[shazamataz]

Alty, I need your help on this one but I thought I'd post it here in case anyone else wants to answer or was wondering the same thing :)

I have 2 dwarf lop eared rabbits as you know one male (jack), one female(dora), in separate cages.

My partner wants to get a guinea pig as he doesn't really have a pet of his own (they are all mine :o )
I know it's possible to have rabbits and guinea pigs living together but I wanted to know if they actually get along well or just tolerate each other?
Would you introduce them the same way you do rabbits... neutral ground etc?

I plan to get Dora desexed (I have been looking for quite some time but I'm yet to find a vet who is confident with rabbits) but I worry that I have left it too late. Dora is nearly 2 years old, would desexing her make a lot of difference to her temprament at this age?

Another point I should make is that Dora gets along well with dogs.. her and my mums great dane are best friends. (we have just moved house and the rabbits are still living at mums)
Having the guinea with Jack is a no-no as he is more of a people bunny and is aggressive with other animals.

I know you can't say for sure whether she won't attack a guinea pig but any insight would be greatly appreciated :)

[Alty]

Hi Shaz.

There's a lot of differing opinions about housing rabbits and guinea's together, but I've had great experiences with this.

When I was little we always had guinea pigs and rabbits, and yes, they were always housed together and did very well.

Sadly, I really don't know how to socialize them, my parents always did that, and I don't think they put a lot of thought into it, they just put the animals together and watched to see what happened.

I do have to say that an unaltered rabbit will hump anything it can, whether male or female, and that can cause problems, fights, possible fights to the death.

I would start just like you would when introducing another rabbit. Make sure you're present in order to break up any fights. Give it time, do it daily, a few times a day and then, when they are getting along without fighting, you can put them together.

I really would recommend getting Dora fixed first, this will make it easier on both her and the guinea.

There's tons of stuff on Google about housing these two animals together, and like I said, everyone seems to disagree with each other on this issue. I'm going with my personal experience on this one and disregarding the "experts" that haven't actually tried to put a guinea and rabbit together, but are just going by what they believe they know about these animals.

Another thing to keep in mind, adopt a guinea that's similar in temperament to Dora. If Dora is a really easy going bunny then a skittish guinea isn't going to be her cup of tea. You have to try to mach energy level and personality as much as you can. Heck, if you're able, bring Dora along when searching for the guinea. If you're getting a guinea from a shelter they should allow you to bring your other fur babies along, to see if they get along. Of course, they may be of the opinion that Guineas and rabbits cannot coexist, so be prepared to explain that you believe they can, and why.

Another long winded post by Alty. I think I covered everything, but if not, ask away and I'll do my best to find the info for you. :)

[shazamataz]

Thank you Alty, yeah I did Google it but I came up with so many contradicting sites and I always trust your answers.

I will definitely be getting Dora fixed first as we want to start researching before we adopt the guinea as neither of us have owned one before.

I never thought of finding one with a similar temperament as Dora, thank you for that!

Another thing I'd like your opinion on... do you think they would need separate sleeping boxes? Or should I see if they will sleep in the same one? The enclosure is plenty big enough to have 2 boxes in it :)

[Alty]

Two boxes is a good idea mainly because you will have to feed them separately. Rabbits and Guinea's have different nutritional needs and will need different food. It's not good for them to eat eachothers meals as they won't be getting the nutrition they need and can also become sick.

Of course you know we'll want pictures when you get your new fur baby. Lots of pictures! :)

[shazamataz]

Oh don't worry, there will be pictures!! Hopefully we will have one in about a months time depending on when I get Dora fixed.

How long does recovery take after the surgery? Obviously I would be keeping her indoors during her recovery.

Thanks again for your help Alty :)

[Alty]

Oh don't worry, there will be pictures!!! Hopefully we will have one in about a months time depending on when I get Dora fixed.

How long does recovery take after the surgery? Obviously I would be keeping her indoors during her recovery.

Thanks again for your help Alty :)

Recovery depends largely on the rabbit. It's harder with females because the surgery is internal, for a male it's external.

Usually within 2 weeks they're feeling better, but I wouldn't introduce them to a new family member until at least a month to 6 weeks after surgery. You don't want any of the internal stitches to tear because of playing, fighting, etc.

Remember that bunny's are notorious nibblers, and she will try to tear out her stitches. Most vets nowadays use staples, there's less chance of infection with them. She will try to rip out those staples, so ask for an Elizabethan collar. Buy a cat harness and loop the collar through that, that will ensure that she can't get it off. Cotton, our lionhead dwarf, got the collar off with very little effort, until I looped it through a harness, then it was no go. Poor little tyke was really mad at me. Also, Elizabethan collars come only in a few sizes. You may have to cut it down so that it fits Dora. Cut it enough so that she can eat and drink, but not so that she can get to her stitches.

Be prepared, she will lose hair, have a few bald spots once all is said and done. The collar will rub off hair and stress will help too. No worries though, it grows back.

Find some old telephone books for her to chew on, this is a great stress reliever and not harmful to them at all. Also, a toilet paper roll stuffed with timothy hay will help relieve stress while she's recovering.

