all my life and always take them in for regular treatments. I never have outdoor animals (other than the occasional moments to explore what’s outside and it’s always supervised and brief), and I’m extremely cautious about fleas, FeLV (for cats) and all that, and if I’m in contact with strays or other animals I literally strip myself down when I get home and dump everything into the laundry and shower immediately before I ever let my pets get near me. >.<

                Posted By Roberta on 07/13/2012 11:25 PM
                The biggest concern would be when you’re bun reaches adolescence and decides to vent its amorous attention on the cat. So desexing is essential once they are the right age and weight (also prevents spraying and encourage good bunny litter habits) both male and female rabbits will spray and leave territorial poop if they are unspayed/neutered.

                Yeah, we’re planning to have them fixed as soon as their old enough to.

                Posted By Roberta on 07/13/2012 11:25 PM
                It worries me that you were concerned about being judged and attacked. That’s awful that you have been to other sites and had to experience that sort of treatment. You won’t suffer that here…. It sounds to me like you are doing your research and trying to provide the best home possible for your future pets. 

                Actually it wasn’t me. I just read a few posts on different sites (from yahoo answers to other bunny sites) and people were immediately judging them. It was sad because the person was taking the time to ask before doing anything, and people were reacting with things like “HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK OF THAT, DON’T EVER GET A PET!!!” and crazy crap like that. @_@ I was just shocked.

                Posted By Roberta on 07/13/2012 11:25 PM
                For encouragement I have attached a pic I think you might like. Try to guess who is being the dominant one LOL.

                Awww sooo cute. :3 


                EDIT: Okay I have no idea how to do this multi-quoting thing so forgive how BAD this post looks and feel free to fill me in on how to do it haha.

                EDIT 2: HAH I think I got it. But it took a lot of work so I think I did it the hard way or something. XD



                Posted By BB on 07/14/2012 12:01 AM 

                Welcome!  I think it’s great you are asking these questions prior to making decisions.  I am sorry you have felt attacked before. I know that with any forum, there will be strong opinions and sometimes that can come off as rude (even if that was not the intention).  Hopefully we can provide you with some good information and advice to consider. 

                Yeah as I mentioned, it wasn’t me. D: I saw it happen to people on other forums and sites and it was just lame.

                Posted By BB on 07/14/2012 12:01 AM 

                The experiences between rabbits and cats vary widely.  From cats being predatory to the rabbits being the one that scare and attack the cats!   

                Yes! I’ve heard that the bunnies bother the cats more often than the other way around actually. XD It’s really funny.

                Posted By BB on 07/14/2012 12:01 AM 

                I envy the cuddly bunny cat relationships I have heard of and seen before.  That is not the case in our house. Our cat is predatory, but he has aged and become indifferent over time, but if he is challenged, he quickly turns into a scaredy cat.  Vivian has no fear of our cat and he is a bit intimidated by her. However, I don’t trust him not to bat at her if he felt cornered or  threatened before running away..  The tips of cat nails have a little hollowish hook area that harbors nasty bacteria and one little scratch can cause an abscess in a rabbit.  So that is what I am more cautious of.  

                Yepp, that’s partly why our skin swells over a cat scratch. I’m pretty immune to that myself but I definitely don’t want the bunny to have that. Cat nails and saliva are practically a poison, so I would feel terrible if there were any accidents …

                Posted By BB on 07/14/2012 12:01 AM  

                I don’t know if getting a kitten would be better or not.  Maybe someone else will be able to offer advice about that.  But here are my thoughts on it:  Kittens have a lot of energy, and their type of play may be too rough, nails too sharp and playful bites too sharp.    If you get a baby bunny, when he/she reaches sexual maturity, spraying, marking and mounting may come into play especially when you have another animal in the house and your cat could be the target, which could cause some “relationship” issues.   So those are things to consider when weighing what is best for your situation.  Maybe someone will have good advice on how to deal with those issues.   With that being said — I DO NOT have first hand experience with kittens and baby bunnies together — so hopefully someone who does, will be able to pipe in. 

                I agree about the kitten thing. The only reason I would prefer the energetic, playful kitten is because an older one will be more likely to see the bunny as prey. If you raise a kitten from a young age, always growing up with the bunny in its life and never attacking it, it’s more likely to view it as family. I’ve heard that it never gets rid of their instincts, and if they were to encounter a bunny outside or a new bunny, they may see that completely different and think it’s prey, but will always see the bunny it grew up with as a sibling or something. Of course, every cat is going to be different, so who knows. I’m just trying to get as many inputs and opinions (especially personal experiences) as possible to see what’s likely to happen.

                Posted By BB on 07/14/2012 12:01 AM 

                I know that rabbit language and cat language is completely different and sometimes what the rabbit is asking of the cat via body language can be seen as baffling, aggravating or threatening to the cat. For me if I could do things over again I would look for two mellow personalities.  That means I would go to rescues and seek adult rabbits and cats with their personalities already established so I know what to expect.  I would want personalities that may be best suited for each other.  Knowing that the likelihood of them being cuddle buddies is low, but wanting some form of tolerance so I don’t have to worry about one getting injured would be enough for me.

                Yeah, I would want to do this as well. It’s just like I mentioned before, raising together might decrease the chances of that prey instinct kicking in with the cat because it’s like family. I think we can all think of videos and stories about the oddest pairs of animals being the best of friends (the tiger with piglets, elephant and dog, etc). Of course if you get two personalities that work, then adults could work out. I’m just trying to use my personal experience with cats since I grew up with them, and I feel like an adult is risky because they’ve never had to actually live side by side with the “prey” and not view it as prey. I dunno if that makes sense.

                Posted By BB on 07/14/2012 12:01 AM 

                I don’t know much about being able to socialize a kitten, but I know that rabbits can change their personality quite a bit once they reach sexual maturity, even with exposure.  For example, they can tolerate being handled if they are used to it, but that doesn’t mean that if they were”cuddly”  as a baby, that they will remain that way once they reach sexual maturity — most don’t. 

                Oh, of course. They’re not much different from us, everything is going to influence them – the owners and how they treat them, environment, the animal that they’re interacting with, and just their personalities overall. The way I see it (and how I’m hoping) is that if we can raise them well, watch over them when they’re together and make sure to praise friendly behavior and discourage anything bad, they’ll learn to play safely and hopefully grow up to like each other (or at least tolerate each other at the worst lol). There’s no way to know for sure what will happen, as every individual will turn out differently. Just trying to gather all resources and information to prepare and all that good stuff.

                Posted By BB on 07/14/2012 12:01 AM 

                The questions you have asked are really smart and shows you are really thinking this through first. I have a feeling you will get a variety of experiences with differing advice that you will have to mull over to figure out what’s best for you. 

                Good luck! 

                Thanks! I really appreciate your input. Glad to see that no one is assuming the worst from me, like the other people I had read about. ^_^;;;

                Posted By BB on 07/14/2012 12:01 AM 

                Edited to add: While I  wrote my long-winded post, Roberta posted before me and wow…5 cats – 5 bunnies. Can’t get more bunny and cat than that!  

                I also forgot to mention — There used to be this very sweet mellow cat at the HRS in Richmond who would just wonder around the rescue and he never seemed to interested in harming a fly.   I was there trying to bond one of my bunnies, and the cat jumped in the pen to just hang out and rest and watch what was going on.   He had a completely different personality than the cat we actually have. 

                Awww that’s really cute. We’re really hoping that they’re going to get along well. We’re both pretty terrified at what the worst case scenario (I don’t even want to say it). .~. But I really believe that it won’t happen.

                Sheesh, this is a long post. Sorry, I wanted to comment on every point in your guys’ posts.


                EDIT: One more thing I wanted to ask – Did you guys ever feel comfortable leaving the bunny and kitty alone with full access to the house? Basically, the bunny has a place to hide and retreat to, but both the bunny and kitty could roam the house … and you trusted them alone? Definitely worried about ever doing this, and we wouldn’t do it unless we were absolutely sure about it. But I’d like to know if anyone has experience where they did leave them alone and it was all fine and dandy.


              • RabbitPam
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                  First, I want to say Welcome, and I am very relieved to read that your negative experiences were on other sites. We try hard to keep a peaceful and informative forum here with practical suggestions. We have an Alert system, so if you ever feel attacked or find someone flaming, please hit the alert button so we can read it and step in. As BB says in her rules, we “Play Nice”.

                  I do not have a cat and a bunny. (Roberta, adorable pix!) That said, I had a thought similar to what BB described. If you go to a shelter or two, you could ask if any of the bunnies and kitties there have met and get along well. If there are two, then you could consider adopting them both together. That way, they’d know each other already, have an established mutual relationship, be giving them both a home, and leaving room for a new bunny and kitty at the shelter. I realize that would be very hard to find already happening, but if you did, it would be a win/win. You can call around and ask first.

                  As for leaving them free range all day alone: I would suggest initially that you enclose the bunny in one room and the kitty in another where they can’t get to each other. If you are working on socializing them yourself in your home, try neutral territory as you would 2 bunnies, and give them each safe haven. You don’t want to come home to find fur and wounds that may be hours old otherwise. It may be a choice you can make after they’ve been together for months or a year. Just my opinion, though.


                • Eucalyptus
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                    Posted By RabbitPam on 07/14/2012 05:52 AM

                    First, I want to say Welcome, and I am very relieved to read that your negative experiences were on other sites. We try hard to keep a peaceful and informative forum here with practical suggestions. We have an Alert system, so if you ever feel attacked or find someone flaming, please hit the alert button so we can read it and step in. As BB says in her rules, we “Play Nice”.

                    It actually wasn’t me, but yeah it was always on other sites. Thanks for the tips though, it doesn’t feel like this site has any people that want to attack you over nonsense reasons. ^_^;;

                    Posted By RabbitPam on 07/14/2012 05:52 AM 
                    I do not have a cat and a bunny. (Roberta, adorable pix!) That said, I had a thought similar to what BB described. If you go to a shelter or two, you could ask if any of the bunnies and kitties there have met and get along well. If there are two, then you could consider adopting them both together. That way, they’d know each other already, have an established mutual relationship, be giving them both a home, and leaving room for a new bunny and kitty at the shelter. I realize that would be very hard to find already happening, but if you did, it would be a win/win. You can call around and ask first.

                    Yes, I’m going to be looking for both a cat and bunny from a shelter before anything. As I’ve mentioned, though, I’m still wondering if a kitten is a better option. Even if you find a cat that is known to be good around other animals, including bunnies, I feel like you still run the risk of the cat suddenly turning on the bunny just because it didn’t always view them as family. Where as, a kitten being raised from 2-3 months around a bunny, will have always been in contact with one, always having to play nice, and eventually seeing it as family or a sibling. This is what I think, but then again if I’m completely wrong or this is a bad idea, I’d like someone to correct me.

