Cageless Rabbits vs. Caged Rabbits

[Taverner]

I knew several pet rabbits over time and I've noticed major differences.

Caged rabbits will bite, eat their young after birth, and act kind of psycho.

Free rabbits like to cuddle, will play with any animal that wants to (whether or not its in their best interests) and will be loving parents to their young.

Just wondering if this is just my observations, or if they ring true.

[LeftyMom]

1. House rabbits are much more affectionate toward people

in my experience.

[Taverner]

2. Yes I've noticed that

Friend had a house rabbit. It was dumb (tried to play with every dog it saw) but very sweet. Would love to cuddle up with the kids in the house and have its belly rubbed while they watched TV.

[MaryBear]

3. It depends on how much they are handled, not the cage or not cage

I like to handle mine and he is very friendly.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. !!

A friendly respone to my favorite Bear.

[LostinVA]

4. Question: has anyone on here ever raised cats and rabbits?

I don't want a rabbit, but I've been wondering about this. Would a cat see a bunny as prey? Or are they too big? Or would they cuddle and be friendly?

[Taverner]

5. Cats see everything as prey

They'd eat you too if they could!

[RebelOne]

6. I had a rabbit and a cat that would play together.

It was funny, though, to see the rabbit trying to hump the cat.

[RandomKoolzip]

7. I had a housebroken rabbit that lived with two cats.

There was a LOT of cuddling, a few minor spats, and generally a looming danger of overdosing on cuteness for a few years (I wish I had pics///)

[LostinVA]

10. Thanks for the answers -- all very interesting

Although, my cats would have a fit if a bunny humped them. They are prima donnas -- even the male. Actually, especially the male!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

14. Funny you should ask that...

My sister moved back home from Texas around three weeks ago, bringing with hers rabbits to add to my three cats.

I was VERY worried it was going to be a disaster in he making.

Four of the buns are larger and are in the backyard running loose. Two are dwarfs and are upstairs and running around the house.

Now, my cats are big time hunters - there isn't a week that goes by when they have not brought something in to share with me -- a mole, a rat, a field mouse, whatever has the misfortune to have found its way into our backard. They bring them in (mostly) alive and set'em free in the house -- I suspect they find great amusement in watching me chase after them yelling, "Put the mousie down!!"

When we first introduced them to the little, white, bundles of fur known as Dot and Dash, I was terrified they were going to see them and think, "BIG SNACK!!!!!" To my surprise, it was the bunnies who kept coming after the cats and the cats who were running away from them! This is extra funny when you imagine that one of my guys is 20+ pounds, has one eye, and a glistening, white fang that hangs down over his lip -- we call him Sumo Jack. When Dot (all one pound of her) charged him, he ran like a scared little girl!

Weeks later, they have all gotten used to each other and the cats now play with the bunnies, drinking out of their dishes, and are probably a few months away from curling up to sleep with them.

As a precaution, I am keeping my cats claws trimmed at all times -- sometimes the play has gotten a little wild and we've found a tuft of white fur here and there -- but there have been no injuries to the bunnies (or the cats!) at all. My sister, who is a rabbit rehabilitator, has always had rabbits and cats together in the house and in the yard with no problems.

[LostinVA]

17. That is, sincerely, very interesting!

[Beaverhausen]

22. This whole thread is interesting. Now I want bunnies!

I still think my cats would freak out though.

[LostinVA]

26. Me too -- and mine would, too!

One was petrified of GUINEA PIGS we took care of. The things stayed in a cage the whole week, she the cat would run to the cage, hiss, puff up her tail, and hide for a while. Any NORMAL cat would be trying to get their paw through the cat and eat them. But noooo...

[Pithlet]

30. That doesn't surprise me.

We had a dwarf bunny once when I was a kid, and our two cats were terrified of it. Buns was the cutest, tiniest little ball of intimidation I've ever known. He'd come around a corner and these fat siamese cats who were easily three times as large would flee in terror with a tiny fluff streaking after them, little teeth flashing.

[mikeytherat]

18. I've raised three cats with over 30 ferrets - ten years, zero incidents

The cats were raised from kittens with the ferrets, and played and slept with them (our cat Tate would even creep up into the ferrets' cages and snuggle with them in their hammocks).

mikey_the_rat

[Arugula Latte]

20. Another cat/bunny blended family here.

We found a "dumped" bunny in our yard last summer. I was reluctant to keep him -- for one thing, because of the three cats. However, one became his buddy (they play chase), one is kinda afraid of the bunny (!), and the other is fine with him unless he hops too close to the Princess Kitty, then she bops him on the head.

We keep our bunny indoors in a large pen (it's probably 4' x 13') and take him out every day. He is not on wire and has soft beds, a little bunny cave, a bridge, and toys. He's very sweet and likes attention.

[Lisa]

21. my workplace (a natural history museum) would let the rabbits ...

... wander around the room. We also had two cats, two ferrets, and a skunk. We wouldn't let the rabbits and the ferrets out at the same time (the younger one in particular would make a grab for them -- pure instinct). But all the other animals were just fine. I should add that the rabbits were pretty big by the time we let them out. Maybe some cats might go for a baby rabbit, but ours were fine. And the skunk spent most of the time asleep in the back storeroom, so she hardly noticed.

Cats, rabbits, ferrets, and skunk were all litterbox-trained ... but understandably, they used separate boxes.

