Rabbits are often kept as single pets but sometimes the owners do not get satisfied with only one type of pet and thus they wish to add some more pets to their house. Thus, keeping adequate pets that will cohabit peacefully with rabbits is to be introduced only.
Birds are easy to be kept as pets as they are pretty low on maintenance. So they can be kept with rabbits in the same house as it will be easy on the pet owners too. According to many pet owners, this is a safe option and neither of the pets gets harmed this way.
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Can you keep the birds and rabbits in the same enclosure?
No, there is no option for keeping the birds and the rabbits in the same enclosure. They are not safe for each other. There are several reasons which prevent them from being with each other.
They can get infected by diseases of each other. When one rabbit will be infected by some disease it can spread the same disease to other creatures in its enclosure. That will end up the birds getting sick due to that disease.
Rabbits are prone to get affected by certain kinds of bacteria and viruses. Their paws often contain more bacteria than birds can carry as rabbits hop into the dirty ground for most of the day.
Also, the rabbits often suffer from various fungal infections and that will affect the birds as well. But birds on the other hand are less prone to suffer from bacterial and fungal infections.
The food of rabbits and birds are also different and they cannot eat each other’s food. So you need to offer them food separately. If you provide food for both of them in the single enclosure then it will be a messy thing and the enclosure will also be a dirty place.
So it is wise to keep them in the same house, but not in the same cage. They can play with each other when some human will supervise them. Their enclosure or shelter will be separate and also these will be placed in different rooms.
The friendship or bonding between two rabbits will not be the same as the rabbit and the birds. They can be peacefully in the same place though. Usually, rabbits are friendly creatures and thus, the internal relationship between rabbits and birds can vary with each set of creatures.
Sometimes the owners report that their rabbits are completely unbothered about the presence of the rabbits, they do not show liking or disliking to their fellow pets. But sometimes the rabbits act quite aggressively and they get petrified by the presence of the birds sometimes.
How do the pet birds react to the pet rabbits?
Birds sometimes ignore the presence of the rabbits in the same house but when their time of breeding approaches, they start showing aggressive behavior. Their nest or shelter is usually kept on the ground. If the rabbit is left to roam freely then it may go near the cage of the birds, and thus, the birds will swoop and mob from above.
Birds actually get extra cautious at the time of their egg-laying. They always stay alert so that their eggs are not harmed by any creature at any time. So when they see the rabbit moving around their cage, they may show aggression by scooping it down from the top.
Rabbits are, on the other hand, quite scared of the attacks that come from above. They live in such a terrifying atmosphere in the jungle that most of their enemies come from the top. So they obviously do get irritated, annoyed, and frustrated after the birds come from the top.
In case you have kept a few birds and a pair of rabbits in the same place, make sure that the rabbits do not come near the birds’ cage during their egg-laying season. This way the bond between the rabbits and birds will stay intact.
Why you cannot give food to the birds and rabbits from the same platter?
Rabbits and birds have very distinct eating habits. Both the rabbits and birds are herbivorous but grains are one of the primary foods for the birds while rabbits should not eat grains. If you keep the birds and the rabbits in the same enclosure then their food bowls will be separate. Yet there will be a chance that the grains get mixed with hay and thus, the rabbits end up eating them all.
This is not the case for the birds though, as they will not eat hay by any chance, even if will be ready in the food bowl of the rabbits. But they can get affected by the microbes that sometimes grow on the body of the rabbits as they are all sharing the same living area.
Another issue is, that birds are messy when it comes to their eating habit. They scatter a lot of grains around the food bowl. The loose grains often attract insects and microbes, which creates problems and health hazards for the rabbits.
Also, the rabbit, as well as birds, have the habit of defecating in and around their food bowl. Even if rabbits can be taught and trained to use the litter box, for the birds it is not to be made so easy. So the birds will effectively contaminate the food and water that the rabbits can eat and drink. This will cause severe digestive issues for the pets.
Can rabbits get sick from birds?
We have earlier mentioned that rabbits and birds can get sick from the microbes and bacteria from each other. There are a whole lot of viruses, bacteria, and microbes that can affect the creatures. Giardiasis or worm is one such problem that can be seen among rabbits.
The bacteria called Giardia duodenalis is found in the intestine of the affected rabbits. The affected rabbit’s droppings also carry these bacteria. The birds living in the same enclosure or at least the same house ingest the droppings of the rabbit and have this disease in them.
Tularemia or rabbit fever is another such disease that is seen rarely among rabbits. This disease occurs among mammals when they eat contaminated food or drink such water. This can affect the birds if they are living close to the rabbits.
Are rabbits scared of any bird?
The birds which are carnivorous can be enemies of the rabbits. In the jungle the carnivorous birds often hunt the baby bunnies so; rabbits stay away from such predator birds. But the birds that we keep at home as pets are most herbivorous so there is less chance of the rabbits getting scared of their presence.
But as the domestic birds look much like their carnivorous counterparts, it is hard for the rabbits to recognize them in the first instance. But while they will live for some days and months, the rabbit will understand that there is less chance of getting harmed by the birds.
Another issue that is disturbing for the rabbit is, that birds are quite noisy. Rabbits are unable to take much noise but birds, a single one or a few of them, will definitely make some noise. You can keep the rabbit in some secluded corner where the bird’s noise does not reach. Or else the loud noise will cause the rabbit to be anxious and stressed.
Do birds attack rabbits?
There are some birds that like to attack the pet rabbits for hunting purposes, security purposes, or sometimes when they are in a playful mood. But large birds like macaws and large parrots will not harm the rabbits or try to attack them.
They often swoop at the rabbits due to their defensive nature and that does not mean that they need to harm the rabbit at all.
Can rabbits kill birds?
Rabbits usually do not attack their predators, and so, when it will feel threatened, they will not attack the enemy in the first instance. They usually flee away and move from the place as soon as possible as those are their survival tricks. But if they are cornered they can also attack, use their claw and bite off their enemy.
They are also able to kick and thus can severely hurt small or medium-sized birds. At the time of such fighting, the birds can use their beak and talons which are sharp and can damage the eyes or other body parts of the rabbit, as they have a very soft body.
Which birds can live with rabbits?
The budgies are quite good with rabbits. They are also called parakeets and they have a beautiful feathery bodies. They are quite friendly in nature and gentle in approach, thus they can mix well with the rabbits. Their calm, quiet and gentle nature makes them great friends for the pet rabbits. Also, the owners need not always be bothered about the safety of either of the pets.
If not from the first day, after some days the rabbits and the parakeets will be good friends and will be accustomed to living with each other.
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