                    Posted By RabbitPam on 07/14/2012 05:52 AM  
                    As for leaving them free range all day alone: I would suggest initially that you enclose the bunny in one room and the kitty in another where they can’t get to each other. If you are working on socializing them yourself in your home, try neutral territory as you would 2 bunnies, and give them each safe haven. You don’t want to come home to find fur and wounds that may be hours old otherwise. It may be a choice you can make after they’ve been together for months or a year. Just my opinion, though.

                    This is what I was thinking. We’ll, of course, have an area for the bunny to go at (with the food, water, and litterbox) for him to escape to. Not sure about the cat, they usually believe all of the house is their territory and usually they just find specific places to go to when they want to be alone; like high up places or just under your bed. Our idea was to definitely keep the bunny in its safe place when we’re not there for quite some time while they’re still getting used to each other. Whenever one of us or both of us are home, we can have them both out together. We don’t want to come home to anything … well, bloody …. so we definitely don’t want to leave them alone together for long periods of time, even when they seem to get along perfectly. Maybe eventually, if we can go years without even an accident or something, but we’ll have to see.

                    Thank you for the input.


                  • bunnyfriend
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                      Hi welcome to BB I’m sorry if I repeat anything anyone else has already said but I thought I’d share my experience with this.

                      Before adopting my rabbits my family already had two cats who were about 5 or 6 years old. My rabbits currently have run of most of the house but “their space” and where they spend their most time is in my room. At first our cats were extremely scared of the rabbits, they avoided going to my room entirely and whenever they’d encounter the rabbits they’d run away fast. I didn’t really try to work on building a relationship between the two as both the rabbits and the cats ignored each other and the cats were scared. The most important thing to me was that after watching many interactions, our cats didn’t ever claw at or attack or try to play rough with the rabbits.

                      Now it has gotten to the point where one of our cats hangs out in my room and drinks from their water bowl. This really bugged me at first but after posting a question about cats drinking from rabbits’ water bowls here on BB everyone said it’s harmless. I feel sort of bad for the cat because he does try to hang out with them but the rabbits still ignore him. The other cat is okay being around the rabbits now but he does pay much attention to them. I probably should try socializing the rabbits and cats more because I know that there are rabbit and cat friends out there.

                      Of course, every situation is a case by case basis but what I’ve heard from most people is that cats and rabbits can get along fine. The only thing that I would worry about especially is if the cat is a kitten, because kittens are immature and playful and might not be as gentle with the rabbits as a calmer, mature adult cat would. If you adopted a kitten I agree with you that you’d be able to raise them around cats which would be good. I don’t think a baby rabbit and a baby kitten at the same time would be the best though. I would be cautious about a baby bunny being around any cat, baby rabbits are fragile and may not be able to hold their own. Baby rabbits also can be unpredictable and get aggressive around maturity. If you adopted a rabbit from the shelter it would most likely be an adult anyways.

                      Sorry if none of this was helpful!


                    • bun-crazy
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                        Hello and welcome to BB!  Glad to see you’re thinking all of this through very thoroughly before acting on it!  So, here’s my story and I hope it helps you a little.

                        I had 3 cats indoors when I brought home to baby bunnies in March.  2 of the cats are older (about 12 years old) and one is only 4.  I was particularly worried about the younger one because he is very energetic, still young enough to want to play pretty hard and does have a pretty high prey drive. So…I brought the buns home and they were in a hutch in my sunroom in my house.  I let the cats go up and smell them and look at them through the hutch for over a week. When I took the buns out for playtime I took them to a separate room in the house and shut the cats out.  Then, one by one, starting with the older cats, I let them come in during playtime.  As was expected (by me) the two older ones were pretty indifferent to the bunnies–even ignoring them completely most of the time–and if the buns were to run up to the cats, they would just run away. The introductions between these all went very easy and uneventful

                        When I decided to let Simba (my youngest cat) meet the buns, I let him in to the play room for very short periods of time and watched him like a hawk.  He was very curious about them and wanted to chase them and even swat at them a little. But, I would say “No, Simba” or “easy, Simba” and pull him back a little.  He never tried to bite them or hurt them, he was just wanting to “play” a little too hard.  He learned very fast to back off if I said those words and did very well. I always ended these play times on a good note (ie. if Simba laid down and was just relaxed and watching) because I didn’t want him to associate the bunnies with getting punished. So, after a few of these sessions, I let the buns out in the sunroom and let the cats in there with them.  The bunnies were binkying, the older cats were sitting high up and watching and Simba was right in the middle of the action. LOL. He was right on their tales smelling them and chasing a little. They actually loved him though and seemed to enjoy playing with him.  The buns were growing very fast and as they got bigger, Simba wasn’t as interested in chasing them so much (they are 7 months old and about 7 pounds now). Sometimes he will still want to play a little too rough, but when they’re out, I’m always watching them closely.  Simba even goes in their condo when I have the door open and lays on the third level (often both buns will be up there with him and that is so cute!) They are very comfortable together. However, I don’t ever leave them out when I’m sleeping or gone from home, and I don’t really know if I ever will (they want to chew/dig my carpet and woodwork a little too much for that) so for now they’re in their condo during those times.

                        All in all, I have been very pleased with how everyone has gotten along.  I’m sorry to say that I don’t know if a kitten would be better or not. I would worry about how playful a kitten is and how sharp their nails and bites are (as other people have mentioned) but I don’t have personal experience with kittens and buns. 

                        Good luck with however you decide to proceed, and don’t ever hesitate to ask us on here for advice.  It’s very good that you are doing your research and preparing for the best possible home for your new fur babies to come to!! 

                         


                      • Eucalyptus
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                          Posted By bunnyfriend on 07/14/2012 06:59 PM

                          Hi welcome to BB I’m sorry if I repeat anything anyone else has already said but I thought I’d share my experience with this. 

                          Thanks! I’m enjoying all of the warm welcomes from everyone. ^_^

                          Posted By bunnyfriend on 07/14/2012 06:59 PM 
                          Before adopting my rabbits my family already had two cats who were about 5 or 6 years old. My rabbits currently have run of most of the house but “their space” and where they spend their most time is in my room. At first our cats were extremely scared of the rabbits, they avoided going to my room entirely and whenever they’d encounter the rabbits they’d run away fast. I didn’t really try to work on building a relationship between the two as both the rabbits and the cats ignored each other and the cats were scared. The most important thing to me was that after watching many interactions, our cats didn’t ever claw at or attack or try to play rough with the rabbits. 

                          Did you have a completely enclosed area that the cats couldn’t get into if you didn’t want them to, or just like a fenced area? I want to have the usual fenced area for the bunny that you can have open or closed, but the cats would still be able to jump into if they wanted. I’m guessing that since your cats didn’t particularly want to be around the bunnies, they never actually forced their way in or anything.   

                          Posted By bunnyfriend on 07/14/2012 06:59 PM 
                          Now it has gotten to the point where one of our cats hangs out in my room and drinks from their water bowl. This really bugged me at first but after posting a question about cats drinking from rabbits’ water bowls here on BB everyone said it’s harmless. I feel sort of bad for the cat because he does try to hang out with them but the rabbits still ignore him. The other cat is okay being around the rabbits now but he does pay much attention to them. I probably should try socializing the rabbits and cats more because I know that there are rabbit and cat friends out there. 

                          I wouldn’t worry about sharing water. Cat saliva is pretty dirty (and sometimes referred to as a literal poison) but that’s only if it gets into a wound or something. Other than that, the obvious things like passing diseases – which you shouldn’t be worrying about since FeLV can’t be transferred to bunnies, and they’re your pets so you would know if they have anything.  

                          Posted By bunnyfriend on 07/14/2012 06:59 PM 
                          Of course, every situation is a case by case basis but what I’ve heard from most people is that cats and rabbits can get along fine. The only thing that I would worry about especially is if the cat is a kitten, because kittens are immature and playful and might not be as gentle with the rabbits as a calmer, mature adult cat would. If you adopted a kitten I agree with you that you’d be able to raise them around cats which would be good. I don’t think a baby rabbit and a baby kitten at the same time would be the best though. I would be cautious about a baby bunny being around any cat, baby rabbits are fragile and may not be able to hold their own. Baby rabbits also can be unpredictable and get aggressive around maturity. If you adopted a rabbit from the shelter it would most likely be an adult anyways.

                          Sorry if none of this was helpful!

                          I agree. I don’t know much about bunnies, as I’ve never personally owned them. My boyfriend has had bunnies for his whole life but he never really had problems as far as hormones and stuff (but they were outdoor bunnies and they were never around any different species). We’re considering getting a baby bunny and raising it alone and then getting the kitten. But I’m not sure when all that hormonal stuff is going to be over with (we’d be getting him fixed asap). If we do get a kitten, we won’t be leaving them alone together and we’ll definitely supervise all interactions to discourage any rough playing or negative behavior.

                          And no, you were very helpful! All advice and stories greatly add to our future decisions! Thank you very much.



                          Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 07:09 PM 

                          Hello and welcome to BB!  Glad to see you’re thinking all of this through very thoroughly before acting on it!  So, here’s my story and I hope it helps you a little.

                          Thank you. We are trying to collect a lot of information so we know what to expect and the possibilities of the turn out from this.

                          Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 07:09 PM  
                          I had 3 cats indoors when I brought home to baby bunnies in March.  2 of the cats are older (about 12 years old) and one is only 4.  I was particularly worried about the younger one because he is very energetic, still young enough to want to play pretty hard and does have a pretty high prey drive. So…I brought the buns home and they were in a hutch in my sunroom in my house.  I let the cats go up and smell them and look at them through the hutch for over a week. When I took the buns out for playtime I took them to a separate room in the house and shut the cats out.  Then, one by one, starting with the older cats, I let them come in during playtime.  As was expected (by me) the two older ones were pretty indifferent to the bunnies–even ignoring them completely most of the time–and if the buns were to run up to the cats, they would just run away. The introductions between these all went very easy and uneventful

                          Haha, that sounds pretty funny. I wonder why cats seem to always be scared at first; probably just because they don’t know what it is.

                          Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 07:09 PM  
                          When I decided to let Simba (my youngest cat) meet the buns, I let him in to the play room for very short periods of time and watched him like a hawk.  He was very curious about them and wanted to chase them and even swat at them a little. But, I would say “No, Simba” or “easy, Simba” and pull him back a little.  He never tried to bite them or hurt them, he was just wanting to “play” a little too hard.  He learned very fast to back off if I said those words and did very well. I always ended these play times on a good note (ie. if Simba laid down and was just relaxed and watching) because I didn’t want him to associate the bunnies with getting punished.