Don't handle her too much during this time. The vet will give her pain meds, make sure to follow the instructions to the letter. She'll need rest and a quiet place to recoup, the rest will follow.

I don't think I forgot anything, but if so I'll let you know. :)

[shazamataz]

I've never heard of using the collars on bunnies, I will definitely get one!
Poor Cotton, sometimes they don't realise it's for their own good!

I have harnesses for each of my bunnies as they like to go 'exploring' in the backyard which is far to big to be able to catch them again!

I'll also make sure she has plenty of toys and chewables :)

[Alty]

I've never heard of using the collars on bunnies, I will definately get one!
Poor Cotton, sometimes they don't realise it's for their own good!

I have harnesses for each of my bunnies as they like to go 'exploring' in the backyard which is far to big to be able to catch them again!

I'll also make sure she has plenty of toys and chewables :)

The Elizabethan collar is a must for bunnies, they will literally tear themselves apart. Cotton got one of his staples out because he slipped the collar over his head. This was before I thought of looping it through the harness. We had to rush back to the vet, another $150 dollars to replace the staple.

His recovery was around 2 weeks, mainly because he tried everything to get at his wound. It wasn't easy, but so worth it in the end. 2 weeks of dealing with a very unhappy bunny, but because of it I've prolonged his life and he's a much nicer bunny too.

Kilala had just had the surgery shortly before we adopted her, I think it was 2 days. They didn't put a collar on her because she, unlike most bunnies, didn't try to chew on her wound. She's a rarity that one. I think she was a pitbull in another life! ;)

Kilala healed very quickly, but even after 4 weeks she still didn't like having her belly touched, almost like it still hurt, she'd kick and bite whenever you tried to pick her up. She's still feisty, but now she tolerates us picking her up. She settles down once you put her on your lap. She's such a funny bunny, my holy terror! :)

Thumper was neutered at the shelter long before we adopted him, so we didn't have to go through the healing process with him. Poor little guy was in the shelter for 4 months, second time, before we found him and adopted him. He was labelled aggressive, a biter, not to be placed with other rabbits, unfriendly etc. etc. He and Oreo, my rex, get along wonderfully. They love to play, have staring contests and binky all over the place when they're together. He's my cuddly bunny, loves to sit on my lap, nibble on his towel and watch TV with me. He's such a love, I can't understand why he wasn't given a chance before now. Of course, the fact that he wasn't neutered the first time he was adopted may have a lot to do with his behaviors. That and the fact that his former adoptive parents didn't have a clue on how to socialize him and only had him 1 week before giving up and returning him to the shelter.

Here I go again, bunny stories. I can't help it. I love those little fuzz balls so much. :)

[shazamataz]

Haha, I love your bunny stories! :)

It annoyes me when people buy rabbits and other small pets for their young kids, expecting them to take care of it when they just get bored with them pretty quick. They then wonder why the rabbit has turned aggressive or destructive and adopt it out :(

I've enquired about spaying with a few regular vets with no luck so I'm going to start hitting some of the wildlife vets in our area and hopefully I'll have some more luck.
I'm just surprised that my normal vet wouldn't do the surgery, I trust him so much with my dogs it just feels kind of wrong looking for another vet.

[Alty]

Sadly rabbits are an exotic pet, not many vets know how to spay or neuter them. I got lucky, my vets office employs many different vets, the one that takes care of my bunnies is a bunny expert, specializes in bunny care, has raised, bred, and cared for rabbits all her life. She's amazing!

I found a list of rabbit vets in Australia on the House rabbit society website.

Click on the link, let me know if it worked. :)

Australian Rabbit Vets

[shazamataz]

Thanks Alty!
The only one they had on there is 2 hours drive away but if I can't find one a bit closer I will definitely look into it.

[Alty]

Thanks Alty!
The only one they had on there is 2 hours drive away but if I can't find one a bit closer I will definately look into it.

No problem. :)

I can't wait to see Dora with her new buddy. I hope it works out. :)

[shazamataz]

Thanks yet again :)

I will revive this thread when we eventually get him/her and let you know how it all goes... If they don't get along I may be missing for a few days constructing another enclosure for the guinea!

[Alty]

Thanks yet again :)

I will revive this thread when we eventually get him/her and let you know how it all goes... If they don't get along I may be missing for a few days constructing another enclosure for the guinea!

Get a her, it will work better! Dora's female, so a female Guinea will cause less trouble. A male Guinea may try to hump her, I have a feeling Dora wouldn't like that very much. ;)

Sadly, I don't know about de-sexing a Guinea, or if anyone actually does that. We never did, but I'm sure that there are vets that will, and people that do have them spayed or neutered.

I'll look into it a bit more, see what I can find. :)

Remember though, they can get along, but thery are very different animals. Rabbits are lagomorphs, Guineas are rodents, so there are differences, those differences need to be addressed so they can co-exist. :)

Me and all my useless knowledge. It's scary what's in my brain. ;)

[shazamataz]

Lol I'm surprised you head doesn't explode Alty :p

Yes, we were thinking of getting a her. He has already named it Rikku and we haven't even gone to look at any yet!

