Pigs and Bunnies

What other pets do you have?

  • Cats

    Votes: 3 33.3%

  • Dogs

    Votes: 4 44.4%

  • Rabbits

    Votes: 2 22.2%

  • Other

    Votes: 6 66.7%
  • Total voters
    9
Idris

Idris

Junior Guinea Pig
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We are coming up to our third anniversary of having rabbits as well as GPs. Although we knew not to keep them together we hadn’t really been aware of the other risks of infections such as Bordetella. Having lost 3 pigs in 18 months to different infections, although unrelated we are trying to minimise risk.

We have stopped sharing indoor runs with the rabbits (they were never together of course) but they are often in the same room for part of the day, especially in winter. The rabbits are mainly outdoors in the day but the pigs day run is currently in the same room as the rabbit cage so we are looking to rearrange things so they are in separate rooms. Or is that OTT? Would be good to hear what others do.

In the summer there will inevitably be times when they are using the lawn and will be able to contact through the run mesh but interaction is rare.
 
I keep rabbits (and have done for 30 years) and piggies.

I personally don’t think that is OTT - I feel happier are mine never share an air space.
All of mine are outside (piggies in a shed) but there are times when they may need to come in during the summer when it’s too hot outside. do everything i can to ensure they are never close to each other, even when outside. I don’t allow their runs to be next to each other. If they come indoors, they are never in the same room. No equipment is shared and piggies are always handled first.
 
Thanks, I will accelerate my relocation plans. Ideally I’ll have the pigs next to my desk so they can pester me for treats while I’m working! 🙂 Risk from the cats should be much lower at least.

Rabbits have a separate outdoor run but get some supervised lawn time during the day (foxes so they can’t be unguarded outside the big omlet run) and looks like it will be warm enough to have the pigs in their run on the lawn Monday/Tuesday.
 
I also have rabbits, and like @Piggies&buns mine never share anything (including air space).
The rabbits are outside and the piggies inside, and all their fleece, bowls, bottles are kept totally separate.
Each animal has a separate shelf for their stuff in the same cupboard (I also have a hamster).
Even runs are not shared and never placed on the same section of grass.
Having had a rabbit who died of e. cuniculi and realising it could be passed on to the piggies, we started a very tough regime to make sure that there was simply no contact between the species.
 
I would love rabbits and have been desperate to get some for years. But if I do they will have to share a room I was hoping that keeping the Guinea pigs on a table while giving the rabbits free roaming space on the floor would keep them separate enough but I do worry the more I read about bordedella that I may never be able to keep both animals safely
 
Sweet Potato said:
I would love rabbits and have been desperate to get some for years. But if I do they will have to share a room I was hoping that keeping the Guinea pigs on a table while giving the rabbits free roaming space on the floor would keep them separate enough but I do worry the more I read about bordedella that I may never be able to keep both animals safely
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its not just bordatella - there are several things which can be passed on.

Sharing a room isn’t something I’d allow to happen. I know that’s not what you want to hear and of course you have to make your own decision, but to me, the risks of cross contamination are too great.

As I said above, I do not allow any air space, equipment or anything to be shared or come into contact with each other. i use the same bags of hay/bedding between the piggies and the bunnies, but I have separate containers for carrying hay/bedding to hutches/runs so that I don’t put one down on a hutch floor and then forget and use it for the other species. When I clean the rabbit hutches, I get changed before going anywhere near the piggies. Particularly as one of my bunnies likes to ‘help’ and I inevitably end up covered in soiled bedding when he pushes his bedding and his litter tray out of his hutch to ‘pass‘ it to me....! He’s so helpful like that! 🤣
 
Sorry to hijack this thread but I have a 140 cage which used to be a base for a rabbit (he was never shut in there it housed his litter tray and food.) I would like to put a pair of elderly piggie girls in it. Would a thorough clean with F10 be good enough? I want to be particularly cautious because they are older girls
 
piggles 7000 said:
Sorry to hijack this thread but I have a 140 cage which used to be a base for a rabbit (he was never shut in there it housed his litter tray and food.) I would like to put a pair of elderly piggie girls in it. Would a thorough clean with F10 be good enough? I want to be particularly cautious because they are older girls
Click to expand...

Yes - I’d give it a good scrub with hot soapy water, then I’d give it another clean over using F10. I like to be doubly sure!
 
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