                          Right, this is what I would do. Make sure that the bunnies are always a positive thing, and not to punish or anything over bad behavior. Rather discouraging, than flat out scolding. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve never owned a bunny. So, I always feel like they’re these super fragile creatures that will break if you poke them too hard. >.> I tend to be overly gentle, but I guess that’s not a bad thing. But I’m always worried that if the kitty pats them or touches their ears, they’re going to be in pain or something. I probably just need to be around them more to see what they can and can’t handle. I just don’t want the bunny to get traumatized over something the kitty does.

                          Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 07:09 PM  
                          So, after a few of these sessions, I let the buns out in the sunroom and let the cats in there with them.  The bunnies were binkying, the older cats were sitting high up and watching and Simba was right in the middle of the action. LOL. He was right on their tales smelling them and chasing a little. They actually loved him though and seemed to enjoy playing with him.  

                          That’s adorable! ^_^ This is what we’re hoping for with our bunny and kitty. We really hope that they’ll play together, as long as the cat doesn’t accidentally hurt the bunny. I definitely plan to cut the cat’s nails all the time, but I’m also considering the soft paws, too.

                          Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 07:09 PM  
                          The buns were growing very fast and as they got bigger, Simba wasn’t as interested in chasing them so much (they are 7 months old and about 7 pounds now). Sometimes he will still want to play a little too rough, but when they’re out, I’m always watching them closely.  Simba even goes in their condo when I have the door open and lays on the third level (often both buns will be up there with him and that is so cute!) 

                          What kind of condo is it? (Picture maybe?) When you said that, I imagined a cat tree (I don’t have too much knowledge on bunnies) but I figure that it’s something else. I can’t imagine a bunny making it to the top of a cat tree, honestly.

                          Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 07:09 PM  
                          They are very comfortable together. However, I don’t ever leave them out when I’m sleeping or gone from home, and I don’t really know if I ever will (they want to chew/dig my carpet and woodwork a little too much for that) so for now they’re in their condo during those times.

                          I understand. Ideally I want to be able to trust them together. I wouldn’t do it for a long time, especially if our cat is still a kitten. If we really trust them, we’d probably let them be in contact while we’re sleeping (we’ll be in a 1-bedroom apartment and I’m a very light sleeper when it comes to any animal sounds – my cat back with my mom would wake me up constantly because I get really worried if I hear odd sounds). But it would take a long time for us to trust them alone when we’re not in the house – if we ever even get to that point.

                          Did you leave the bunny condo open to the cat at all when you slept or anything?

                          Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 07:09 PM  
                          All in all, I have been very pleased with how everyone has gotten along.  I’m sorry to say that I don’t know if a kitten would be better or not. I would worry about how playful a kitten is and how sharp their nails and bites are (as other people have mentioned) but I don’t have personal experience with kittens and buns. 

                          Yeah, kitten nails are SHARP, and cat nails overall are pretty dirty. Like I said, I’ll definitely be cutting them constantly or getting those soft paws (I hope those things really work). And again, not leaving them unattended while the kitten is young. And don’t worry, even personal experiences help.

                          Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 07:09 PM  
                          Good luck with however you decide to proceed, and don’t ever hesitate to ask us on here for advice.  It’s very good that you are doing your research and preparing for the best possible home for your new fur babies to come to!!  

                          Thank you so much for your input! I really appreciate it. :3


                        • bun-crazy
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                            I worried about the cats (especially Simba) literally scaring the bunnies to death if he chased them too much or something, so I’d stop him if I thought they were getting stressed out. But they really were “tougher” than I expected. Most of the time, they thought it was a fun game of chase and be chased. It was hilarious when they turned around on Simba and would start going toward him, cuz he’d turn around and run and hide! LOL.

                            I will try to send you a personal message with some pics of my bunny condo, but it will probably be early next week before I can (I’m at work right now and I work 12 hour nights on the weekends). I got my ideas from other pics on this site, though, under the habitats tab on the main page. Check them out! They are amazing!

                            No, I don’t leave the bunny condo open when I’m not supervising. Simba will go in and check out their place, drink their water, and lay down for a nap during the time I have it open and am watching them. He’ll even sometimes go inside their “hidey box” and sleep for a while! (it’s a cardboard box with two holes cut in it for them to go in and hide, nap, scratch and dig). Sometimes I’ll even have to lure him out of their condo with a kitty treat just to get him out so I can put them up! He’s so funny!!

                            You’re very welcome! Any time I can help, I will. Others have helped me so much on this site. I’ve only been a bunny mom since March. It was all brand new to me, too! They really are fun and you’ll have a blast getting to know the special little one you pick out!


                          • Roberta
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                              Mine don’t free range, too many interesting and dangerous places for clever bunnies to get hurt. They have half my sunroom enclosed with Xpen panels. Although we have had a few bids for freedom lately. Heard a scuffling noise the other night whilst I was out here with them. Blossom had figure out if she scales the pen panel next to the chair she can get purchase with her claws. Next thing I knew Blossom was out of the pen sitting in the cane chair.
                              So if I’m not home to supervise everyone goes back into their safe bungalow.
                              They will be moving into the new Bunny room soon once every one is spayed and we can start rebonding Nermal. It will be a nice big neutral zone for them and a lot easier to keep cool during our brutal Summers.
                              Once I can get rid of the X pens I will put a nice screen door on the bunny room which is going to be off the main lounge next to the master bedroom.


                            • Eucalyptus
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                                Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 09:13 PM

                                I worried about the cats (especially Simba) literally scaring the bunnies to death if he chased them too much or something, so I’d stop him if I thought they were getting stressed out. But they really were “tougher” than I expected. Most of the time, they thought it was a fun game of chase and be chased. It was hilarious when they turned around on Simba and would start going toward him, cuz he’d turn around and run and hide! LOL. 

                                Haha! That must be hilarious to watch. XD

                                Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 09:13 PM 
                                I will try to send you a personal message with some pics of my bunny condo, but it will probably be early next week before I can (I’m at work right now and I work 12 hour nights on the weekends). I got my ideas from other pics on this site, though, under the habitats tab on the main page. Check them out! They are amazing!

                                Oh no rush, like I’ve mentioned, we won’t be getting our pets for a good while. I think the beginning of the new year is sounding about right. We still haven’t gotten our place, and we want to stay at the apartment for a few months to make sure nothing is weird (we’re on a tight budget with minimum wage jobs, so we probably won’t have the best place and that’s why we want to make sure it won’t be ghetto or anything).

                                Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 09:13 PM 
                                No, I don’t leave the bunny condo open when I’m not supervising. Simba will go in and check out their place, drink their water, and lay down for a nap during the time I have it open and am watching them. He’ll even sometimes go inside their “hidey box” and sleep for a while! (it’s a cardboard box with two holes cut in it for them to go in and hide, nap, scratch and dig). Sometimes I’ll even have to lure him out of their condo with a kitty treat just to get him out so I can put them up! He’s so funny!! 

                                Haha. I’m only asking to see if there is anyone who truly feels that they can trust the bunnies and kitties together alone unsupervised. I probably sound reckless for asking it, but I still want to. I don’t plan to do it for a long time if I do, but I’d like to know if people do.

                                Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 09:13 PM 
                                You’re very welcome! Any time I can help, I will. Others have helped me so much on this site. I’ve only been a bunny mom since March. It was all brand new to me, too! They really are fun and you’ll have a blast getting to know the special little one you pick out!

                                I can’t wait to have our bunny and kitty. I haven’t had bunnies but they’re just adorable. I think I’m way too scared of hurting them, I pet them super lightly at the pet shop we go to. They just seem so fragile. D: And yes, I love raising pets and we’re going to have an amazing time with our little ones. :3



                                Posted By Roberta on 07/14/2012 09:42 PM 
                                Mine don’t free range, too many interesting and dangerous places for clever bunnies to get hurt. 

                                That’s what we’ve worried about, but actually our place is going to be sooo barren especially in the beginning. We’re two college students and will most likely only have the necessities in our apartment (bed, bedside table, desk, tv, chairs, and that’s literally it). I’m worried about cords, but we already have a habit of keeping everything plugged to a surge protector and then completely unplugging it when we’re out. I’m extremely protective of my pets, so I’ll go to all the limits to pet-proof the house for kittens and all. XD But yeah, I know what you mean. We’ll have to see about that.

                                Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 09:13 PM 
                                They have half my sunroom enclosed with Xpen panels. Although we have had a few bids for freedom lately. Heard a scuffling noise the other night whilst I was out here with them. Blossom had figure out if she scales the pen panel next to the chair she can get purchase with her claws. Next thing I knew Blossom was out of the pen sitting in the cane chair. 
                                So if I’m not home to supervise everyone goes back into their safe bungalow.

                                Ahh, they’re quite clever aren’t they? I have a cat back home with my mom who’s just all sorts of trouble. Opening doors, and even getting into our fridge to pull out ham and meat. >.> She unscrews the drains in our sinks, dumps her water bowl everywhere, pulls paper towels and bags from the cabinets and wrecks the kitchen.

                                Posted By bun-crazy on 07/14/2012 09:13 PM 
                                They will be moving into the new Bunny room soon once every one is spayed and we can start rebonding Nermal. It will be a nice big neutral zone for them and a lot easier to keep cool during our brutal Summers. 
                                Once I can get rid of the X pens I will put a nice screen door on the bunny room which is going to be off the main lounge next to the master bedroom.

                                Well I hope that works out. I don’t have much advise unfortunately, as I’ve never had them. And thanks again for your help.


                              • Bones
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                                  1. How old were your kitty and bunny when you got/introduced them? Do you think that age makes a difference?

                                  Some of my cats were introduced to a rabbit as kittens and some were introduced as adults. It does not seem to have made a difference what age they were introduced.

                                  2. What cat and bunny breeds do you have? Any recommendations?

                                  I have 12 cats that are all mixed breeds of different sizes. My rabbits are a Lionhead about 3lb and a mix breed that is about 1lb.

                                  3. Did you have problems with litter boxes? Specific litters for your cat and bunny?

                                  I have always kept my cat’s litter boxes were the rabbits can’t get to them. Not sure if the corn litter is safe or not.

                                  4. Have you ever gotten to the point of trusting them alone together? Any stories?

                                  I only trust my cats that are over 2 years old around the rabbits when I am not in the room.

                                  5. Did you ever have any accidents (playing too rough, or the cat/bunny actually attacked the other)?

                                  I have never had anything happen to my rabbits because of my cats but I keep the cat’s nails trimmed so they can’t scratch the rabbits.


