why shouldnt rabbits live with piggies?

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because rabbits can kill pigs easily by kicking or trappling them when freaked out or just randomly having fun and running around
 
cause ive been told by a vet that is fine. ive kept rabbs with pigs before with no problems at all. my friend has got an 11 year old pig that lives with a bunny, they have been together for years.
 
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well you are lucky then, another thing is rabbits can often pull out the guinea pigs fur
 
zarapiggie said:
I thought it was the other way round ie guinea barbers pull out and hurt the bunny

could go either way i guess
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I dunno thought I read that on here earlier but maybe I got it the wrong way round :)) it doesn't take a lot to confuse me
 
You never know when an accident is going to happen.

For pets' sakes, why risk it? You were lucky, but do you think you'll be lucky forever?
Hmm, I won't know, you won't know, maybe you will, maybe you will not, and that's why we goes by the term "Better be safe than sorry.".

Not to mention, their dietary needs are totally opposite.
 
rspca guidlines say if you already have a pair living together not to split them and to make sure the pig has somewere small the rabbit cant enter to get away if neded. Me personally i would not want to risk it and would split them and at least have them next door to each other and pair with there own species. Would you like to live with a monkey? were similar but completly different! It's quite shoking a vet has told you it's ok! They should know better!
 
Rabbits can kill guinea pigs easily! 8...

If they binky they can break their backs or kill them.
They eat different foods.
They are a completely different species so can't communicate with each other.

It's just stupid to risk thee piggie's life. :(
 
When I was quite young (about 25 yrs ago lol) I kept a dutch rabbit and guinea pig together and they were fine, luckily (but back then everyone did) they both lived to a great age.
But the second & and third time round I've kept them with their own kind as I've heard horror stories about injured piggies, even my vet said a big noooo when I questioned him.
I know loads of people who keep them together, in fact one person asked me how I got my piggies to last more than a year/2 yrs as hers always die :( I exlained about the difference in diets and how rabbits can hurt pigs but she's still got them together.
One of my daughter's friends keeps a rabbit, guinea pig and 4 chickens in the same outside pen.
I guess it's up to the individual person on what they do with their pets, you can only ever advise (and sometimes that's not welcome, I got told that 'well I've always done it and won't stop now' then they moan when their piggy only lives up to 2yrs.....coincidence maybe).
 
I try to keep pets in as natural environment as possible in terms of company, food and exercise, syrian hamster live alone in the wild so did mine, Fighter fish live alone mine do, some types of Cichlid are species only mine are. A guinea pig wouldn't live with a rabbit in the wild so why put them together as pets, the whole Guinea pig vitamin C would worry me (heck it worries me now!)
 
Vets don't always know everything :)) especially about rabbits and guinea pigs and anything that's not a dog or cat or cow . . .

Rabbits and guinea pigs are really happier with their own kind, because they can communicate properly.

Lots of people have different species together, that could harm each other, but usually don't, like dogs and cats, chickens and ducks, cows and sheep or whatever. I think the only proper way to keep rabbits and guinea pigs together well would be to have a huge huge enclosure, with loads of places for them to hide away from each other, and have two of each species so they have company, and feed them separately. But then you still never know if one could attack the other or accidentally hurt the other.

But then again, people let their dogs and cats spend time around guinea pigs and rabbits, if they're used to them and sure they won't hurt them, which is pretty similar. So I think that if you know they're fine together and they've loads of space, then they'd probably usually be ok around each other. There is still a risk though.

Like my dogs and cats love each other but my old dog accidentally hurt a kitten and it had to be put to sleep :( But I wouldn't separate my dogs and cats because of that.

So what I mean is, sometimes it could work fine. But it is easier to just keep them separate really.
 
All it takes is something to suddenly spook the rabbit for it to kick out unexpectedly and unintentionally hit the piggie no matter how fond the rabbit is of the guinea pig. At least you're asking, you can tell your friend now, an 11 year old guinea pig I imagine would be more fragile and slower so best to do something now xox
 
Years ago when it was considered ok to keep the 2 together we had a rabbit and piggie. Within months we had to sperate them as the Rabbit constantly attacked the guinea pig thorugh simple miscommunication. The rabbit was confused and shocked every time this small sqealing creature tried to burrow underneath her. The guinea-pig did not under stnad the rabbits body language when she wanted him out of the way so would not leave her. She ripped out hair, this is completely different to barbeing thats gradual chewing. Bit him across the back of the face and took off half an ear. Thigs like this can be easily avoided. Kepp bunnies with bunnies so they know who they are communicating with and keep guinea's with guinea's.

