Author Topic: Will a cat attack a rabbit?  (Read 4524 times)

Offline Beanie

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #27 on: July 09, 2008, 11:17:19 AM »
thankyou:
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Offline fluffybunny

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #26 on: July 04, 2008, 17:49:46 PM »
Longer than that - in domesticated rabbits it can be several weeks, at least a fortnight.  It does start fairly gradually and they only go blind after a couple of weeks.  I guess wild ones are more at risk of early death for a variety of reasons including predators, vehicles if they've gone blind, being 'thrown out' of the warren, unable to forage etc etc...  In some ways that's a blessing in disguise though as it is a horrible illness and probably over 99% of those who contract it will die.

Offline Millys Mum

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #25 on: July 04, 2008, 17:18:57 PM »
They linger over a few days sadly  :(


ccmacey

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #24 on: July 04, 2008, 00:22:44 AM »
I know I have seen it but didnt know how quick the decline was, wether they could live with it for a while or just get sick and die.


Offline blackcat

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #23 on: July 04, 2008, 00:18:41 AM »
a rabbit with myxo will have pussy eyes and discharge from the nose sometimes. It will also be hopping oddly - sort of floppy and uncoordinated as it affects their balance too. It is not a pretty sight, and is a terrible way to die.

ccmacey

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #22 on: July 03, 2008, 22:27:30 PM »
Can you tell the rabbit has this just by looking?

Offline Canterbury_cats (Sharon)

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #21 on: July 03, 2008, 22:22:04 PM »
Actually in my experience a cat will avoid a rabbit with myxomatosis.. they seem to know that something is up... I have never known either of my two or any other cat i have had catch a rabbit that has this... Indeed they avoid them
« Last Edit: July 03, 2008, 22:22:42 PM by Canterbury_cats (Sharon) »
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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #20 on: July 03, 2008, 22:17:56 PM »
Our rabbit is in charge of our 4 cats!  :rofl: Of course they're always supervised but the rabbit has been known to chase our cats  :evillaugh:

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Offline fluffybunny

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #19 on: July 03, 2008, 21:35:20 PM »
Of course that's always the other possibility with wild rabbits - myxomatosis makes them go blind so makes them easy targets for hunting kitties...

Offline Canterbury_cats (Sharon)

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #18 on: July 03, 2008, 19:13:47 PM »
Talking of rabbits.. Leo had an unlikely one this morning, when i saw  him only the two legs and white tail where visable...!

Sadly this rabbit didnt learn.. and even more Leo is white... So the rabbit much of been quite mad or colour blind to fall for a siamese that is all white and has a dodgy leg!!

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Offline fluffybunny

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #17 on: July 03, 2008, 19:05:44 PM »
I think it largely depends - but more on the rabbit than the cat.  Wild rabbits are much more at risk as they act much more instinctively as prey animals whereas domesticated ones will generally feel a lot more secure.  Ironically, I reckon it's the instinctive panic and running that puts them more at risk - so nervy domesticated bunnies may have a similar problem.  My own bunnies will all quite happily chase cats off, even cats which are real 'killers' in other ways.  It seems to really disconcert most cats when a bun doesn't respond in the way they expect prey to, and it often catches them by surprise and the cats turn tail and run.  One of mine is a 900g nethie and she is exactly the same so it's not so much size, as disposition.

Once when we had new neighbours, their cat spent the first few weeks staring out of the window at the buns in our garden, then when they first let it out, it was with fear and trepidation that it might harm the buns.  They knew their fears were unfounded when my two at the time triangulated on it and got it cornered  :evillaugh:

Although say it's unlikely that these cats will harm your neighbours bun, I wouldn't rule it out completely, and if it's stressing the bun out then it's definitely best avoided anyway - stress can cause rabbits to stop eating and because of the way their guts work, that can be fatal very quickly.