                                • Eucalyptus
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                                    Posted By Bones on 07/14/2012 11:02 PM

                                    1. How old were your kitty and bunny when you got/introduced them? Do you think that age makes a difference?

                                    Some of my cats were introduced to a rabbit as kittens and some were introduced as adults. It does not seem to have made a difference what age they were introduced.

                                    Okay that’s good to know.

                                    Posted By Bones on 07/14/2012 11:02 PM 
                                    2. What cat and bunny breeds do you have? Any recommendations?

                                    I have 12 cats that are all mixed breeds of different sizes. My rabbits are a Lionhead about 3lb and a mix breed that is about 1lb.

                                    Oh wow cool. Lionheads are adorable, and we were considering one. I was just concerned about getting such a small bunny breed because they will seem more like “easy prey.”

                                    Posted By Bones on 07/14/2012 11:02 PM 
                                    3. Did you have problems with litter boxes? Specific litters for your cat and bunny?

                                    I have always kept my cat’s litter boxes were the rabbits can’t get to them. Not sure if the corn litter is safe or not. 

                                    We plan to keep the cat’s box in the bathroom and the bunny’s box wherever it’s area is going to be. From my knowledge, the corn based litter is made of natural ingredients that shouldn’t harm anything (I’ve had a kitten consume a lot with absolutely no problems), and I remember reading a list of different types of litters and their effects on bunnies. It said that the only problem with corn is that the bunny may actual enjoy eating it and will eat a lot … and because it’s corn, they risk obesity if they are allowed to consume large amounts on a regular basis. Either way, we won’t be allowing the bunny to just eat all the litter, but I’d rather have a safe one because it’s probably inevitable that the bunny will try eating it at least once.

                                    Posted By Bones on 07/14/2012 11:02 PM 
                                    4. Have you ever gotten to the point of trusting them alone together? Any stories?

                                    I only trust my cats that are over 2 years old around the rabbits when I am not in the room.

                                    Is there a reason for that? And do you trust them enough to actually leave the house with them alone?  

                                    Posted By Bones on 07/14/2012 11:02 PM 
                                    5. Did you ever have any accidents (playing too rough, or the cat/bunny actually attacked the other)?

                                    I have never had anything happen to my rabbits because of my cats but I keep the cat’s nails trimmed so they can’t scratch the rabbits.

                                    Oh well that’s good to hear. We plan to cut the kitty’s nails regularly to keep them short, or we’re considering the soft paws.

                                    Thanks for your response and feedback! ^_^


                                  • Bones
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                                      I only leave the younger cats around the rabbits when I’m around because sometimes they try to play with the rabbits. It has not been a problem so far but I worry that they might scare the rabbit if they play to hard.

                                       

                                      EDIT: You can get a off brand of the soft paws on e-bay for about $2 for 20 caps


                                    • Roberta
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                                        Oh wow cool. Lionheads are adorable, and we were considering one. I was just concerned about getting such a small bunny breed because they will seem more like “easy prey.”

                                        Hehehe…. Mummy Pepper is the smallest of all mine (A Silver Marten) and she is The Alpha Bunny, No Bunny Messes with

                                        THE PEPPERNATOR !!!!!!

                                         


                                      • Eucalyptus
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                                          Posted By Bones on 07/14/2012 11:19 PM

                                          I only leave the younger cats around the rabbits when I’m around because sometimes they try to play with the rabbits. It has not been a problem so far but I worry that they might scare the rabbit if they play to hard.

                                          Yeah that’s what I thought. 

                                          EDIT: You can get a off brand of the soft paws on e-bay for about $2 for 20 caps

                                          Oh wow that’s good to know. Thanks.



                                          Posted By Roberta on 07/14/2012 11:28 PM 
                                          Hehehe…. Mummy Pepper is the smallest of all mine (A Silver Marten) and she is The Alpha Bunny, No Bunny Messes with

                                          THE PEPPERNATOR !!!!!!

                                           

                                          LOL that’s adorable!! :3 


                                        • BinkyBunny
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                                            Just a note about the corn based litters – It is less about obesity (though that can be an issue), but more of an issue because it is high in starch/carb (can’t remember the exact name of it right now) that is difficult for a bunny to digest and this can put a bunny at risk for serious impaction. So that is something to be aware of. Since you are on a tighter budget, check out wood stove pellets (WITHOUT an accelerant), they work very well and a 40lb back costs around $5 bucks if I remember right. Most are made of pine, but they are compressed pine with the dangerous phenols dried/processed out.


                                          • Eucalyptus
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                                              Posted By BB on 07/15/2012 12:19 AM

                                              Just a note about the corn based litters – It is less about obesity (though that can be an issue), but more of an issue because it is high in starch/carb (can’t remember the exact name of it right now) that is difficult for a bunny to digest and this can put a bunny at risk for serious impaction. So that is something to be aware of. Since you are on a tighter budget, check out wood stove pellets (WITHOUT an accelerant), they work very well and a 40lb back costs around $5 bucks if I remember right. Most are made of pine, but they are compressed pine with the dangerous phenols dried/processed out.

                                              I could look into that. I have always used the corn one because it’s personally a TON better with odor control than any of those dusty litters (the commercial ones that most people use) and has a significantly lower amount of dust that flies up when you poor it. Also, it’s all natural and flushable (which is really nice in an apartment so you don’t have to run it to the dumpster everytime you scoop and I scoop at least once a day).

                                              Again, we’re going to do everything to prevent the bunny from going to it, but I’ll do more research on litters and what’s safe. I just highly enjoy the convenience of flushable litter when you’re in an apartment.

                                              Also, wouldn’t the health hazards like digestion problems only occur if the bunny consumes a lot in one sitting or is eating it often?


                                            • BinkyBunny
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                                                Posted By Eucalyptus on 07/15/2012 12:23 AM

                                                Also, wouldn’t the health hazards like digestion problems only occur if the bunny consumes a lot in one sitting or is eating it often?

                                                I do understand the convenience of flushable litters! Especially in an apartment. I remember when my husband and I lived in an Apartment in San Francisco.  The last thing I wanted to do was haul heavy bags of litter down three flights of stairs (Old building, no elevator).  

                                                Since rabbits poo and eat at the same time– (most of us put hay in the litterbox or have the hay rack right by the box for that reason)–, then it is very likely for a bunny to want to eat while he’s in the litterox. It’s just natural for them. And since corn smells and tastes sweet to most bunnies, it is enticing to many.      I don’t know exactly how much a bunny would have to nibble on before before it could cause an issue, but keep in mind that it may not  be something that may develop overnight, (though it can), but also over time.   I have heard both sides — impactions due to corn litters and others who have said their bunny hadn’t had a problem yet.  But for me the “yet” is not worth the risk. 

                                                What makes a rabbit’s digestive system so sensitive is that there is an important balance of bacteria within their system.  The gi tract is extremely efficient it extracting the most nutrients out of a nutrient sparse food.  So if a bunny gets a diet that is too rich – too many carbs/starches, (nibbling on corn every day, that in itself put your bunny at risk),  and that can gi stasis.  (which is very serious).  

                                                Here’s a link to start with — a good answer about it from rabbit-savvy expert).  

                                                http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-…rained.htm  (Dana Krempels is well-known rabbit savvy expert in the house rabbit communities)

                                                My own rabbit-savvy vet also cautions against it due to impaction risks. 


                                              • BinkyBunny
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                                                  I forgot to ask — are you just concerned about the bunny getting into the cats litter or were you going to have the corn litter for the bunny too? I am sorry if I skimmed that and missed the details. ?? If you plan on having separate litter type for the bunny, then I do remember a couple of members putting their cat litterboxes up higher where only the cat could get to them. Not sure how that would work though for you since may be getting a kitten, but you may find ways for it to work, and maybe others will chime in and offer advice about what has worked for them.


                                                • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                    Hi, there, Eucalyptus.

                                                    Just want to chime in quickly about my personal experience. When I got my first bunny, baby Stormy, I had 4 adult cats. We introduced them to the bunny 1 at a time. The only reaction was indifference. Even my playful cat was like “meh”. I was relieved. I was especially worried about my cat that had  been a stray  because I assumed she had hunted in the past, unlike my other couch potato cats. Eventually, I got another kitten and 2 more bunnies. So I was up to 5 cats and 3 rabbits. I currently only have 2 cats now as 3 have since passed away. I’ve never had a problem with injuries. For the most part, the cats are more scared of the rabbits.

                                                    My bun, Olivia, likes to play chase the cats and have them chase her. It’s really cute.

                                                    My buns all live in condos in their own room and come out to play twice a day in the living room. I keep my cat litter boxes in the basement where bunnies can’t access. Cat feces is laden with bacteria and I would be worried about the buns getting sick.

                                                    None of my buns and cats snuggle or are friends, unfortunately, but they definitely cohabit peacefully.


                                                  • Eucalyptus
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                                                      Posted By BB on 07/15/2012 01:11 AM

                                                      Posted By Eucalyptus on 07/15/2012 12:23 AM

                                                      Also, wouldn’t the health hazards like digestion problems only occur if the bunny consumes a lot in one sitting or is eating it often?

                                                      I do understand the convenience of flushable litters! Especially in an apartment. I remember when my husband and I lived in an Apartment in San Francisco.  The last thing I wanted to do was haul heavy bags of litter down three flights of stairs (Old building, no elevator).

                                                      Tell me about it. My old place had a trash shoot right next to our apartment, thankfully. But even then, I was really lazy and still preferred the flushable stuff. :3

                                                      Posted By BB on 07/15/2012 01:11 AM 
                                                      Since rabbits poo and eat at the same time– (most of us put hay in the litterbox or have the hay rack right by the box for that reason)–, then it is very likely for a bunny to want to eat while he’s in the litterox. It’s just natural for them. And since corn smells and tastes sweet to most bunnies, it is enticing to many.      I don’t know exactly how much a bunny would have to nibble on before before it could cause an issue, but keep in mind that it may not  be something that may develop overnight, (though it can), but also over time.   I have heard both sides — impactions due to corn litters and others who have said their bunny hadn’t had a problem yet.  But for me the “yet” is not worth the risk. 

                                                      Oh sorry! I guess this was a miscommunication on my part – I never intended to use this litter for the bunny’s box! This was just for the kitty. I know that bunnies have their own special stuff for their box, so I would use that. I was only talking about if the bunny went to the kitty’s box – which we would discourage.

