Introducing Pet Rabbits to
Other Pets
How your pet rabbit meets your other pets is an
important step in whether they will tolerate
each other, become friends, or get off on the
wrong foot (or paw). First, make sure that your
pet rabbit has fully acclimated to you and his
or her new home before introducing bunny to your
other furry friends. Do not rush the
introduction. Meeting new folks is fun, but a
little stressful, too.
Pick a time when your other pet is well fed and
rested and has had plenty of attention from you.
With our Chihuahuas, for example, leaving the
room for five minutes is cause for joyful
reunion rituals! I couldn't expect them to pay
attention to a new pet rabbit until we've said
our proper hellos.
Make sure you have attended to all of your
rabbit care chores, too. A hungry rabbit has
only one thing on his mind.
Place your pet rabbit in a carrier, kennel or
rabbit cage, and put the cage down where your
pet can come and check it out on his own terms.
It is extremely important that your pet rabbit
is fully protected by a device (wire mesh, for
example) rather than just be in your arms.
Things may go smoothly at first, but a startled
rabbit can cause a lot of scratches in a very
short period of time and might even harm
himself.
There is no reason to rush the next step. When
you see that both your pet rabbit and your other
pet are relaxed and accepting of each other, you
may open the rabbit cage and allow him to come
out on his own schedule. It is imperative that
you do not leave them alone together until they
have been best friends for a very long time. (I
never recommend that rabbits be given the run of
the house without direct supervision in any
case; treat pet rabbits like you would a human
toddler--childproof everything and keep an eye
on your pet rabbit any time he's not in his
rabbit cage.)
One note of caution: your pet rabbit and your
pets may get along together fine--until you
begin to interact with one or both of them. Be
especially sensitive to jealousy that may rear
its head when you are close. That is, your pet
rabbit and your pooch may play fine together
until you start petting the pet rabbit in front
of Fido. Take care that he doesn't take out his
sibling rivalry feelings on your new pet rabbit.
Pet Rabbits With Other Pet Rabbits
Ironically, the pet that you may need to take
the most care with is your other pet rabbit!
Although young rabbits may have no problem
adapting to each other, rabbits as young as
three months old may begin scrapping. Female
rabbits (does) may wait until they reach sexual
maturity around five to six months old before
they scrap, but most eventually do. Male rabbits
may get into serious fights as early as three
months old. And a male and a female rabbit
placed together can start breeding much too
early for the doe's (and litter's) health.
If you want to have two pet rabbits together,
spay or neuter your rabbits as soon as your vet
recommends. That age may be as young as three
months old. Your best chance of success for a
bonded pair of pet rabbits is with female rabbit
littermates who have been together all of their
lives.
Special Issues for Pet Rabbits with Dogs and
Cats
Normally pet rabbits do not carry fleas. I have
a herd of 120 to 170 rabbits (including babies)
and have never had fleas on any of them.
However, if your dog or cat brings fleas to your
pet rabbit, your rabbit can host them. It is
important to select flea products carefully for
your rabbit. You may use FrontLine on your dogs,
but that might not be a good choice for your pet
rabbit. My sister once used a dog flea product
on her pet rabbit and all of her fur came out!
Rabbits tend to respond better to horse products
than cat or dog products (makes more sense,
horses and rabbits are herbivores with very
similar diets).
For More Rabbit Information
For more in-depth information about socializing
rabbits with other pets, read House Rabbit
Handbook by Marinell Harriman. She relates
experiences with dogs and pet rabbits, cats and
pet rabbits, guinea pigs and pet rabbits, and
pet rabbits with other pet rabbits.
