Do Rabbits and Guinea Pigs Get Along?

When I first adopted my rabbit Nimbus, I noticed that he had several significant bite marks on him. I asked the rescue group where these marks came from, and the worker explained that Nimbus had lived with an aggressive guinea pig, who had fought with him frequently. Nimbus's original owner surrendered him to end the conflicts. Guinea pigs and rabbits don't always get along, but some do. The ability of rabbits and guinea pigs to get along depends largely on the temperament of each individual animal.

Animals are Individuals.

The common question, "Do rabbits and guinea pigs get along?" is as fluid and answerless as the question, "Do cats and dogs get along?" or "Do dogs and people get along?" Animals, like human beings, are individuals and can't always be lumped into assumptions based on their species. Some rabbits are incredibly docile, while others are intensely aggressive. Likewise, many guinea pigs are sweet and social, but others bite, scratch and otherwise engage in territorial and dominant behavior.

Guinea Pigs and Rabbits are Social Animals.

Both guinea pigs and rabbits naturally live in social groups, and they do best when interacting with other animals. Due to their similarity in temperament and social structure, guinea pigs and rabbits may get along very well in a captive environment, helping to keep each other calm and occupied. However, rabbits and guinea pigs also both engage in somewhat aggressive behaviors to establish dominance and determine territory. The tendency toward both bonding and aggression can be at once both helpful and problematic.

Rabbits and Guinea Pigs Need Extra Territory.

A standard-sized cage isn't big enough to be a full-time habitat for even one animal-- and especially not two. Some guinea pig and rabbit owners make the horrible mistake of keeping both animals penned up inside one tiny cage. This will inevitably lead to territorial disputes between the animals, and they may hurt or kill each other in an attempt to claim enough space for both creatures. To keep guinea pigs and rabbits peacefully, maintain separate cages for both animals, and supervise their interactions when they are both loose in the house.

Remember Each Animal's Own Requirements. 
Although it won't hurt your bunny to occasionally nibble guinea pig food, and won't hurt your guinea pig to chow down on bunny food, it's important to remember and maintain the individual needs of both animals. Separate food, bedding, shelter, and roaming space are critical for enabling each animal to thrive. Remember that those broad "small animal foods" usually provide inadequate nutrition and aren't appropriate for feeding both cats and guinea pigs.

Neuter your Males.

It's a good idea to spay and neuter your pet no matter what, but this is particularly true when it comes to cohabitating rabbits and guinea pigs. Male rabbits mark their territory with intense skunky-smelling spray, as do male guinea pigs. When two in-tact males share the same home, they can quickly begin engaging in a spray-war, which will stink up your house and ruin your carpet. For the sake of your own sanity and hygeine, get your male animals snipped at your local vet's office.

How to Rabbit-Proof Your Home

I thought that childproofing my home was one of the most difficult tasks I'd ever undertaken. It was nothing, though, compared to the challenge of bunny-proofing a house. One single, unsupervised rabbit can quickly wreak havoc on an unprepared room, leaving it pulverized within just a few hours. Although dog and cats get a bad rap for renters and pet care experts, a dog's damage to a house pales in comparison to a single on-the-move bunny.

As a responsible pet owner, you have a responsibility to keep at least one portion of your house safe from your rabbit. No pet should be confined to a cage all day, every day. My own rabbits are allowed to run free in one room of my house, which I have carefully rabbit-proofed to maximize the safety of both my pets and my property.

Here are the minimum steps that rabbit guardians must take to adequately rabbit-proof a home or room.

1. Protect Electrical Cords

Rabbits love to chew electrical cords-- and easy-to-reach cords will be destroyed within minutes in the presence of an untrained rabbit. I learned this the hard way when my first rabbit, Nimbus, destroyed over $100 in appliances in the first week I owned him. I was lucky, though. Many rabbits die of electric shock while chewing on cords. To prevent this common, expensive, and potentially tragic problem, buy spiral cable wrap (available at Radio Shack and online retailers) and use it to thoroughly protect all cords in you rabbit-proof home.

2. Keep House Plants Out of Reach 
House plants are generally not appropriate fodder for a pet rabbit. Many are poisonous and can cause serious illness or death when your bunny accidentally ingests them. If the plant is edible, your bunny's likely to destroy it if it's within his reach. Keep all of your house plants on raised planters or hanging from ceiling hooks. If any leaves shed onto the ground, clean them up immediately to protect your pet.

