Cats can kill or eat a variety of smaller animals such as birds, mice, and rabbits. It may rarely happen that pet cats catch a rabbit, but it is not surprising that cats prey on or kill small rabbits.
Cats usually choose young rabbits for their prey, because large, fully grown rabbits can be the same size as a cat if not larger than it.
Contents :
Why do cats hunt or eat rabbits
Can Cats pick up diseases from rabbits
How to protect domestic rabbits from cats
Is it possible to breed cats with rabbits
Can cats be trained not to eat rabbits
Do cats eat rabbits Abstract
Why do cats hunt or eat rabbits
First of all let’s point out that cats do not have a specific preference for rabbits, but they have genetic predation and hunting motives, so they will hunt almost any small object and move in a way that interests them.
Cats belong to the family of carnivorous animals, so animal proteins are the main component of their diet. Some types of cat food are made from the meat of other animals, including rabbits.
The prey drive in the character of cats is what makes them may hunt or kill rabbits, if you raise a cat and a pet rabbit, and the latter was completely calm and came to your cunning friend without making any sudden movements, then most likely your cat will not show any interest in him.
Do cats eat rabbits, a cat tries to catch a rabbit
What seems cruel is that when cats hunt rabbits, instead of ending their suffering, especially if they offend them, it will keep them in a state between life and death so that they can continue to play with them and that is the style of cats.
Even completely domesticated and domesticated domestic cats will enjoy hunting every now and then, especially if you let them spend a lot of time outside the house in the fresh air.
Cats should keep their instincts sharp and alert, so don’t be shocked if one day your cat gives you a “gift” in the form of a dead rabbit. With this behavior, your cat shows you that she appreciates you as her owner.
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If the rabbit has not died yet, it is important to separate the cat from him as soon as possible.
Most cats tend to be somewhat possessive with their prey and won’t let go easily, so you may need a little help from someone else to solve the problem.
If you are alone, use a towel or a large cloth to cover your cat’s body and carry it to keep it away from the rabbit.
As soon as you separate the rabbit from the cunning Hunter, put it in a cardboard box and take it to the nearest veterinary clinic.
If the rabbit has already died and your cat does not seem to have eaten any part of it, there is nothing to do but bury it in a safe place. The best burial place is in the middle of the forest or a remote area where there are no wells or running water that people may use for drinking.
Do not bury the rabbit in your garden, especially if you grow vegetables or special herbs for feeding in it. And monitor your cat in the following days or take him to the vet to be examined and make sure that he has not had an infection from the rabbit.
Can Cats pick up diseases from rabbits
The short answer to this question is yes it may happen.
Both domestic and wild rabbits can carry diseases, some of which may be transmitted to animals that hunt them. Cats may get sick after eating the meat of a sick rabbit.
Some rabbits are carriers of a disease called tularemia. Unfortunately, tularemia can be fatal, which means that preventing your cat friend from eating small animals is of paramount importance.
Besides, it is a zoonotic disease, so it can be transmitted from an infected cat to humans.
And while this disease is rather rare, you cannot negate the likelihood of your pet cat becoming infected if it eats or bites a sick rabbit.
Therefore, our best advice is to take your cat to the nearest veterinary clinic for examination and treatment if she shows any symptoms. Tularemia can be treated with antibiotics (gentamicin is the most commonly used, but streptomycin also has excellent results against tularemia).
How to protect domestic rabbits from cats
If you spend a lot of time outside, especially when you are away from home for work, you may not have an effective way to prevent your pet cat from eating any small animals.
However, if you own a cat and a pet rabbit (or more), there are some ways to avoid accidents between them.
Protecting rabbits from cats and other animals
The way the two are first introduced to each other has an impact on how the relationship develops between them.
If your cat is well fed and your rabbit only cares about his affairs, then most likely nothing bad will happen in the future.
But since it’s better to provide security than to be sorry, investing in a good cage for your pet rabbit is the best way to deal with it.
Keeping your cat indoors only when the rabbits are in your yard is also a good idea.
In this case, you will have to get a very well-designed hut so that your rabbits do not fall victims to foxes or other wild predators such as snakes and Vipers.
By the way, cats that live only indoors have much better health than those that go out every day. Because cats that get lost at home are less likely to pick up external and internal parasites, as well as viral and bacterial diseases.
Is it possible to breed cats with rabbits
Cats and rabbits can get along well without any problems, which provides you with some precautions, and if your cat has been raised from a young age along with a small rabbit, she will consider him her friend, not her prey.
The way you introduce your cat and rabbit is the key to how their relationship develops.
A rabbit and a beautiful cat side by side
For best results, we recommend that you follow the following steps to secure the situation and avoid any accidents :
Keep your rabbit in its cage and let the cat see it-the cage should be large enough for the rabbit to run away and hide somewhere if he feels the need.
Odor exchange-wipe your rabbit with a cloth and then wipe your cat with the same cloth. Do this 6 or 7 times over the course of two days, this way you help them to get to know each other’s smells.
Allow them to interact with each other through the cage regularly – do this about 50 minutes a day for two weeks.
Introduce them outside the cage-choose a time when the two pets are in a relaxed and calm state if possible, keep the cat in front, repeat this as often as you need so that both seem comfortable being with the other.
Let them interact freely among themselves-remove all cages and barriers and let them interact freely, be sure to monitor them closely at all times.
Notice how they interact – they should be fairly comfortable between them. But do not believe that the situation has become safe, be sure to monitor them and if there are any signs of disorder or stress, immediately dismiss them.
Some other tips that will help this process be more successful are:
Introducing the cat when it is small is ideal because it will grow with the rabbit and will not see it as prey, and you will not worry in the future if your cat grows up and becomes an adult.
Give them some privacy– rabbits like to have a space where they feel safe, and cats are territorial animals who love their area, so make sure both have easy access to their own space to ensure better results.
Feed them separately-cats and rabbits like privacy where they eat, so feeding them separately is important to ensure that neither of them gets nervous or becomes aggressive.
Can cats be trained not to eat rabbits
The answer is no, cats are natural hunters and will remain so until the end of their lives.
Every day you can find out about cats ‘ hunting instincts, including the way they play or interact with other animals, for example they may eat flies and other insects.
The cat will always be interested in any moving object, whether to find out what this object is or to see if it can be an opportunity for hunting, or just for entertainment.
Cats can eat wild and domestic rabbits as well, squirrels, hamsters, mice, all rodents and birds. They may sometimes eat insects such as ants, for example. Although this is only out of curiosity and nothing more.
Do cats eat rabbits Abstract
Cats may rarely eat a rabbit, and if they do, they will often hunt small rabbits because hunting is an instinctive behavior for them and is part of their formative nature.
As we noted earlier, you should be aware that rabbits can transmit a deadly disease to cats called tularemia.
Tularemia can also be transmitted to humans, so it is important that you try very hard to prevent your cats from eating any wild prey.
Training cats not to hunt rabbits or small rodents in general is impossible because cats have very strong predatory impulses. Instead of training, you should introduce your cat at a young age to any animals you want to get along with.
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