                                                      Posted By BB on 07/15/2012 01:11 AM 
                                                      What makes a rabbit’s digestive system so sensitive is that there is an important balance of bacteria within their system.  The gi tract is extremely efficient it extracting the most nutrients out of a nutrient sparse food.  So if a bunny gets a diet that is too rich – too many carbs/starches, (nibbling on corn every day, that in itself put your bunny at risk),  and that can gi stasis.  (which is very serious).  

                                                      Here’s a link to start with — a good answer about it from rabbit-savvy expert).  

                                                      http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-…rained.htm  (Dana Krempels is well-known rabbit savvy expert in the house rabbit communities)

                                                      My own rabbit-savvy vet also cautions against it due to impaction risks.

                                                      I understand. I’ll check it out.


                                                      Posted By BB on 07/15/2012 01:19 AM 
                                                      I forgot to ask — are you just concerned about the bunny getting into the cats litter or were you going to have the corn litter for the bunny too? I am sorry if I skimmed that and missed the details. ?? If you plan on having separate litter type for the bunny, then I do remember a couple of members putting their cat litterboxes up higher where only the cat could get to them. Not sure how that would work though for you since may be getting a kitten, but you may find ways for it to work, and maybe others will chime in and offer advice about what has worked for them.

                                                      Oh, haha, just saw this. Yeah the corn litter is only for the cat, and the box would most likely be in our bathroom (remember we don’t have a LOT of room to place things in a 1 bedroom). I don’t really want the box anywhere else because apartments almost always have carpet and the tile is 100% easier to clean litter off of than carpet.

                                                      As for placing it higher … not sure if there would even be a place to do that in such a small apartment. Kitchen counters aren’t exactly welcoming a kitty toilet if you ask me.


                                                      Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 07/15/2012 05:46 AM 
                                                      Hi, there, Eucalyptus.
                                                       

                                                      Just want to chime in quickly about my personal experience. When I got my first bunny, baby Stormy, I had 4 adult cats. We introduced them to the bunny 1 at a time. The only reaction was indifference. Even my playful cat was like “meh”. I was relieved.

                                                      It seems like that’s the common reaction. Either that or straight up fear. XD I’d be relieved too if I were you.

                                                      Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 07/15/2012 05:46 AM 
                                                      I was especially worried about my cat that had  been a stray  because I assumed she had hunted in the past, unlike my other couch potato cats. Eventually, I got another kitten and 2 more bunnies. So I was up to 5 cats and 3 rabbits. I currently only have 2 cats now as 3 have since passed away. I’ve never had a problem with injuries. For the most part, the cats are more scared of the rabbits.

                                                      I’m honestly surprised that no one has had an accident (not saying I want any!), but I suppose that’s just good owners and careful supervision.

                                                      Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 07/15/2012 05:46 AM 
                                                      My bun, Olivia, likes to play chase the cats and have them chase her. It’s really cute.

                                                      I’m hoping for them to be playful, as long as no one gets too rough. I’m super paranoid about the cat even patting the bunny too hard because I feel they’re so fragile. .~.

                                                      Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 07/15/2012 05:46 AM 
                                                      My buns all live in condos in their own room and come out to play twice a day in the living room. I keep my cat litter boxes in the basement where bunnies can’t access. Cat feces is laden with bacteria and I would be worried about the buns getting sick.

                                                      I’d love to keep the box somewhere completely inaccessible, but we’ll be in a 1-bedroom apartment. All I can do is discourage it enough that the bunny will probably not go around it too often. As a cat owner, I’ve always cleaned the box minimum once a day, and anytime the cat pooped (the cat I have at my mom’s house had pungent poop that she loved to keep uncovered just to make us mad). I don’t leave the box dirty, but I do know that the litter stays contaminated even after scooping. All we could try to do is discourage it and prevent the bunny from getting there (but I’m sure it’s going to happen anyways, just need to prevent it as much as possible).

                                                      As I mentioned above, there’s not many places to put a box high up – I think kitchen counters are honestly the only place and I think we can all agree that we don’t want a litter box there.

                                                      Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 07/15/2012 05:46 AM 
                                                      None of my buns and cats snuggle or are friends, unfortunately, but they definitely cohabit peacefully. 

                                                      Well that’s good. I’d love for them to cuddle together, but the least I can ask is that they get along and tolerate each other without anyone getting hurt.

                                                      Thank you for your input! ^_^


                                                    • bun-crazy
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                                                        In my house, I have an extra bedroom that I use for the “kitty room” that has their litter boxes in it. In order to keep our little dog from going in there and eating the cat poop (I know! YUCK! >.<) I placed a baby gate across the doorway. The cats jump it with ease, but it keeps the dog (and now our bunnies) from going in there. Might be an idea for you to put one across the door to your bathroom. Just an idea!


                                                      • Eucalyptus
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                                                          Posted By bun-crazy on 07/16/2012 12:11 AM

                                                          In my house, I have an extra bedroom that I use for the “kitty room” that has their litter boxes in it. In order to keep our little dog from going in there and eating the cat poop (I know! YUCK! >.<) I placed a baby gate across the doorway. The cats jump it with ease, but it keeps the dog (and now our bunnies) from going in there. Might be an idea for you to put one across the door to your bathroom. Just an idea!

                                                          Haha, my dog used to do that when he was a puppy (we actually found him laying in the box just munching away). Actually, the babygate isn’t a bad idea. If we get a kitten, though, I don’t see it wanting (or even being able) to jump the fence. I’m actually kinda tired of them. I’m temporarily staying with my boyfriend’s family before we get our place (long story) and they have a little dog that they confine to the kitchen and livingroom, and I’m tired of hopping fences and tripping half the time. >.> But not a bad idea, regardless.

                                                          Thank you.


                                                        • Hazel
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                                                            Eucalyptus, welcome to BB It’s nice to see that you are willing to do your research, too many people don’t!

                                                             

                                                            I understand the thought about wanting them to grow up together as a family, but in my opinion that kind of socialization has more effect on pack animals, like canines etc. They bond closely and exclusively to the individuals they grow up with because they depend on each other for survival. Rabbits and cats don’t really live that way. Over the years I’ve had 4 cats and 3 rabbits, living together at times, and from what I’ve experienced I don’t believe growing up together will make much difference.

                                                            As others have already said, the most concerning in this situation would be the kitten antics. They are wild, have sharp teeth and claws, they play rough and they don’t listen. Even with supervision an accident could quickly happen without you being able to stop it. Our current cat is just over two years old and is just now starting to show signs of calming down a bit and learning some manners. Granted, she is a high energy breed, but still.

                                                             

                                                            What I would suggest is, either get a kitten now and hold off on the rabbit for a year or two until kittenhood is over with, or get a rabbit now and adopt an adult cat from the shelter whose personality is already established, that way you could choose the cat that fits your needs most.

                                                            Good luck

                                                            (and don’t worry about anyone giving you a hard time here, this is a great and friendly forum!)


                                                          • Eucalyptus
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                                                              Posted By Hazel on 07/16/2012 11:25 AM  
                                                              Eucalyptus, welcome to BB It’s nice to see that you are willing to do your research, too many people don’t!

                                                              I agree. Even if the idea might sound like it’s okay, it’s best to get advice and information from people that would have experience.

                                                              Posted By Hazel on 07/16/2012 11:25 AM  
                                                              I understand the thought about wanting them to grow up together as a family, but in my opinion that kind of socialization has more effect on pack animals, like canines etc. They bond closely and exclusively to the individuals they grow up with because they depend on each other for survival. Rabbits and cats don’t really live that way. Over the years I’ve had 4 cats and 3 rabbits, living together at times, and from what I’ve experienced I don’t believe growing up together will make much difference.

                                                              Hmm. I wonder if everyone is right about that. Just my knowledge and experience it feels like an adult without contacts with bunnies would be more likely to view it as prey. I guess that’s the wrong viewpoint. o.o

                                                              Posted By Hazel on 07/16/2012 11:25 AM  
                                                              As others have already said, the most concerning in this situation would be the kitten antics. They are wild, have sharp teeth and claws, they play rough and they don’t listen. Even with supervision an accident could quickly happen without you being able to stop it. Our current cat is just over two years old and is just now starting to show signs of calming down a bit and learning some manners. Granted, she is a high energy breed, but still.

                                                              I suppose this is true. We plan to constantly trim the nails or get those soft paws. Can’t do much about biting, just supervising and keeping them apart when we can’t watch. I agree an accident could easily happen, but it feels like it could happen even with an adult if they start playing a little rough. Even if you stop it right away, it could quickly happen just like with kittens. But I’ll take your advice.

                                                              Posted By Hazel on 07/16/2012 11:25 AM  
                                                              What I would suggest is, either get a kitten now and hold off on the rabbit for a year or two until kittenhood is over with, or get a rabbit now and adopt an adult cat from the shelter whose personality is already established, that way you could choose the cat that fits your needs most.

                                                              We might do this. But, my personal experience is that a kitten raised alone will never tolerate a new member. All of my cats that were raised alone HATED and NEVER grew to like any newcomers or visitors (and we’re talking violently territorial). I’m concerned that doing that will result in a similar outcome. :/

                                                              Posted By Hazel on 07/16/2012 11:25 AM  
                                                              Good luck

                                                              (and don’t worry about anyone giving you a hard time here, this is a great and friendly forum!)

                                                              Thanks!


                                                            • Deleted User
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                                                                We might do this. But, my personal experience is that a kitten raised alone will never tolerate a new member. All of my cats that were raised alone HATED and NEVER grew to like any newcomers or visitors (and we’re talking violently territorial). I’m concerned that doing that will result in a similar outcome. :/

                                                                I think honestly a cat will not have this problem if properly introduced to the bun. When we first adopted Willow (our fiery bi-polar cat) her and our other cat Jack had it out. We would have to break up their fights and be on constant watch to make sure Willow didn’t damage Jck too bad because he was an older cat and had been declawed while Willow was not. We gave Willow some time to calm down and fed her lots and loved on her. We think that she was abused by her previous family before she came to us because she was so wild and would attack us without notice. When we got our bun, Skipper, Willow honestly had no clue what to do with her. We had had Gilligan our ferret before and Willow had treated him with fascination and stalkerism. So we were really worried about how she would react to Skipper. At first Willow tried treating Skipper as food. Something we took care of through careful introduction. Once they got used to each other though Willow didn’t really care about the bun. She was like ‘meh’ to her. Any way the whole point of this is if properly introduced I believe that your future bun and an adopted adult cat will do fine.


                                                              • Eucalyptus
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                                                                  Posted By Skipper’s Mama on 07/16/2012 01:11 PM

                                                                  We might do this. But, my personal experience is that a kitten raised alone will never tolerate a new member. All of my cats that were raised alone HATED and NEVER grew to like any newcomers or visitors (and we’re talking violently territorial). I’m concerned that doing that will result in a similar outcome. :/

                                                                  I think honestly a cat will not have this problem if properly introduced to the bun. 