3. Raise Upholstered Furniture 

A rabbit-proof room can not contain any furniture within bunny-reach if there is any chance that the rabbit can burrow into it. A rabbit will often dig a hole in a sofa, then make a nest inside. Many bunnies will do the same with mattresses. Keep all upholstered furniture in your rabbit-proof room at least six inches off the ground. You might also consider placing boards under and alongside the furniture to deter the rabbit from entering from underneath.

4. Provide Chew Toys

Bunnies are far less likely to resort to destructive chewing behavior if they are given safe, healthy, inexpensive objects to tear and bite. Give your bunny toys, wood chips, plastic toys, old phone books and toilet paper rolls. With these chew-worthy gizmos available, he'll probably ignore your furniture and baseboards. Keep chewable objects in a specific corner of the rabbit-proof room so that your pet associates the area with safety and acceptability.

5. Have a Litterbox 
Keep a litterbox in your rabbit-proof room, so that your bunny has a safe, sanitary place to relieve himself. Most rabbits will litter-train themselves fairly naturally, with little encouragement, but others will have to be constantly supervised until they get the hang of using the litterbox. Place the box in the area of the rabbit-proof room where your bunny tends to gravitate the most. Clean the box regularly so that it looks and smells more inviting (and is less unpleasant to be around.

Rabbit-proofing is no easy task, and I've found that it's nearly impossible to rabbit-proof an entire home. However, by providing just one safe, welcoming environment in which your pet can freely roam, you help to protect not only your own property, but your pet's health, as well.

Can You Use Cat Litter for Rabbits?

When I first got my rabbit, Frodo, his former owner surrendered a large container of perfumed, clumping cat litter laced with tiny blue crystals. She explained that she used this litter instead of standard rabbit bedding because it absorbed odors better and was less expensive. I discovered, after talking to several other rabbit owners, that it's not unusual to favor cat litter over ordinary bedding materials. I've even used some types of cat litter for my own bunnies on occasion. But is it really safe to use cat litter for rabbits? Here are some points to consider.

1. Natural, non-clumping litters are fine. Some cat litters are not just acceptable, but ideal, as rabbit bedding. For example, Yesterday's News, a product made from recycled newspaper, safely and sustainably aborbs odor and moisture. Non-clumping bedding and litter made made from alfalfa, wheat, oat, and citrus are equally acceptable. Use these "cat litters" whenever possible as alternatives for your bunny pal.

2. Avoid cat litters with fragrance or deodorant crystals at all cost. They are toxic to rabbits. Most bunnies will nibble on their bedding material. This is just fine when the material is safe and natural, but it's a huge problem if your bunny's bedding is a perfumed cat litter. Fragrances and deodorizers aren't just irritating to a bunny's sensitive respiratory tract; they can be acutely poisonous if eaten.

3. Clumping cat litters can cause fatal blockages. If your bunny eats a clumping cat litter, it can form a large clump in his digestive tract, preventing the passage of gas or feces. If this happens, your rabbit will either experience intense pain for several hours, followed by a difficult, traumatic, life-threatening surgery-- or, worse, he'll die. This does happen to many rabbits who are exposed to clumping litters.

4. Non-clumping clay litters are still a potential danger. Many clay litters are exceptionally dusty. If your bunny likes to dig, he may kick large amounts of fine particulate matter into the air. When this enters his respiratory tract, it can cause intense irritation, leading to coughing, bronchitis, and even pneumonia. Prolonged exposure to dusty clay litters can cause your bunny to experience life-threatening respiratory damage.

5. Pine- and cedar-based litters can damage the liver. The jury's still out on whether pine and cedar litters are harmful to rabbits. We do know that rabbits exposed to these potentially harmful tree oils often demonstrate elevated liver enzymes, and they may make bunnies more vulnerable to the effects of anesthesia. Although they're affordable and popular, shy away from cat litters and bedding material made from these trees if any reasonable alternatives are available.

Why Your Rabbit Smells Like Skunk

When I rescued my pet rabbit Nimbus, I noticed a light, musky odor as soon as I brought him home. A quick inspection revealed that he had no open sores or other obvious underlying illnesses, and his behavior was normal for a rabbit. I decided to wait a few days, but the odor quickly become overwhelming.

No matter how much I bathed and brushed my pet rabbit, he smelled more and more like a skunk. Although the odor wasn't so severe as to be overwhelming or disgusting, I could tell that my rabbit smelled like a skunk every time I held him or got very close to him.