Also an amorous male guinea-pig is very unlikely to try and mount a rabbit and amorous male rabbit will do it to just about anything living or not indiscriminately. Back when i was a child a friend of mine had a male rabbit and male guinea-pig. The rabbit spent all hims time humping the GP and eventually the poor thing lived out his live in a tube hiding from the rabbit becasue they didn't bother seperating them.

Rabbit's produce vit C - guinea pigs don't. A guinea will need fruit/veg/grasses daily, if the rabbit eats too much they will get belly ache. To little to keep the rabbit safe the guinea will be ill.

It's really not worth the risks on either animals part. Find a vet who knows about rodents.
 
My friend runs a rescue and not long ago she had a rabbit and guineapig handed in the guineapig had a broken leg from the rabbit kicking it
 
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When i got frodo he was living with TWO rabbits :( i watched them for a while and they were cornering him, biting him, kicking him it was not nice to see. When i got him he was covered in bites, mites,fungal and a huge part of his ear was missing.
 
Why are you posting on here after having a locked thread on the rabbit forum for the exact same question?mallethead

Rabbits and Guinea pigs should not live together full stop!


You wouldnt let a hamster and guinea pig live together would you FFS!mallethead
 
The problem is when things go wrong, it is most often the guinea pig which pays with its health and life - either from a kick (however unintentional), from incessant humping and bullying, from malnutrition (especially scurvy, i.e. lack of vitamin C, and too little green food and hay) or from disease (bordetella, which doesn't affect rabbits, but can passed on to guinea pigs.

A school friend of mine had a piggy's spine broken by a rabbit kick way back in the seventies. Now that we know better, we should not repeat the mistakes of the past.

PS: I agree - get a vet who has trained to treat exotics (as which guinea pigs are classed). It can really make the difference between life and death. Rodents used to cover one whole afternoon in a general vet's curriculum - you can imagine yourself how much a vet like that really knows about your pet's species specific problems!
 
kayleighjennifer said:
Why are you posting on here after having a locked thread on the rabbit forum for the exact same question?mallethead

Rabbits and Guinea pigs should not live together full stop!


You wouldnt let a hamster and guinea pig live together would you FFS!mallethead
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Agree x)

Clearly you're going to ignore me again because I'm not an expert {:|
But you'd be putting the life of your guinea pigs at risk. It's selfish and unsafe.
 
I will say what most are saying here in that they really shouldn't live together - for the benefit of both species.

They have different dietary needs - not only Vit C for the pig, but the feeds have differing nutrition levels. So feeding rabbit food, even with Vit C added will not give the right balance for the pig, feed guinea pig food and the rabbit won't get the right diet.

They have differing vocal and body language - they may be similar species (to you) but they have nothing in common and cannot communicate with one another. Just like us living with a chimp - we may look similar but we won't understand each other at all!

Sexual/territorial behaviour from the rabbit can be fatal or cause serious wounds to the guinea pig. The guinea pig, misunderstanding the rabbit, may well defend itself causing the rabbit injuries.

Rabbits are mainly crepuscular where as GPs are diurnal.

Also Bordatella can pass from rabbits which can easily be fatal even with prompt vet care and treatment.

Even if through all this they get on and live happily together a happy rabbit is more than capable of delivering a binky kick which can be fatal or cause internal injuries.

While many of us as children kept them together, animal husbandry has evolved greatly and it is for the welfare of the animals that rescues will not house the species together, will not rehome them as companions and will advise all that it is not in the animals welfare to be housed together.

Phew - I think I covered it all!

Suzy x
 
kayleighjennifer said:
Why are you posting on here after having a locked thread on the rabbit forum for the exact same question?mallethead
Rabbits and Guinea pigs should not live together full stop!


You wouldnt let a hamster and guinea pig live together would you FFS!mallethead
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you wouldn't listen on RU so why are you asking on here your getting the same answers but I'm guessing you wont listen to us either!
 
He also said on RU

rabbitdan said:
It really annoys me that they use the rescue section in my local p@h for rabbits they havnt sold in a certain time so they can get more ones in. and when it says 'must be live on her own'.

I wish i had of rescued now.
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But he's insistent on buying piggies :{ rather than rescuing.

(PS I'm just a lurker on RU)



rabbitdan said:
well I'm ******* leaving. i dont care if you ban me, I'm not coming back.

I'm bonding my rabbits with my guinea pigs that I'm getting in a few days
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Great attitude!
 
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They shouldn't live together for the reasons stated by other posters, although my local pet shop keeps them together they have had no problems for many years now. When I was first getting into Guinea pigs, I was told they could live together and one of my pigs ended up dying as a result of this. So I've learnt from it and I guess it's a completely unnecessary risk to take.
 
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