can i put a Baby rabbit in with 6yr old guinea pig?

[Tortoise]

Rabbit died about a year ago. Guinea and rabbit lived together happily and got on really well.
Is it ok to put a baby rabbit in with the 6yr old piggy?

[LordOfTheFlies]

I've never kept rabbits but I'm currantly onto guinea-pig 13 & 14 (over a period of many years, I'm not a GP farmer !)

All the websites advice not to keep rabbits and guinea-pigs together.
Apparently rabbits can kick and injure or kill a GP.I don't know how skitty a baby rabbit would be or if the GP would be territorial .

But as you say, you've kept them together, presumably successfully?

A friend of my parents have a (working, not pet) border collie sheepdog who guards and rounds up the free-range guinea-pigs at his farm!

[KRITIQ]

No, absolutely, definitely not. As Lord of the Flies has said, a rabbit of any age can cause serious physical harm to a guinea pig, especially what is going to be a frail, elderly one, through kicking, jumping and bonking.

Rabbits often carry a pathogen in their gut which is harmless to them, but lethal to the guinea pig. Also, guinea pigs require a higher volume of fresh fruit and vegetables in order to absorb vitamin C. If you feed the animals together, it is likely the rabbit will end up with digestive problems from too much fresh food - possibly bloat, which can be lethal.

Please, please don't do it. They are different species and they aren't meant to be kept together, full stop. Pet shops used to (and sometimes still do) try and sell two pets for one by saying they can live together but they can't. I've seen the result of keeping guineas and rabbits together and it's not nice. I know there are folks who say "oh, I kept them together with no problems," but they may have been lucky, or just didn't witness the damage being done.

If you can't keep both separate, get the guinea pig rehomed. The alternative could be a very painful injury and eventual death for the guinea pig. Just don't.

[alemci]

No not a good idea.

[notjustme]

Completely agree with KRITIQ - there is always someone who has kept them together successfully, but it is a risk and unfair on two species of animals that do not work the same way - they don't speak the same languages, they have different diets and rabbits have the ultimate weapon (their feet) against an animal which really has very little in the way of defence. Not to mention that by the time the new rabbit would be getting it's teenage hormones, the GP would be on it's way to old age and that could be awful.

[KRITIQ]

Sorry - I mentioned this to DH and he said, "why don't you suggest they get another guinea pig?" Well, of course, how silly of me to forget the obvious answer!

If it's a female, you can introduce an adult female or neutered male. If it's male, either a very young (under 8 or 10 weeks) boar or a neutered female could join him.

Rather than going to a pet shop though, consider getting a companion from a rescue centre. They can also help you with the matching/introducing process. There's a list here of rescue centres - not a complete one but a starting point. Guinea Pig Rehoming site.

Best of luck!

[Tortoise]

Thanks for advice. Guinea is 6 so already pretty old I believe.
Going to wait as no money for another hutch and don't want to risk it even though had no problems before.

[LordOfTheFlies]

When we got our 2 GPs I made sure the DCs really realised how defenceless they are (though by no stretch of the imagination would you call them timid. They are 1 yo rescue brothers. GP1 is quite a bolshy chappie !)

But when you consider what defences other rodents have, GPs don't bite or scratch (as a rule) and ours sit waiting to be lifted. And they are tolerant of children within reason.
I feel very protective of them ,even when they chew my M&S pure new wool jumper

[KRITIQ]

And, they only seem to chew on "good" furniture, not IKEA! :)