Offline Rosiecat

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #16 on: July 03, 2008, 13:43:07 PM »
I have 18 (rescue) buns and 5 cats and I can honestly say I have never had a problem - that is not to say that I would ever become complacent as I am well aware of the potential dangers.

My biggest problem is Darcy Persian who ADORES spring greens and will happily steal them from the buns if given a chance.   He and my continental giant, Bigwig, are great friends..pic hopefully attached!





« Last Edit: July 03, 2008, 13:44:04 PM by Rosiecat »

ccmacey

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #15 on: July 02, 2008, 18:40:16 PM »
if the cat has been brought up with rabbits or the rabbit and the cat are from the same home and in the same environment, then i dont think they see it as prey..

My Harry hunts and also hunts my rabbits, but my other 4 cats leave them alone. My rabbit is 1 1/2 so cant really say that they have been brought up with them.

It just depends if the cat is a hunter, maybe ask your friend to ask the cats owner if they hunt, hey some cats dont.  :shy:

Offline Bazsmum

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #14 on: July 02, 2008, 18:07:55 PM »
Out looking for one of my cats before and I found a breed rabbit, brought it home in the carrier and let it out in my hall way.....Bunny was out overnight and no mishaps with the cats! The rabbit even tried it on a few times with my Yagga to which my Yagga give out a horrified "OI"  :evillaugh:

My cats had never seen a rabbit before.....mind you they dont hunt either...well unless you mean flies and moths also!  :rofl:

Offline sixfurballs

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #13 on: July 02, 2008, 15:39:55 PM »
I have 4 cats, 2 rabbits and 8 guinea pigs and I never let the cats in with the rabbits or guinea pigs. They are used to them and know they are part of the family but I see the stance the cats take and the look in their eyes sometimes when the rabbits and guinea pigs are in their runs and I just wouldn't trust them. I also know of rabbits attacking and very badly hurting cats so just won't take any chances.

I come from a rural area and my family are farmers. They have a mixture of feral and pet cats and I've seen them all hunt and kill wild rabbits.

Offline Sam (Fussy_Furball)

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #12 on: July 01, 2008, 09:40:55 AM »
Just in case Sharon doesn't see this, Sharon lives quite rurally and her Siamese cats catch, kill and eat rabbits as big as themselves all the time - even dragging them through the catflap  :-:

It must a siamese specialty ... I remember as a child our Siamese cat would regularly bring home BIG wild rabbits ... some of them were almost too big for him to carry (mind you he was a very proficient hunter ... he brought a male pheasant home once!).

It all depends on the cats and the rabbit really ... when I had my house rabbit the cats were terrified of him ... but I think that was down to the fact that he was quite a stroppy rabbit.
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Offline Kirst

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #11 on: July 01, 2008, 08:48:32 AM »
Same here as for Sharon , all of our cats do a nice line in rabbit catching , again usually the babies but an older or ill rabbit is fair game.




Offline Canterbury_cats (Sharon)

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2008, 08:04:38 AM »
I didnt see this earlier, but i agree if the cat has been brought up with rabbits or the rabbit and the cat are from the same home and in the same environment, then i dont think they see it as prey..

But neighbourhood rabbits or once outside ... up here no chance.. Rabbit count for the season this year was I think 22!! Not all brought from my catflap... the fox does well out of what is left.. indeed a few years back my Leo had a full grown adult rabbit he had killed ate what he wanted came in full of fleas and fell asleep the body lay outside on our lawn (it was late at night) and within ten minutes vixen and her cubs finished it off..

I few years back when i was walking in our woods with my two cats.. Leo went darting of and caught a rabbit... it went into a undergrowth and somehow or another got free only to turn the corner a few feet down the wood track and a fox found it.. This was right in front of me.. The fox no doubt had it eyes on the rabbit all along and just watched it and us when we were in the vicinity...

When baby rabbits get abit older and more confident they are usually safe from cats... its the old ones (abit slow on their pins) or the young that my cats target... This is despite them being 13 years old this year...

