Bonding Rabbit and Cat?

[felix713]

So my boyfriend moved in with me and he has a cat, Riley. She is a relatively small feline, spunky and fun. However, she is extremely hunt-mode driven.Every time they have contact (Felix has his own room and so I keep him in there for protection) she goes into hunting mode. He isn’t scared of her, I don’t think. He becomes very territorial and picks fights with her even when she is being docile. I try to introduce them in a calm manner but I think I am doing it wrong because they aren’t calming down in the least. Suggestions? They don’t have to be best friends, just not kill each other. 

[litheandgraphic]

You may want to set up a pet gate or x-pen so they can sniff each other without engaging directly. This will allow them to introduce themselves. Avoid letting her into his room – this will make him more territorial if he thinks his environment is being threatened.

This is what I do with Theodore and Olive, the resident kitty. You will want to closely monitor their interactions, though. It may take a very long time for them to fully come around. After a few weeks of allowing them to sniff one another, you can start letting them have short (15 min) interactions in “neutral” territory – somewhere outside of his room. I recommend spraying kitty with a little water if she starts getting predatory. This will teach her not to exhibit that behavior around the bunny. Reward her with a treat or affection if she ignores him – this is the kind of thing you want her to do. If she starts getting really aggressive, then of course separate them immediately.

Like I said, the “bonding” process can take a very long time and may never quite catch on, in which case you’ll want to make sure they never get the chance to hurt one another.

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