If you already have a cat in your home
and you are thinking of getting a bunny rabbit then you might be a bit worried
about how the two creatures will coexist in the same household. Cats are
predatory creatures and you might be worried that they will chase your rabbit
around the house and jump all over it.
In some ways you would be correct to think like this because cats are unpredictable at the best of times and introducing a new addition to your household whether it is another animal or a fellow feline means that you need to lay the groundwork into getting these two creatures to start liking each other. Also rabbits are also quite timid and every little thing can scare them and make them feel threatened.
Bunny
Rabbits Personality
- It will take a few weeks before a rabbit
begins to feel totally relaxed and secure in a new household. So if you
have other animals, then you need to gradually introduce them to each
other.
- Also rabbits can sometimes take a while to
warm up to you or other animals so don’t be too worried if they run away
and hide in their pen.
- Once a rabbit feels comfortable and secure in
its new place then they will gradually come out of their shell and you can
start introducing them to other pets in the home.
Introduce Your Cat to Your Rabbit Slowly
When you bring a rabbit into your home
it will be nervous. So assign an area in one of your rooms that is exclusively
for the rabbit. No other animals are allowed into this area. This is the rabbits
secure spot.
Keep
the Cat and the Rabbit Separated
If you have a pen for your rabbit or a
screen door between rooms then gradually introduce the cat and the rabbit to each other. Do
this over a number of days and start with 15 minutes and then increase the
length of time until they get bored of watching each other.
Let Them Decide How Much Time That They Want to Interact with Each Other
Most likely your cat will watch your
rabbit like a hawk. The rabbit might initially have a bit of interest in the
cat but this will disappear once he gets bored. The cat on the other hand will
be more interested in what the rabbit is up to and will want to get closer to
the rabbit.
Don’t
Rush The Introduction
After a week you might be inclined to assume everything is ok and that the cat and the rabbit like each other. But don’t be fooled into thinking all parties are on friendly terms. You need to know how they react when introduced. When a rabbit feels threatened he will stomp his back feet and freeze. A cat might see this as a challenge and try to paw or play with the rabbit not realising that it is frightened.
Give It Time
After a few weeks the cat and the rabbit might start walking up to each other and sniffing each other. But it will still be the cat that does most of the approaching. The rabbit will probably lose interest in the cat after a while and start exploring other things in its environment. But it is wise to never leave this two animals alone together in a room. You can never predict what might happen if they annoy each other.
5
Things a Rabbit Will Do if it Feels Threatened
There are a few different things you
will see a rabbit do if it feels threatened or scared.
- It will repeatedly thump its back feet.
- It will start making grunting noises.
- It will jump and hit the object that is scaring it with its two
front paws.
- It will also nip or bite the object.
- It will run away to its cage.
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