We were thinking about taking one of the kittens mums 'stray' cat had, but that's whole other saga!

Our house is turning into a zoo!
I love it though and I wouldn't trade any of them in for the world :)

[shazamataz]

Well...
Thank you for all your help Alty but now I'm just hoping it has helped someone else and not just me!

We went to the shelter today and had a look at their fluffies... They had a few guineas but the thing that jumped out at us most was a 6 month old lop-mix RABBIT.
We just couldn't let him go and we are picking him up next Friday after he has been desexed. Total cost $90... cheaper than buying one from a pet store and getting desexed!
Dora is booked in for Monday with a local wildlife vet that I found (Same day I am getting my implanon put in... rotten luck) and she is costing $180.
So fingers crossed, everything goes well there.

We have 2 pet-pack crates for the first few nights of both their surgeries so they can be in the loungeroom with us. After that we have dismantled a large puppy pen and set up two smaller pens in our laundry (it is nice and warm in there), we plan to move them closer together each day until we can finally try putting them together.

Let me know if all that sounds right and if we should do anything differently :)

We are really excited about our new addition and pictures will be coming next week hopefully! :D

[Alty]

I'm so happy for you, can't wait to see the pictures. I love lop ears, don't have one, would love to get one, hubby would kill me. ;)

At our shelter altered rabbits are only $25, I really don't know why more people don't adopt instead of buy. At the pet stores they usually start at $60 and then it's around $300 to have them fixed.

I think your plan to get them socialized is great. Just remember to give them both enough time to heal before letting them actually meet nose to nose.

There will be fights, fur flying, staring contests, shows of dominance, but most rabbits will end up pairing off with each other. Rabbits are social animals and crave companionship of their own kind, even if they're pigheaded about it at first. ;)

The first time we introduced Cotton and Thumper (remember, Thumper was returned to the shelter twice because he was labelled a biter and not good with other rabbits) Cotton tried to hump Thumper (Cotton wasn't fixed at that time). If I had a camera that picture would have been priceless. The look on Thumpers face when little Cotton, half his size, tried to mount him, LMAO!

When the time comes to introduce them make sure that you are there to supervise. When a fight starts try clapping your hands loudly or making a loud noise, that usually breaks them up, but be prepared to step in a physically to pull them apart.

A few session every day. When they finally get along without fighting, you can put them in the same pen and they'll be buds for life.

So happy for you. Fur babies are the best, love every one of mine, wouldn't change a thing. :)

[shazamataz]

Thanks Alty, I'm glad what I plan to do sounds right :)

Hehe yeah don't worry I'm prepared for a few scraps! But I won't be fully putting them together for a few weeks after Doras surgery, just meeting through the wire...

They are determined little buggers when it comes to humping! Lol Jack used to try to hump the poodles... they gave him a look similar to what Thumper would have had! :D

Wow, shelter bunnies are so much cheaper over there :(
I remember when I bought Dora from a pet store they didn't ask me a single question... they pretty much gave me the cardboard box with her inside and said cya later.
At the shelter they asked me about a million questions and I had to sign so many forms, I'm glad they have such strict rules so the animals don't get adopted out into another unloving home.

[Alty]

Our shelter is less strict when it comes to rabbit adoption. They ask questions, but they're not that diligent.

When we adopted Kilala it was a really busy day. Each adoption can take up to an hour or more. The staff insists that you meet with the pet in one of their rooms for at least 1/2 an hour, then there's the paper work, fees, etc. etc.

We had chosen Kilala, were waiting to get to spend some time with her. Across from us was a young couple, I'd say early 20's. Kilala was one of over 200 bunnies rescued from a single home. There were a lot of really young rabbits up for adoption from that same home. The shelter had a "me and my buddy program" and the baby's were a part of it. It's basically buy one get one free.

Anyway, the young couple was looking at the babies. After all, they're adorable, so little, so cute, and not at the right age to alter so they're adopted out without being spayed or neutered.

We got to talking. I told them of the importance of fixing their rabbits. They claimed "Well, we're getting two girls, so we don't have to". Um, you, you do. For 2 hours we sat there while I tried to explain why it's so important to get them fixed, but all they could think about was the cutsie wutsie bunny's.

Then the girl made a comment that I'll never forget "well, if it doesn't work out, or they get too big, we'll just bring them back here and get more babies".

I ended up going to a staff member because I was really upset. The couple was denied adoption. Thank God. But, because of me, they probably went to a pet store where no questions are asked and got what they wanted anyway.

I'm torn about that decision. Did I do the right thing or not? I guess I'll never know.

Sorry, sad Alty moment.

[shazamataz]

Wow, people like that don't deserve animals... just because it's a rabbit doesn't mean it doesn't have felings, they get bored and lonely and I believe they really do feel love for their owners, every time I walk up to Dora or Jacks house they run up to greet me :)
I think you did the right thing...
Maybe after being refused the adoption they realised that they really weren't meant to own a rabbit.
I would have done the same.