                                                                  I only worry because of my experiences. I had the nicest cat ever (ran to the door to greet everyone, was the family lap cat that cuddled constantly and purred up a storm), and she violently terrorized a cat we rescued from someone that couldn’t keep her anymore until the cat ran away. It’s a sad story, she disappeared a week after we got her, and we have no idea how. Then, we got a kitten, and my cat was horrible to her. Another cat I had bit the kitten that I currently have living with my mom. I don’t raise my cats poorly, I just believe that raising them alone makes them always want to be alone. I fear the worst for a newcoming bunny.

                                                                  Posted By Skipper’s Mama on 07/16/2012 01:11 PM 
                                                                  When we first adopted Willow (our fiery bi-polar cat) her and our other cat Jack had it out. We would have to break up their fights and be on constant watch to make sure Willow didn’t damage Jck too bad because he was an older cat and had been declawed while Willow was not. We gave Willow some time to calm down and fed her lots and loved on her. We think that she was abused by her previous family before she came to us because she was so wild and would attack us without notice. 

                                                                  We pretty much did the same things. Breaking up fights and giving the original cat TONS of love. She was great to us, but would not tolerate the new cat. If it came on my bed, all Hell broke loose. And just anytime they crossed paths. We tried everything. That same cat chased and scared out a full grown Labrador that came to visit. Sweetest cat to people, but was ridiculously territorial to other animals. 

                                                                  Posted By Skipper’s Mama on 07/16/2012 01:11 PM 
                                                                  When we got our bun, Skipper, Willow honestly had no clue what to do with her. We had had Gilligan our ferret before and Willow had treated him with fascination and stalkerism. So we were really worried about how she would react to Skipper. At first Willow tried treating Skipper as food. Something we took care of through careful introduction. Once they got used to each other though Willow didn’t really care about the bun. She was like ‘meh’ to her. Any way the whole point of this is if properly introduced I believe that your future bun and an adopted adult cat will do fine.

                                                                  I’m sure things worked out great for you, and I’m glad. I’m just extremely concerned. We did all the things that you listed that you did between your cat and the new cat, ferret, and bun, and nothing worked. And it’s not just towards cats, they won’t stand for new kittens, cats, or dogs. Never tried other animals, but I wouldn’t want a bunny going through that. :/


                                                                  Btw I hope you don’t think I’m arguing with you. It’s really just your experiences versus my experiences. This is one thing that I feel certain about and it really concerns me. I really appreciate your input and opinions. ^_^ I’m not sure what I’ll do about this issue, though.


                                                                • Deleted User
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                                                                    I only worry because of my experiences. I had the nicest cat ever (ran to the door to greet everyone, was the family lap cat that cuddled constantly and purred up a storm), and she violently terrorized a cat we rescued from someone that couldn’t keep her anymore until the cat ran away. It’s a sad story, she disappeared a week after we got her, and we have no idea how. Then, we got a kitten, and my cat was horrible to her. Another cat I had bit the kitten that I currently have living with my mom. I don’t raise my cats poorly, I just believe that raising them alone makes them always want to be alone. I fear the worst for a newcoming bunny

                                                                    What it sounds like is a dominance territory issue. How did you famaliarize your cats? When you get a new cat you need to keep them in seperate rooms for a bit in order for them to get used to each other’s smell. And then you need to figure out the spots where they would fight over the most. Your cat obviously felt threatened by the new one and the smell. Since I don’t know your cat peronsally it makes this a bit harder to figure out. I know this might sound crazy but there was great My Cat From Hell episode that had to do with territory issues. I hope everything works out for you though.


                                                                  • Hazel
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                                                                      Posted By Eucalyptus on 07/16/2012 12:09 PM

                                                                      Posted By Hazel on 07/16/2012 11:25 AM  
                                                                      I understand the thought about wanting them to grow up together as a family, but in my opinion that kind of socialization has more effect on pack animals, like canines etc. They bond closely and exclusively to the individuals they grow up with because they depend on each other for survival. Rabbits and cats don’t really live that way. Over the years I’ve had 4 cats and 3 rabbits, living together at times, and from what I’ve experienced I don’t believe growing up together will make much difference.

                                                                      Hmm. I wonder if everyone is right about that. Just my knowledge and experience it feels like an adult without contacts with bunnies would be more likely to view it as prey. I guess that’s the wrong viewpoint. o.o

                                                                       

                                                                       No, I didn’t mean to say you are wrong, heck, I might be wrong  My cats were adults when the bunnies came into the picture and all of them wanted to avoid more than anything. Maybe it just depends on the individuals personality.


                                                                    • Eucalyptus
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                                                                        Posted By Skipper’s Mama on 07/16/2012 02:22 PM

                                                                        I only worry because of my experiences. I had the nicest cat ever (ran to the door to greet everyone, was the family lap cat that cuddled constantly and purred up a storm), and she violently terrorized a cat we rescued from someone that couldn’t keep her anymore until the cat ran away. It’s a sad story, she disappeared a week after we got her, and we have no idea how. Then, we got a kitten, and my cat was horrible to her. Another cat I had bit the kitten that I currently have living with my mom. I don’t raise my cats poorly, I just believe that raising them alone makes them always want to be alone. I fear the worst for a newcoming bunny

                                                                        What it sounds like is a dominance territory issue. How did you famaliarize your cats? When you get a new cat you need to keep them in seperate rooms for a bit in order for them to get used to each other’s smell. And then you need to figure out the spots where they would fight over the most. Your cat obviously felt threatened by the new one and the smell. Since I don’t know your cat peronsally it makes this a bit harder to figure out. I know this might sound crazy but there was great My Cat From Hell episode that had to do with territory issues. I hope everything works out for you though.

                                                                        It does sound like that. I wasn’t able to keep the separated all the time (I’ve always lived in apartments and we don’t have a ton of room to use), but for the most part I was doing what you said. My cat was always the sweetest cat (I mentioned being the family lap cat that never stopped purring). She was fine with any people, but animals were a HUGE no-no.


                                                                        I’ve read that female cats (which I’ve always had) have a much higher tendency to become extremely territorial. I know people in this thread have already mentioned their cats and some were female, but I just wonder if that played a role in all my cats being vicious to strangers.


                                                                      • skunklionshow
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                                                                          At present we have 6 cats that range in age from 2 to 18 yo, 2 rabbits (2 & 10 yo), and 4 lizards.  Probably the best mix that we have had w/ rabbits & cats was w/ the larger bunnies, like Mini lop.  Our 2 rabbits now are Holland Lop & Netherland Dwarf, which seem to overly excite our cats, esp the younger ones.  The bigger lops tended to be very comfortable w/ the cats and had little fear of them.  Everyone seems to get along well.  We keep the bunnies penned up, when unsupervised mostly due to potty issues.  I’ve never had any issues w/ cats & rabbits getting along in the house too bad and we have a very curious and bitey cat.  Generally the rabbits are waaay faster than the cats.  We have had issues w/ scratched corneas and that has really been since we got Mr. Bitey & a kitten about 2 yrs ago.  None since then and that was equally spread through both species.

                                                                           

                                                                          Sometimes the cats & rabbits don’t understand each other.  For example, cats don’t like to sleep in pee or poop, but bunnies seem to be ok w/ this.  We had some humping issues, which the cats hated, but that was fixed once the bunny got fixed.  They also shared litterboxes well, don’t use scoopable.  So I feel that cats & bunns get along great!


                                                                        • Eucalyptus
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                                                                            Posted By skunklionshow on 07/17/2012 06:59 AM

                                                                            At present we have 6 cats that range in age from 2 to 18 yo, 2 rabbits (2 & 10 yo), and 4 lizards.  Probably the best mix that we have had w/ rabbits & cats was w/ the larger bunnies, like Mini lop.  Our 2 rabbits now are Holland Lop & Netherland Dwarf, which seem to overly excite our cats, esp the younger ones.  The bigger lops tended to be very comfortable w/ the cats and had little fear of them. 

                                                                            We’re definitely getting a lop. Lops seem to have the best personalities, and I just love their ears! :3 We’re really hoping for a French-lop, but can’t really find one anywhere.

                                                                            Posted By skunklionshow on 07/17/2012 06:59 AM 
                                                                            Everyone seems to get along well.  We keep the bunnies penned up, when unsupervised mostly due to potty issues.  I’ve never had any issues w/ cats & rabbits getting along in the house too bad and we have a very curious and bitey cat.  Generally the rabbits are waaay faster than the cats.  We have had issues w/ scratched corneas and that has really been since we got Mr. Bitey & a kitten about 2 yrs ago.  None since then and that was equally spread through both species.

                                                                            Ouch. I hope everything was okay. I do expect a possible accident, because it’s unavoidable if you ever plan to have them together in the house. Even with two dogs or two cats, it can happen. Even two bunnies. But we’re hoping that it’s going to go smoothly with little to no problems.

                                                                            Posted By skunklionshow on 07/17/2012 06:59 AM 
                                                                            Sometimes the cats & rabbits don’t understand each other.  For example, cats don’t like to sleep in pee or poop, but bunnies seem to be ok w/ this.  We had some humping issues, which the cats hated, but that was fixed once the bunny got fixed.  They also shared litterboxes well, don’t use scoopable.  So I feel that cats & bunns get along great!

                                                                            Fixing the bunnies stopped the humping? Lol okay that’s a good thing. We’ll be getting ours fixed as soon as we can (if it’s not already). I’ll probably have one box for the bunny (in it’s condo/area) and one for the cat in the bathroom.


                                                                            Thanks for your reply, I’m glad yours all get along nicely.


                                                                          • skunklionshow
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                                                                              PS:  The scratched corneas for 2 cats and 1 bunny were covered under pet insurance (thank you VPI!). 

                                                                              As much as I adore kittens, my sis and I just rehomed 2 a few wks ago…kittens do require a great deal of supervision, esp up to about 4-5 yo.  You may not know what kind of kitten/cat you get and end up w/ one that is not a good match w/ the bunny.  I actual prefer adult cats.  Our last addition was a kitten and a 2yo, but well the 2yo was Mr. Bitey so maybe that doesn’t count.  I’d almost say get a cat rather than kitten, most shelters can give you an idea on their personality and may know if they can tolerate other animals easily.  Good Luck!


                                                                            • Eucalyptus
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                                                                                Posted By skunklionshow on 07/17/2012 03:00 PM

                                                                                PS:  The scratched corneas for 2 cats and 1 bunny were covered under pet insurance (thank you VPI!). 

