Greys And Bunnies...bad Idea?

[Guest SunKissed]

I know I've seen posts on here before about greyhounds living in harmony with rabbits, and I'm curious if we could possibly be one of those households.

 

We have 1 grey, Ziva. She is three, we've had her for about 9 months and she has a low prey drive. We also have 2 cats, that are hands down the most loud, rambunctious, badly behaved animals I've ever met. Its like having to ferrets, they take everything, they rip around the apartment at top speed chasing and play fighting with eachother, they meow and roll around on their backs seeking attention, etc. Ziva has never even made an attempt to chase or play with them. They have even raced across her nose in one of their games, and she just looks indifferent and sighs. We love her! Also, if we are outside on a walk, and she sees a squirrel or chipmonk, she will notice them, but a simple "heel" or "leave it", or even just a slight tug on the leash and she's back to trotting away and never looks back.

 

So, what do we need to take into account before we move forward to getting a rabbit? Does it sound like our hound has the potential to live harmoniously with one? Obviously the rabbit would be caged if we aren't home, but we wood like to be able to allow it out of the cage, litter train it, and interact with it.

 

 

Thanks!

[Guest sheila]

maybe you could take your girl to meet some rabbits (muzzled of course) and see how she reacts. Have you done any research on keeping rabbits as pets? I had considered a rabbit but after doing some research I realized my idea of having one didn't match the realities of caring for one.

[Guest SunKissed]

I thought about that. I'm not really sure where I could take Ziva to "try" rabbits out.

 

In terms of having one as a pet, my SO has had one before (and treated it like a child!) and is pretty experienced at it, so I would at least have a mentor. I've been reading up quite a bit on them and really like the idea of one. I'd also like a ferret, but the SO is pretty against that.

[Guest sheila]

well wherever you are thinking of getting a rabbit from would be a good place to start. If it is a breeder you can ask them if you could bring your dog out to see how he reacts.

[Guest GentleHugs]

Are you talking about Greys and bunnies like this?

 

 

 

This pic was taken back in 2000 with our senior boy Romeo and our special needs bunny Billiey. Billiey had a very rare disease that caused him to lose his right eye when he was a year old. Anyway, Romeo and Billiey were the best of buds. Billiey was on harness and lead in the picture because he couldn't stay still long enough for me to snap a pic! He loved to hop all around Romeo and Ro would just watch him and smile. Sadly, we lost Romeo in Jan 2001 and we lost little Billiey a year later. Billiey was never the same after Romeo died.

 

Out of the 7 greys I've had - the first 5 actually lived with our 3 house rabbits (Precious, Skip and Billiey). Our first grey Hannah, was afraid of the rabbits. Romeo (above) loved Billiey. Jackie wasn't cat safe, small dog safe but she protected our bunnies from all the fosters. Heisman was afraid Jackie would rip him a new butt if he touched them so he left them alone. When our last bunny passed from having a major stroke, Heisman mourned for Skip. Ashley didn't care one way or another about the bunnies - she ignored them for the most part.

 

But......I will say that our rabbits were in the home first before our Greys were and the greys viewed the rabbits as being over them in pack order. The one thing you have to remember is never let your guard down if you get a bunny and also have a Greyhound, too. Everything might go well for a year or two then one day, you might be mourning the death of your bunny. Never 100% trust a Greyhound around rabbits or other small animals.

 

The other thing I have to say is having a house bunny is a lot of work. Plain and simple. They don't like their litter box getting dirty so it should be changed daily. They require a better diet than just pellets (fruit, fresh dark green leafy veggies (no iceberg lettuce), timothy hay) and if they get sick, it's just as expensive at the vet's office as it is taking your Grey in for an illness, too. They like to chew so you have to bunny proof your house completely otherwise you might lose your TV, computer or another electrical appliance because they will chew the wires if they are not protected or they might chew on wooden furniture, carpets, paper, etc. Most bunnies do not like to be held. They might sit next to you on the couch but picking them up frightens them. They prefer to have solid ground underneath their feet. They have to be groomed constantly and some are vocal, too. My Precious used to grunt like a pig and stamp her hind feet if she got irritated at you. When you do have to hold them, hold them gently but firmly without squeezing. They can break a leg or their back if they happen to leap out of your arms. And look out for those teeth. They HURT! They are most active during dawn and again at dusk because they are lagomorphs - not rodents.

 

I had house rabbits for 8 years and I am a retired national educator for the House Rabbit Society. I'm no longer active because I no longer have house rabbits but I still remember everything. With the current pack I have now, I would not bring a bunny into this household at all. It would put the rabbit into greyt danger because it would be viewed as the bottom of the pack and I have a pack that recognizes pack order very much.

 

Make sure you do a lot of research first and if you can, have your Greyhound see and be around a bunny up close muzzled of course. Don't hold the lead to the Greyhound - hold on to their collar. You can feel how your Greyhound is reacting to the bunny better that way (plus if you need to pull your Grey back, you will have better control, too).

 

Hope this helps.......

Edited August 8, 2010 by GentleHugs

[Guest Houndie]

We currently have only one Dutch rabbit, and a greyhound. We have had house rabbits for over 15 years, but only had our grey for 7 months. I echo everything that GentleHugs has said. We've had a Siberian Husky who was absolutely fabulous with our two house rabbits. Best of buds, and no worries. The grey has been a bit more of a challenge than the husky was, but he has made great strides. I will say our peers with bunnies were pretty skeptical when we got our grey. It has been a lot of work, but it can be done.

Edited August 9, 2010 by Houndie

[greylyn]

I think I'd be more worried about how your cats would behave with a rabbit than I would be about the GH!

[Neighsayer]

My current rabbits are outdoor bunnies, so can't help you there. We used to have bunnies who played with our cats and slept on the back of the couch with one of the cats. The cats and rabbits were not raised together and got along fine.