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Ah, lucky you. You've decided on a rabbit as a pet. There is just one problem: you have a cat. If you are going to put them together, you better be certain of the following.

1) You do not have more than one cat. If you do, don't let the rabbit out of its hutch. It's especially true if the cats or even one cat is fully grown. Cats are hunters, and even if you think you've got the cat or cats under control, don't leave the rabbit running loose. It's a sure-fire recipe for disaster.

2) Don't leave the rabbit alone in the presence of a cat. Cats will stalk their prey, and while they may be "solitary" hunters, they aren't loners. Just look at any pride of lions. And I have my own cats as proof. Just a little less than two weeks ago, Tiger (one of my cats) did a little hunting. What did he get? A rabbit. The poor rabbit didn't stand a chance. You know the expression, "Look what the cat dragged in." I'm afraid there wasn't much left of the rabbit.

3) If you want to introduce a rabbit and a cat, be sure the cat is a kitten and the rabbit is fully grown. It is much safer than trying to introduce a bunny to a full grown cat.

4) Be certain that you have adequate protection for the rabbit. Give the rabbit a place to hide. Make it cat-proof, or you are likely to find an ear and a tail while you are trying to figure out where the rabbit went.

5) If you must leave the house, be sure that both the cat and the rabbit are in their own cages, the doors locked, and to be safe be sure that one of the animals is out of sight of the other. Otherwise, the cat may be enjoying rabbit stew when you get home.

The best you can do, in my personal opinion, is to keep cats and rabbits apart. If you must introduce them, it had better be a kitten and a full grown rabbit. And, as the cat grows, be sure to keep an eye on the cat. You can't eliminate the habits of thousands of years from a cat. Cats may be domesticated, but the habit is still there. And rabbits are virtually defenseless against cats.

Learn more about this author, C. Buckett.
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