                                                                                As much as I adore kittens, my sis and I just rehomed 2 a few wks ago…kittens do require a great deal of supervision, esp up to about 4-5 yo.  You may not know what kind of kitten/cat you get and end up w/ one that is not a good match w/ the bunny.  I actual prefer adult cats.  Our last addition was a kitten and a 2yo, but well the 2yo was Mr. Bitey so maybe that doesn’t count.  I’d almost say get a cat rather than kitten, most shelters can give you an idea on their personality and may know if they can tolerate other animals easily.  Good Luck!

                                                                                Thanks for the advice. I think we’ll look into that.


                                                                              • Loki'sMomma
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                                                                                  Everyone has provided so much information, so I don’t want to just repeat everything. We have a 1 year old neutered cat and Loki is 8 months now. I feel that having them both fixed helps lower the chances of aggression. We also keep the cat box in the bathroom and Loki is not allowed in there. I wouldn’t let a rabbit anywhere near a cat box, since cat litter can be dangerous to bunnies and the cat feces/urine can have some not so nice things living in it that can harm your bun. I used to buy 40 lb bags of woodstove pellets to use for Loke’s litter but since I’ve come to Canada I’ve started buying him 20 lb bags of our pet stores brand of recycled paper litter. Not quite as cheap but its much cheaper than carefresh and works the same way.

                                                                                  Another thing that we do is trim our cats nails. About once a week or so we make sure to clip them down. He’s used to it since he’s had it done all his life, and let’s us trim fairly close to the quick. This just helps make it less likely for him to hurt Loki if he does happen to get a little rough (plus helps save furniture!) Loke isn’t free range either. He’s out for probably 6-8 hours a day on average, but he stays in his pen at night and early morning or when we have to go somewhere.

                                                                                  Our cat was 11 months when we got him, but he warmed up to Loki right way and they’re pretty much best buds now. We still have to supervise though because cat versions of play and bunny versions of play are completely different. When we first introduced them we had Loki in his pen so it was somewhere he knew he was safe, and let him and the cat interact through the bars, then after a while let Loki out and sat on the floor with him and the cat.

                                                                                  Tucker (the cat) isn’t allowed in Loki’s cage either. I’ve always had the rule that it’s nobody’s cage but Loki. We only really get in there to either clean it or give him food, but other than that it’s his domain. The cat gets to go to the kitchen and bedroom and bathroom, and the living room/dining room is fair game for anyone to hang out. This makes it so both the cat and the bunny have a place they can go to and be by themselves if they want and won’t be bothered.


                                                                                • Malp_15
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                                                                                    Everyone has given great advice so far, so I’ll just share my experience. I had a 15 year old cat (has recently passed), that was indoor/outdoor for her entire life and was a huge hunter. She even took down crows & squirrels!.. did I mention she weighed 6 lbs at her highest. Anyways, she was constantly getting into fights with other cats and HATED them. She had been raised with a chow chow mix and a border collie that she was besties with and never ever had a problem around other dogs. When I adopted Tait as a baby I was very worried about how they would do together, due to her prey drive. I introduced them and she would stalk him at first and give him a couple of swats, with her claws in, whenever Tait got too close. But I just kept correcting her when she did this and within a month they were living together in harmony… not best friends, but I could leave them loose in the same room all day and not worry. Probably 6 months after I got Tait I found them laying right next to each other, which is WAY more than I ever anticipated. Not long after that I started taking in orphan kittens to foster and she HATED them and tried to kill them if I left them alone with her around.

                                                                                    What I’m trying to say is that you can’t guarantee that with getting a kitten and a bunny together, that your kitten will grow up and be ok living with another cat, because rabbits, dogs and cats are completely different.


                                                                                  • Eucalyptus
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                                                                                      Posted By Loki’sMomma on 07/20/2012 12:23 AM 
                                                                                      Everyone has provided so much information, so I don’t want to just repeat everything. We have a 1 year old neutered cat and Loki is 8 months now. I feel that having them both fixed helps lower the chances of aggression. 

                                                                                      I agree. From what I know, and what I’ve read, I think that’s true. We plan to have them both fixed regardless.

                                                                                      Posted By Loki’sMomma on 07/20/2012 12:23 AM 
                                                                                      We also keep the cat box in the bathroom and Loki is not allowed in there. I wouldn’t let a rabbit anywhere near a cat box, since cat litter can be dangerous to bunnies and the cat feces/urine can have some not so nice things living in it that can harm your bun. 

                                                                                      Yeahh, I know about cats (but not bunnies lol) and they have a lot of dangerous stuff. I’ll be cleaning it nearly everytime the cat uses it, but I’ll still discourage it. We might do the baby gate idea that was suggested further up in the thread, but we both are so tired of them lol. And in a 1-bedroom apartment, it sucks to have a baby gate blocking one of the …. three rooms in the whole place. XD I guess it’s worth it to protect the bun, though. We’ll figure that part out.

                                                                                      Posted By Loki’sMomma on 07/20/2012 12:23 AM 
                                                                                      Another thing that we do is trim our cats nails. About once a week or so we make sure to clip them down. He’s used to it since he’s had it done all his life, and let’s us trim fairly close to the quick. This just helps make it less likely for him to hurt Loki if he does happen to get a little rough (plus helps save furniture!)

                                                                                      Agreed! Protect yourselves, the bunny, and your stuff. Haha. I already plan to be the one to cut the nails, and I’ll do it weekly. Otherwise, we’re getting the soft paws.

                                                                                      Posted By Loki’sMomma on 07/20/2012 12:23 AM 
                                                                                      Loke isn’t free range either. He’s out for probably 6-8 hours a day on average, but he stays in his pen at night and early morning or when we have to go somewhere. 

                                                                                      Yeah, that’s our plan. We want to get our bunny a nicely sized condo for when we’re at work or just out, then have him out in the apartment when we get home. I know that bunnies don’t mind being in a condo/pen so long as it’s big enough, but I still feel bad either way. I want to let him have more room and get around the house when I can supervise as much as possible.

                                                                                      Posted By Loki’sMomma on 07/20/2012 12:23 AM 
                                                                                      Our cat was 11 months when we got him, but he warmed up to Loki right way and they’re pretty much best buds now.

                                                                                      Posted By Loki’sMomma on 07/20/2012 12:23 AM 
                                                                                      We still have to supervise though because cat versions of play and bunny versions of play are completely different.

                                                                                      Definitely lol. But I’ve heard that they can still enjoy it, because cats like to chase, and bunnies like being chased. I’d still be really scared the first times they do that together lol.

                                                                                      Posted By Loki’sMomma on 07/20/2012 12:23 AM 
                                                                                      When we first introduced them we had Loki in his pen so it was somewhere he knew he was safe, and let him and the cat interact through the bars, then after a while let Loki out and sat on the floor with him and the cat.

                                                                                      Tucker (the cat) isn’t allowed in Loki’s cage either. I’ve always had the rule that it’s nobody’s cage but Loki. We only really get in there to either clean it or give him food, but other than that it’s his domain. The cat gets to go to the kitchen and bedroom and bathroom, and the living room/dining room is fair game for anyone to hang out. This makes it so both the cat and the bunny have a place they can go to and be by themselves if they want and won’t be bothered.

                                                                                      That makes sense. Sadly, in a 1-bedroom, we won’t have many places to spare so that everyone has their own room. The condo works great for the bunny, but from what I know – cats want access to everything, whether it’s your closet, the kitchen counters, the cabinets, your suitcase, etc. We can keep him out of the bun’s condo, but he’s going to want to go in all the rooms. And letting the bunny out will be tough if he can’t get to the bathroom OR the bedroom (that leaves the livingroom where is condo is going to be anyway and the kitchen).

                                                                                      I’m sure we’ll work it out though. Thank you for your comment and feedback!


                                                                                      Posted By Malp_15 on 07/20/2012 03:05 PM

                                                                                      Everyone has given great advice so far, so I’ll just share my experience. 

                                                                                      I had a 15 year old cat (has recently passed), 

                                                                                      I’m so sorry! :/

                                                                                      Posted By Malp_15 on 07/20/2012 03:05 PM 
                                                                                      that was indoor/outdoor for her entire life and was a huge hunter. She even took down crows & squirrels!.. 

                                                                                      Wow! My grandma’s dog used to do that just from her backyard lol. I don’t suppose she brought them back to you for gifts?

                                                                                      Posted By Malp_15 on 07/20/2012 03:05 PM 
                                                                                      did I mention she weighed 6 lbs at her highest. Anyways, she was constantly getting into fights with other cats and HATED them. She had been raised with a chow chow mix and a border collie that she was besties with and never ever had a problem around other dogs. 

                                                                                      It’s true that they’ll react differently with different animals. Cats will see other cats as a larger threat because they might be trying to take over their territory and stuff. But my first, and sweetest, cat hated all animals – kittens, cats, puppies, small dogs, big dogs – and she would terrorize them all until they left our place.

                                                                                      Posted By Malp_15 on 07/20/2012 03:05 PM 
                                                                                      When I adopted Tait as a baby I was very worried about how they would do together, due to her prey drive. I introduced them and she would stalk him at first and give him a couple of swats, with her claws in, whenever Tait got too close. But I just kept correcting her when she did this and within a month they were living together in harmony… not best friends, but I could leave them loose in the same room all day and not worry. 

                                                                                      Is just correcting them the best thing to do? I know that straight up scolding or anything highly negative is actually a bad thing because it makes the cat relate negativity to the bunny (which is not a good thing). What were you doing to correct the behavior without actually scolding?

                                                                                      I’m definitely surprised that you could leave them together without worrying. But that’s really good. All these nice stories are giving both of us hope for our bunny and kitty.

                                                                                      Posted By Malp_15 on 07/20/2012 03:05 PM 
                                                                                      Probably 6 months after I got Tait I found them laying right next to each other, which is WAY more than I ever anticipated. 

                                                                                      Awwww that’s adorable. That’s what I really, really want.

                                                                                      Posted By Malp_15 on 07/20/2012 03:05 PM 
                                                                                      Not long after that I started taking in orphan kittens to foster and she HATED them and tried to kill them if I left them alone with her around.

                                                                                      It definitely sounds like what I said before – about how they feel more threatened by the same species. Scary though.

                                                                                      Posted By Malp_15 on 07/20/2012 03:05 PM 
                                                                                      What I’m trying to say is that you can’t guarantee that with getting a kitten and a bunny together, that your kitten will grow up and be ok living with another cat, because rabbits, dogs and cats are completely different.

