We also recommend spaying and neutering both cats and rabbits. And with that in mind, be sure to keep your cat’s nails trimmed! Certain diseases (like rabies) can easily spread between species. Make sure both of the animals are vaccinated as is appropriate for their age. Remember: If the cat is too aggressive or the rabbit too submissive, be prepared for the possibility that the animals may always need to be separated-and that it might be better to rehome one of them. Keep these tips in mind if you’re ready to find out the answer to the question: Do cats and rabbits get along? And some-like the Flemish Giant-can actually outweigh the average cat!Įven when cats and rabbits are introduced at the right age, have compatible temperaments, and are of comparable sizes, close supervision is critical. Some rabbit breeds grow as large as medium-sized domestic house cats, including the Checkered Giant, French Lop, and Giant Chinchilla. Matching up cats and rabbits that are (or will grow to be) similar in size is a smart idea. However, certain breeds are known for their strong prey drive-including Savannah cats and Lykoi cats-and may therefore not make the best companions of rabbits, birds, and other small pets. Generally, breed doesn’t play a critical role in how “predatory” a cat is. While it is not hopeless that an adult cat will accept a new bunny family member, or vice-versa, such a situation is more precarious.Īccording to The Nest, cats and rabbits have the best chance of getting along when the cat is “calm and submissive” and the rabbit is “assertive, but not aggressive.” (In other words, the rabbit needs to be able to politely show who’s boss!) Furthermore, a submissive rabbit that lives in constant fear is likely to develop gut stasis-which in itself can be life-threatening. The best time to introduce cats and rabbits is when both animals are young, even babies. Important factors for how cats and rabbits may get along include: Just because two animals represent a predator-prey relationship doesn’t mean they can’t coexist peacefully. These include putting a plastic snake in the beds to scare the rabbits, putting glass jars of water in the garden to create a distorted reflection of the animal, or using sachets of strongly scented soap-one client of ours swears by Irish Spring shavings.But do cats and rabbits get along? Sometimes
We do not recommend using fox urine as a repellent, because the rabbits quickly learn that there is no predator around, and because the method of extracting this product is inhumane. Liquid Fence makes a dual action repellent specifically for rabbits that uses both smell and taste to repel rabbits. After applying once per week for two weeks directly to plants, applications can be dropped to once per month because the tissues of the plant absorb the solution. We have found Liquid Fence or other foliar sprays that contain putrified sulphur and garlic. Both types must be reapplied after heavy rain or watering, or after new growth has been added to the plant. Area repellents use a foul odor to deter the rabbits. Contact repellents are sprayed or brushed onto plants and have a bad taste or may make a rabbit temporarily ill. Repellents: There are two types of repellents.Make sure that the wire is tall enough to be 1 foot higher than the expected height of snow.
Chicken wire or landscape cloth with openings 1 inch or smaller works well and should be buried a few inches into the soil or secured at the soil level by landscape staples. Exclusion: After planting a young tree or shrub, protect it with a wire enclosure for the first few years, particularly in the winter when the bark of young woody plants may be the rabbits’ only source of food.
Hawks, owls, foxes and coyotes will help control rabbits, and even the family dog can make your yard a less hospitable place for a rabbit to nest. Natural Control: Do not deter, exclude or remove predator species from your property.But there are some plants that generally are less favored by them, such as plants in the onion family (Nodding Wild Onion, Wild Garlic, Wild Leek) and milkweeds, which secrete a toxic sap when cut. Of course, if a rabbit is hungry enough it will eat just about anything, and we have found that rabbits have individual taste preferences, just like people do. Rabbit resistant plants: Choose plants that are not preferred by rabbits. So how can we live with our rabbits, and still have a diverse planting that will offer food and shelter to a range of other wildlife?
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