But i have had a seagull as well and on one occassion a squirel dead in my living room!! with the cat on top of it plucking its fur out..!!
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ccmacey

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2008, 00:15:58 AM »
Well having 5 cats and 5 rabbits I can say it depends lol

Stu, my male rabbit, he will chase and bite the cats as they are in his "space" and he wont tolarate that. He will even chase them into the house, none of my cats will go out into the garden if he's out.

Harry, my cat that hunts, will chase the rabbits. He has to be told to stop before he will stop but he does.

When my female rabbit and 3 babies are out in the garden my other 4 cats get on quite well with them and no harrassing goes on.

These baby rabbits have been getting let out in the garden from about 8 weeks old and none of my cats other than Harry bother with them. And thats only on odd occassion.

So I guess it depends on the cat. I would say if they have never seen a rabbit they would be a little intregued.

Although if the bunny feels safe with going inside I would let him do this, I dont think 1 bun would be a match for 2 cats especially if they are hunters.

Your friend might want to sit out in the garden and see what goes on between them, so she can intervine if things go wrong.

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #8 on: June 30, 2008, 18:20:11 PM »
Yes they will, my cats have brought a rabbit home although not recently fortunately
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Offline blackcat

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2008, 17:52:06 PM »
Pet rabbits that they know are part of their household, probably not. Neighbouring cats would be at risk, but the risk would be less so than if they were wild rabbits which cats certainly hunt and kill. I had one cat in Tasmania who used to fill my bathroom with baby rabbits while I was at work. I spent many an evening doing health checks on the rabbits, vetting those treatable, returning those uninjured and dispatching those badly hurt or dead  :sick:

The prey instinct is strong in any cat, so any warm furry bundle of the right size is vulnerable...

Offline Den

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2008, 17:51:39 PM »
Mine wouldn't hurt my rabbit, but my rabbit would eat my cat for dinner. I can't have them out together as bunny boy will chase my cat. Cat rules dog, rabbit rules all (except he  :Luv: my doggie and wouldn't dream of hurting or chasing her).

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Offline Gillian Harvey

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2008, 17:45:19 PM »
I used to have rabbits and none of my cats, nor neighbours cats ever tried attacking them - the rabbits had the run of the garden and I often used to see a cat and rabbit sunbathing side by side on the patio! Actually one of my rabbits used to chase the cats LOL!  :evillaugh:

Offline tigerbaby

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2008, 17:44:08 PM »
OH's parents cat, Ichabod, catches rabbits and brings them home. We once walked through the door to find a rabbit head inside the catflap.
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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2008, 17:41:27 PM »
Just in case Sharon doesn't see this, Sharon lives quite rurally and her Siamese cats catch, kill and eat rabbits as big as themselves all the time - even dragging them through the catflap  :-:
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Offline Millys Mum

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Re: Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2008, 17:39:41 PM »
Rabbits can put up a good fight but i wouldnt trust the cats not to hurt it

My bunny thought he was a cat and his friend was bob the cat, but bob is incredibly stupid and never chased homer, they were pals  :Luv:


Offline Beanie

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Will a cat attack a rabbit?
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2008, 17:33:39 PM »
Hi all,

I have been asked a question and I honestly don't know the answer except that I know of no instances where a cat has attacked a rabbit. A friend has a large rabbit who she adores. 2 neighbour's cats, well looked after, have been showing an unhealthy interest in the rabbit, even chasing it from the garden into the house. The cats are grown (i.e not kittens). If the cats were hungry or feral, that would be another question.

Has anyone any knowledgable views based on their own experience or that of others? At present the rabbit owner is discouraging the cats from her garden with water pistols, etc. However, she is an animal lover and wondering if she is worrying unecessarily. Neither cat is rgarded as vicious.

The rabbit does not welcome the attention and goes back into the house as a place of safety. I understand that stress can have a more devastating effect on rabbits than most animals.

Views welcome.
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