                                                                                      Well you’re right about that. Thank you for your feedback and information! ^_^


                                                                                    • BinkyBunny
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                                                                                        Definitely lol. But I’ve heard that they can still enjoy it, because cats like to chase, and bunnies like being chased.

                                                                                        I am not sure that this would be the “norm” though.   It has not been my experience. I have yet to have a bunny that enjoyed being chased. Sometimes a bunny will do a “binky” if being chased, but part of that is a defensive and escape behavior. If I slowly follow behind, that may be not as threatening and seen as play, but if I sped up the pace to an actual chase, the bunny’s instinctual fear can kick in. Sometimes i see videos of people who have their cats or rabbit chasing another rabbit — I do not recognize this as play even between rabbits. Though I can see how people may see it that way.  Usually a rabbit chasing another rabbit has non-play intentions.  Sometimes you will see a rabbit turn and face the cat or rabbit — that too is more of a defensive sort of show-down most of the time. However, I am not so closed minded to ignore that a few people may actually have bunnies that enjoy it (and they are not misinterpreting the body language),  but I don’t find it to be the norm.  Out of curiosity, where did you hear that rabbits like to be chased? 

                                                                                        This is not to say that they don’t like to zoom around the house at 100 miles per hour.  That is a definite fun thing, but they do this without being chased. They can be just sitting there and then they get frisky and start zooming!  It’s very cute. 

                                                                                        Edited to add: 

                                                                                        This is a good link about being able to determine if your bunny likes to be chased or not — by being able to read your bunny’s body language.  http://language.rabbitspeak.com/rabbittalk_racing.html

                                                                                        Also, you want to be careful that by allowing your cat to chase, that a more aggressive predatory instinct doesn’t kick in during the chase.  I am not sure I would recommend it at all since your goal would be to have them together possible unsupervised at some point — I am not sure if allowing predator/prey play would be beneficial for that goal.   

                                                                                        I encourage others who do have cats and rabbits to chime in with their own experiences regarding the chasing?  We did not allow it our house, just because we know our cat was much more predatory and we wanted him to get out of that habit.   But it would be educational to hear others experiences regarding this.


                                                                                      • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                                                          Stormy used to chase the cats quite aggressively if they came into HIS living room. He would chase them until they left. Hes calmed down a lot though. We used to have a cat, Nefera, that was quite moody and he loved to get her going. This usually ended in her leaving the room or giving him a little slap on the face. I would always reprimand this kind of aggressive chasing.

                                                                                          Olivia enjoys chasing my youngest cat, Savana, but it seems truly playful, shes just running slow and binkying all over and then when Savana leaves the room, Olivia will zoom all over and binky. Savana will sometimes chase Olivia too, but again it seems very playful because of the slow pace, like they are not actually trying to catch each other. I allow this chasing because they seem to be having fun and no one is scared by it.


                                                                                        • Eucalyptus
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                                                                                            Posted By BB on 07/22/2012 01:24 AM 

                                                                                            Definitely lol. But I’ve heard that they can still enjoy it, because cats like to chase, and bunnies like being chased.

                                                                                            I am not sure that this would be the “norm” though.   It has not been my experience. I have yet to have a bunny thatenjoyed being chased. Sometimes a bunny will do a “binky” if being chased, but part of that is a defensive and escape behavior. If I slowly follow behind, that may be not as threatening and seen as play, but if I sped up the pace to an actual chase, the bunny’s instinctual fear can kick in. 

                                                                                            Oh yeah, that would happen with a lot of animals. I know that if I walk quickly behind my cat, she will puff up and look at me like “What the HELL are you doing?” I really said that because it’s what I heard. 😡

                                                                                            Posted By BB on 07/22/2012 01:24 AM 
                                                                                            Sometimes i see videos of people who have their cats or rabbit chasing another rabbit — I do not recognize this as play even between rabbits. Though I can see how people may see it that way.  Usually a rabbit chasing another rabbit has non-play intentions.  Sometimes you will see a rabbit turn and face the cat or rabbit — that too is more of a defensive sort of show-down most of the time. 

                                                                                            Ah, okay. Well, again, I only said that because it was what I had heard. D: Sorry.

                                                                                            Posted By BB on 07/22/2012 01:24 AM 
                                                                                            However, I am not so closed minded to ignore that a few people may actually have bunnies that enjoy it (and they are not misinterpreting the body language),  but I don’t find it to be the norm.  Out of curiosity, where did you hear that rabbits like to be chased?

                                                                                            I actually don’t remember. Lately, I’ve been reading so many things on bunnies since I know little about them. XD I’m trying to be prepared for when we finally get ours. I think that someone on this thread mentioned it once … but I might be wrong. Sorry, I can’t actually remember – I just remember it being brought up a couple of times as I did a lot of reading.

                                                                                            Posted By BB on 07/22/2012 01:24 AM 
                                                                                            This is not to say that they don’t like to zoom around the house at 100 miles per hour.  That is a definite fun thing, but they do this without being chased. They can be just sitting there and then they get frisky and start zooming!  It’s very cute. 

                                                                                            Haha yeah, cats do that too. They’re so funny with that. :3

                                                                                            Posted By BB on 07/22/2012 01:24 AM 
                                                                                            Edited to add: 

                                                                                            This is a good link about being able to determine if your bunny likes to be chased or not — by being able to read your bunny’s body language.  http://language.rabbitspeak.com/rabbittalk_racing.html

                                                                                            Thanks!

                                                                                            Posted By BB on 07/22/2012 01:24 AM 
                                                                                            Also, you want to be careful that by allowing your cat to chase, that a more aggressive predatory instinct doesn’t kick in during the chase.  

                                                                                            Yeah, I know that I’d be really worried about it. OH. I remember part of what someone had said was, “the cat will chase the bunny, and the bunny will enjoy running away from the cat, and then turn around to nip the cat when he’s had enough” (very paraphrased). Not sure if that sounds like the bunny is actually enjoying it, or not.

                                                                                            Posted By BB on 07/22/2012 01:24 AM 
                                                                                            I am not sure I would recommend it at all since your goal would be to have them together possible unsupervised at some point — I am not sure if allowing predator/prey play would be beneficial for that goal.

                                                                                            You’re right. I’d be nervous anytime the cat started chasing the bunny. If it really did look like the cat wasn’t intending to hunt, but rather play, and the bunny really didn’t seem like it, I’d still be nervous and try to discourage it.

                                                                                            Posted By BB on 07/22/2012 01:24 AM 
                                                                                            I encourage others who do have cats and rabbits to chime in with their own experiences regarding the chasing?  We did not allow it our house, just because we know our cat was much more predatory and we wanted him to get out of that habit.   But it would be educational to hear others experiences regarding this.

                                                                                            Yeah, I’d like to hear more about this. I would take your advice, though, and discourage it. 

                                                                                            Thanks again!


                                                                                            Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 07/22/2012 05:27 AM

                                                                                            Stormy used to chase the cats quite aggressively if they came into HIS living room. He would chase them until they left. Hes calmed down a lot though. We used to have a cat, Nefera, that was quite moody and he loved to get her going. This usually ended in her leaving the room or giving him a little slap on the face. I would always reprimand this kind of aggressive chasing.

                                                                                            So it was always the bun that was chasing the cat? Haha. I’d be worried about any interrogation from the bunny because cats can easily decide “that’s enough” and hurt the bunny. It’s probably best to discourage any of that behavior from either side.

                                                                                            Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 07/22/2012 05:27 AM  
                                                                                            Olivia enjoys chasing my youngest cat, Savana, but it seems truly playful, shes just running slow and binkying all over and then when Savana leaves the room, Olivia will zoom all over and binky. Savana will sometimes chase Olivia too, but again it seems very playful because of the slow pace, like they are not actually trying to catch each other. I allow this chasing because they seem to be having fun and no one is scared by it.

                                                                                            I do know cat body language pretty well, myself – you can tell if it’s the stalking/prowling and fast chasing versus what you described. I can imagine it’s more like a trot that Savana is doing. That’s most likely what I’d allow. It’s when they’re both going top speed, and it looks like the chaser intends to actually catch the chasee, that you should probably step in to discourage it.


                                                                                          • Malp_15
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                                                                                              Is just correcting them the best thing to do? I know that straight up scolding or anything highly negative is actually a bad thing because it makes the cat relate negativity to the bunny (which is not a good thing). What were you doing to correct the behavior without actually scolding?

                                                                                              I watched her body language very closely, whenever she was starting to go into a crouch/pounce, stalking behind him, or even when I could see in her eyes that his binkies & zooms were making her too excited. I would make a *tsh* sound (sorry, that’s SO hard to explain ). Usually that was enough for her to snap out of it. The key is catching the behaviour before it escalates and they go into full hunting mode. If I wasnt fast enough, I’d give her a quick poke with my foot and she would stop. I had it pretty easy though. My cat and I had a very close bond and she was very responsive to what I wanted from her.

                                                                                              As others have said, in my experience, its the rabbits who like to do the chasing. Tait likes to play tag with cats, he boops them and runs away binkying like a mad man and keeps coming back for more. Nate’s favourite game is chase the human, I run past him and he takes up chase for a couple of minutes


                                                                                            • Eucalyptus
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                                                                                                Posted By Malp_15 on 07/23/2012 09:44 AM

                                                                                                Is just correcting them the best thing to do? I know that straight up scolding or anything highly negative is actually a bad thing because it makes the cat relate negativity to the bunny (which is not a good thing). What were you doing to correct the behavior without actually scolding?

                                                                                                I watched her body language very closely, whenever she was starting to go into a crouch/pounce, stalking behind him, or even when I could see in her eyes that his binkies & zooms were making her too excited. I would make a *tsh* sound (sorry, that’s SO hard to explain ). 

                                                                                                Nope, I know EXACTLY what that sound is.

                                                                                                Posted By Malp_15 on 07/23/2012 09:44 AM  
                                                                                                Usually that was enough for her to snap out of it. The key is catching the behaviour before it escalates and they go into full hunting mode. If I wasnt fast enough, I’d give her a quick poke with my foot and she would stop. I had it pretty easy though. My cat and I had a very close bond and she was very responsive to what I wanted from her. 

                                                                                                Oh, well that’s good. Sounds like a good idea.

                                                                                                Posted By Malp_15 on 07/23/2012 09:44 AM  
                                                                                                As others have said, in my experience, its the rabbits who like to do the chasing. Tait likes to play tag with cats, he boops them and runs away binkying like a mad man and keeps coming back for more. Nate’s favourite game is chase the human, I run past him and he takes up chase for a couple of minutes

                                                                                                Hahaha, that’s adorable. :3 I can’t wait to have our two pets, I’m so excited. >.<

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