I’m sorry to hear that your cat-rabbit meetings haven’t gone as planned.
That said, declawing is never the answer. Keep the cat’s claws clipped; that way you never need to worry about whether or not they are sharp – I do my cat’s every three weeks-ish, as soon as I can without quicking her.
Your cat is really a kitten, despite his/ her six month old size, and that is a contributing factor to the behavior you describe.
I don’t know what the size difference is, but for cats this would make a difference. My cat and rabbit are the same size.
That Tenshi is comfortable is a very good thing. About the batting, if the cat was on a leash, the rabbit approached, and the cat batted him, this is to be expected. The cat can’t run, and you stated that he had “established his dominance from their past encounters where he chased the cat out of his ‘territory'”. If that is the case, and the cat was tied up, he had no choice but to fight – he was cornered.
Ignoring the cat is a good thing; cats don’t like pushy animals (or people), and when your kitten is grown up, he will appreciate this.
My cat has batted my rabbit. Her claws are never out, and she only does it when he is being very ‘in your face’, as in shoving his nose under her chin, in her face or in her stomach, repeatedly. I think he wants her to groom his head. She understands, but doesn’t want to. Sometimes she will give a half hearted lick. I’ve never had to intervene.
If the cat only bats the rabbit from behind, how did they come face-to-face to have the rabbit batted in the face? I’m trying to understand the dynamics here.
With my two, I would like the rabbit to learn not to touch the cat! You may find yourself with the opposite problem when your kitten grows up. Also, the rabbit could potentially hurt the kitten too.
Don’t give up on the cat. My cat is the perfect candidate for hunting – born on the street to a feral cat, adopted as a kitten, found fending for herself 7 years later (info from HS microchip records), adopted by me, 2 years later adult rabbit moves in.
Lest anyone somewhere suggest it, don’t get a second cat to distract your cat – cats and dogs are much more predatory in multiples.
I suggest that you keep something the cat finds irresistible with you, and leave it off leash (disclaimer: you know your abilities and your animals best; if your gut tells you not to, don’t do this). A laser pointer, people food, etc. would work well. You don’t want the cat to associate the rabbit with leashes and punishment.
With any luck, your kitten will mature, your rabbit will back off, and you will wind up with something like the picture below.
Rabbit: Groom me!
Cat: You don’t exist!
They do sometimes veg together too, but I am happy so long as things are harmonious. This picture was taken less than two weeks after they had been introduced, but the cat was a cat, not a kitten. I would be very surprised if you still have this problem in a year. Don’t give up, and good luck!
Boing (a cat person)