Are you the one who is intrigued to know if you can keep your rabbits and guinea pigs in the same enclosure? Well, you can know about it by going through the details that are provided below.
We see that the best companion for a rabbit is another rabbit. Another thing is that the best companion for a guinea pig is a guinea pig.
We see that keeping rabbits and guinea pig together is not ideal. Also, we see that earlier people have tried keeping rabbits and guinea pigs together but keeping them together is not an ideal option.
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Can Rabbits And Guinea Pigs kept Together?
Moreover, we see that rabbits should not be kept together. Both rabbits and guinea pigs have different needs like the guinea pigs do not have the capability to synthesize Vitamin C that needs to provide within the diet.
Also, you might not notice that the rabbits might intentionally even harm the guinea pigs in many ways, maybe to mate with them or kick them.
Rabbits can even bully guinea pigs and this can make them feel stressed. There is a bacteria found in rabbits called the Bordetella bronchiseptica that can lead to respiratory diseases. These bacteria can even be transmitted through dogs and cats and for this reason we see that rabbits need to be kept away from dogs and cats.
Also, we find that the way rabbits and guinea pigs communicate with each other is quite different, so if you keep them together they are not going to understand each other’s behavior and are likely to not be good companions to each other.
In case you are housing them together currently
If you are housing them together and they are comfortable in that environment, then keep them like that only.
- You should give space to guinea pigs for hiding purposes and where they can escape. The entrance should be large enough for the guinea pigs to enter but it should not be so large that the rabbit can enter it easily.
- Both rabbits and guinea pigs need different diets and you need to feed them separately ensuring that both the nutrients are provided to them in the correct amount.
- You also need to neuter the rabbit; otherwise, you will be the one who might injure them.
Should they be kept in the same enclosure?
The best way would be to not mix the rabbits as they both can get diseases from each other and also bully.
Both the species are social in nature but we see that companionship is that one aspect that is very important for every species.
It is important that you take care of the unwanted pregnancies and separate the guinea pigs as well as the rabbits of the separate sex from each other.
Some people even think that rabbits and guinea pigs are the same things but this is not the case. They both are different and if you keep them together in the same enclosure then it can be quite a disastrous situation and needs to be taken care of.
Guinea pigs might get stressed easily if they do not get the right place to hide. Also, it is important that you provide guinea pigs with shelter and the entrance should be such that they can easily enter but the rabbits could not make way to the place.
Communication:
We see that communication is quite different for both the rabbits and the guineas pigs and they both might not feel as good if they are not with their same kind. Moreover, this might not be an issue even because some species might live together and feel friendly to each other and communicate as well.
Moreover, rabbits are stronger and bigger in size than guinea pigs and have the tendency to injure them. So, when these bigger ones move they might kick out the guinea pigs with their strong and powerful legs and there might be a serious injury as well.
Some rabbits have sharp claws and if they strike to guinea pig’s face they can lead to corneal ulcers and infection as well.
Also, some rabbits even try to mate with the guinea pigs and this may lead to serious injury to their back. The space and the needs of both these species are different so, it is better if you choose a large enclosure and in it, you can provide the rabbit with requirements.
Since the rabbits can cover a long distance therefore you need to develop an enclosure for them that is big enough and such that they can hide as well.
Conclusion:
Thus, we conclude that rabbits and guinea pigs if are happy being housed together then you should not separate them. But there is such pairing too that does not go with each other in that case it is better that you house them separately.
Moreover, always go for enclosures that are big and where the pets can range freely. Some species can live side by side quite happily but some don’t. So, if you find that your pet is happy being housed with the other species then is it. If you suspect any issues in the enclosure then you can keep the pets apart.
You can find some toys and accessories for your pets as well, that can keep them occupied and that keeps them happy.
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