Can a guinea pig and rabbit keep each other company?

Mikatelyn

Mikatelyn

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Hello! While I was at the humane society yesterday picking up my new rescue piggy, Blaze, I noticed a sweet bunny there that i almost impulse rescued as well. If it weren't for the fact that hubby would have been very upset if I'd come home with more than the agreed upon number of critters, I might have done it!
But that made me think, if i get down to 1 guinea pig, would keeping a bunny and piggy in adjacent enclosures (i read any together time needs to be supervised because bunny is bigger and stronger) give them each sufficient social stimulation? I've read some differing opinions. What are people's experiences with this?
 
I don't think there would be any social benefit to either the bunny or piggy. They speak completely different languages as it were ☺️
Bunnies and piggies should also never mix, not even supervised. As well as the physical risk, they each carry diseases that can cause the other serious issues.
It is really hard to say no to a rescue animal though isn't it?!
 
Mikatelyn said:
Hello! While I was at the humane society yesterday picking up my new rescue piggy, Blaze, I noticed a sweet bunny there that i almost impulse rescued as well. If it weren't for the fact that hubby would have been very upset if I'd come home with more than the agreed upon number of critters, I might have done it!
But that made me think, if i get down to 1 guinea pig, would keeping a bunny and piggy in adjacent enclosures (i read any together time needs to be supervised because bunny is bigger and stronger) give them each sufficient social stimulation? I've read some differing opinions. What are people's experiences with this?
Click to expand...

Hi

Please don't! It is emphatically no longer recommended by any of the world leading animal welfare societies.

Here is why:

Wiebke

Thread 'Guinea Pigs And Rabbits - Why Not'

- Different dietary needs
- Kick reflex, rough mating, accidental injuries and bullying
- Different life spans
- Transmission of fatal diseases
- Why did vets recommend to keep both species together?
- The current RSPCA welfare recommendations


Rabbits and guinea pigs poster.jpg
(via Angie Bell, Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity BARC)

Different dietary needs
Rabbits are lagomorphs with a digestive system that resembles more a horse's than a rodent digestive tract, like guinea pigs have. Accordingly, the dietary needs of rabbits and guinea...
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I agree completely with the advice given above. I know in the past people did used to keep rabbits and guinea pigs together but knowledge, husbandry and veterinary care have come on so much since then that it’s now fully understood how unsuitable they are as companions for each other in terms of diet, transmission of diseases, companionship, communication and the potential for rabbits to seriously injure a guinea pig.
 
Ah, thank you all. I was rather hoping that the differing info i was finding was because the trend was in the OPPOSITE direction and that more and more people were finding it was ok to have them be playmates. Oh well. That bunny was REALLY cute.
 
I agree with the others - they can’t and won’t keep each other company as they can’t communicate with each other. Not even supervised interaction. Plus all the other risks and differences between the two species which have been mentioned.

I have rabbits and guinea pigs.
I work extremely hard to ensure that there is never any risk of cross contamination. They do not ever share an air space so as to not risk airborne transmission of illness.
The piggies are always dealt with first and have totally separate equipment for each which is always kept separately.

Mine live outside and have two very different living spaces. You don’t cage rabbits like you do piggies. Rabbits need huge spaces - my two have 115 square feet of space.
Rabbits need to be in pairs the same as piggies do - a single bunny is a bored bunny and a bored bunny is a destructive bunny!
 
Mikatelyn said:
@Piggies&buns suddenly your online name meaning becomes clear, lol. I was thinkings buns as in cute little waddly piggy butts. But bunnies makes more sense 😂. I guess I should have looked a little closer at your avatar picture
Click to expand...

The white rabbit in my avatar is my rainbow bridge boy Patch. He passed a couple of years ago of old age. He was amazing boy, one of the friendliest I’ve ever had (I’ve kept rabbits for 38 years only having a few years without any during the time my children were very small and caring for both babies and bunnies was too much)
The two on the top left are my two current girls - Saffron and Luna, a pair of Netherlands dwarf who are 4.5 years old. A total handful, under my feet every time I’m trying to do something in their enclosure - they like to ‘help’ - and always after constant mental stimulation!
 
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