When the scent didn't dissipate after a few weeks in his new home, I called the veterinarian for advice. She informed me that rabbits, especially males, tend to emit a musky odor when they are trying to attract a mate. Nimbus had a skunky smell because he was feeling amorous toward me, his new owner. Male rabbits are most likely to smell like skunks when they are feeling affectionate or when it is mating season (spring).

If your rabbit smells like a skunk, it is probably because he is emitting his natural cologne. Even female rabbits will develop a musky aroma during the mating season. The odor should be mild and not overwhelming, but it can become very intense if your pet is kept full-time in a cage or not given adequate grooming.

To stop the skunky smell from your rabbit, your best option is to have it spayed or neutered. Although this will not always stop the smell entirely, it can deter your rabbit's amorous advances. If you have more than one rabbit, it is best to get them spayed and neutered immediatel. If you don't, they will become aggressive toward members of the same gender, or they'll start breeding like-- well rabbits.

For now, I'm allowing my Nimbus-- who does not live with other rabbit-- to continue smelling a bit skunky. However, I intend to have him neutered if the scent becomes more than a faint whiff noticed upon close-up cuddling. Consult your veterinarian about any questions you may have regarding your pet rabbit's health.

Allergic to your rabbit? What to do

I have suffered from severe seasonal allergies all my life, but no allergy test has ever shown that I have an allergy to rabbits, cats, dogs or any other pet. When I adopted my pet rabbit, Nimbus, I was surprised by how quickly I developed severe allergy symptoms. My eyes watered uncontrollably, my throat itched, and I sneezed dozens of times in a row. Between sneezes, I fumbled to find my medical records. I confirmed, based on skin-tests, that I wasn't allergic to rabbits-- so why was I reacting so strongly when I was in Nimbus's presence?

As it turns out, my apparent allergy to my pet rabbit wasn't what it seemed to be. The primary staple food in a pet rabbit's diet is hay-- most often timothy hay, a nutritious form of dried grass available at almost all pet stores. My skin-tests have all shown that I have a severe allergy to timothy grass, but it took me several days to realize that my pet rabbit's food-- not the rabbit himself-- was causing my problem.

If you believe you are allergic to your pet rabbit, don't take Fuzzy to the shelter just yet. It's likely that you, too, suffer from an allergy to timothy hay or another form of grass. In my case, the dustiness and maturity of timothy hay made it significantly more allergenic than lawn-grass, but I had initially failed to realzie that it was the cause of my problem.

The ASPCA acknowledges the importance of hay in a rabbit's diet, but it is possible to raise a healthy rabbit without involving this dusty, potently allergenic grass in his life. The key is to maintain diversity to prevent nutritional deficiencies.. Some healthy, non-allergenic foods for rabbits include:

Grass Clippings

Unlike hay, these are cut before the plant reaches maturity, so they are not as likely to cause you a problem.

Grape Leaves

These are nutritious and do not cause allergy problems for you or your rabbit.

Romaine Lettuce

Much more nutritious and iceberg lettuce, romaine can fill the gaps in your pet rabbit's diet. Large amounts may upset your rabbit's stomach.

Commercial Feed

These blends are not likely to cause you an allergic reaction. Although commercial feed is often made from timothy hay, it is usually compressed and processed, so it does not spread allergenic dust into the air. Note that commercial rabbit food may cause obesity if used in excess.

Squashes and Melons

Although these fruits are too sugary for your pet rabbit to eat on a daily basis, they are a healthy snack. My rabbit particularly enjoys the rind from watermelon and honeydew.

Carrots

Perhaps the most famous rabbit food, carrots are a great treat to give your rabbit once a week or less. Carrot root will not cause you to have an allergic reaction when you feed your pet rabbit. However, it is important to remember that carrots are very sweet and nutritionally imbalanced; you should not make carrots the staple of your pet's diet.

Alfalfa Hay

Alfalfa is slightly less likely than timothy hay to cause allergy symptoms in humans. Because of this, it can be a great alternative to timothy hay for rabbits whose owners suffer from allergies. Due to its high protein content, it is best to limit your rabbit's alfalfa intake to prevent obesity and other healt problems.

If your allergy symptoms continue after you stop feeding your rabbit timothy hay, you may actually be allergic to rabbit dander. If you can't control your allergy symptoms, you may need to find a new home for your pet rabbit. Consult a licensed health care provider-- preferably an allergy specialist-- if you have any concerns regarding your allergy symptoms of overall health.