[friesianrider]

24. Yes -

Never had a problem with the cats wanting to hurt the bunnies. In fact, in my experience, they play and get along REALLY well. My eldest kitty used to actually lick (groom) our house bunny, like they do their siblings/kittens.

[Fox Mulder]

37. My rabbit and cat loved each other.

In fact, my rabbit was bigger than my cat!

It was strange! They loved each other, though.

[distantearlywarning]

8. When I was a kid we had rabbits

We had a big fenced yard with grass and trees and stuff, and a big wooden deck that was a foot or so off the ground. The rabbits lived free in the yard, no cages. They dug little dens under the deck for themselves and ate the grass and rabbit pellets we put out. In the winter, they would hunker down in their dens under the deck. They would also play in the snow by building snow tunnels and chasing eachother around and down them. Even though in some ways they were "wild" rabbits, they were also very used to us and the cat we had, and would eagerly come over to greet us when we came outside, because they knew that we often had carrots or lettuce or other veggie treats for them. They didn't like to be picked up, but would happily eat out of your hand and allow you to pet them. It was great for everybody concerned, because they got to do their thing, and our grass was fertilized by their dung.

I always thought they had very happy and fulfilling lives for pet rabbits. I loved to see them out there playing and nibbling and doing bunny things. Someday when I get my own house with a yard again, I would like to have some bunnies, and let them live free in the yard. I always feel so bad for caged rabbits, and I would never do that to a bunny. Just my opinion, though.

[BigMcLargehuge]

11. Caged rabbits

but only in a cage match

[mongo]

12. It's not so much the cage

as how much they are handled.

As far as does taking care of their kittens, they need a nesting box in order to take care of their young. Before giving birth, the doe will pluck out her belly fur to create a nest if she has a proper nesting box in the cage with her.

[warrens]

13. Dick Cheney sez: Caged, PAWCUFFED rabbits

Otherwise, he'd never hit one.

[LaraMN]

15. Yes, I'm ignoring your question; Is there STILL no baby?

What's up with that?!

[Taverner]

19. Baby will make her debut on the 21st

:P

[JCMach1]

16. Our family... namely my 7 year old just got two rabbits

dwarf ones I believe. They have a nice cage in our walled garden, but I am very afraid of the cats. Our two cats are such agressive hunters. Do I let them out, or leave them in?

They get plenty of love every day and are quite friendly.

[BlueJazz]

23. I keep my Buns "Free Range" :)

[xchrom]

25. oho -- buns! -- that is soo sweet --

it makes my teeth hurt.

[Arugula Latte]

27. Oh my god, that's adorable.

Now those are some ears!

Our bunny's name is Munchy, but we also call him "Bun" or "Bun Bun."

[Ellen Forradalom]

28. Funny, that's true of people too

" I know women who became mothers in freedom by the men they loved. Few children in wedlock enjoy the care, the protection, the devotion free motherhood is capable of bestowing." Emma Goldman, "Marriage and Love." A bit of an exaggeration about wedlock, but you get the idea about freedom.

[Darth_Kitten]

29. Cageless buns will eat PHONES!!! BEWARE!!!!

They will eat phones.

Carpet.

Books.

Fresh brownies one leaves in a shopping bag on the floor.

They are relentless.

[LeftyMom]

31. Towels, coaxial cable, books, sheets, clothes, books,

papers, plastic toys, did I mention books?

Little hopping garbage disposals they are.

[Darth_Kitten]

32. and wash it all down with a Coke.....

;) hehehehehe....

[LeftyMom]

33. Mine never did that, he was too busy trying to impregnate the cat

It was a boy cat. :eyes:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

38. Heh, I just yelled at my bunny for trying to eat one of my books

I have two dwarf rabbits. They have a large hutch in the garage and a small cage inside (the vet said the dampness of the garage gave them their eye infection a few weeks ago). However, they also get a few hours of "running around my room like a maniac" time everyday. Sometimes more. I usually do this late at night. Sometimes I fall asleep.

I'd love to have them loose all the time, but we have four cats. Ginsberg has been known to bring home dead, headless bunnies as a "gift." The only non-cat/dog animal that cat wouldn't try to kill was when I had a pet ball python. He was completely freaked out by this thing. On the other hand, I had pictures of my old cell phone of the python curled up sleeping on my cat, Midnight.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

39. Heh, I just yelled at my bunny for trying to eat one of my books

I have two dwarf rabbits. They have a large hutch in the garage and a small cage inside (the vet said the dampness of the garage gave them their eye infection a few weeks ago). However, they also get a few hours of "running around my room like a maniac" time everyday. Sometimes more. I usually do this late at night. Sometimes I fall asleep.

I'd love to have them loose all the time, but we have four cats. Ginsberg has been known to bring home dead, headless bunnies as a "gift." The only non-cat/dog animal that cat wouldn't try to kill was when I had a pet ball python. He was completely freaked out by this thing. On the other hand, I had pictures of my old cell phone of the python curled up sleeping on my cat, Midnight.

[MaryBear]

34. Actually, in the wild

a full size rabbit can whup a housecat. They fight with their back legs. BOOM goes the kitty!

[FunkyLeprechaun]

35. They can be cuddly

But might grow as big as you!



(and no that's not photoshopped)

[bumblebee1]

36. There was a wild rabbit that would hang around our yard.

This rabbit had a white dot on her head. We called her Spot. My husband wanted to trap it and keep it as a pet. I said "NO." She's a wild rabbit and she's better off being in the wild.