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Post by dosergirl on Mar 2, 2004 15:25:36 GMT -4
Last time i posted about adopt a rabbit month..DF adopted a Rabbit. So i figured lets give this a shot. I have never had a GP...they can be companions for buns...although some people don't approve of the mixed species relationships....If you've been thinking of getting a GP this is the month.
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Post by adara on Mar 2, 2004 17:24:33 GMT -4
"they can be companions for buns...although some people don't approve of the mixed species relationships"
It's not because it's mixed species, it's because 95% of the time the guinea pig gets badly bullied and hurt by the rabbit >_<
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Post by dosergirl on Mar 2, 2004 19:27:53 GMT -4
i would have to disagree Adara, the reason (and i've asked and researched with bunny rescues and gp rescues) is merely interspecies mingling.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Mar 2, 2004 22:45:42 GMT -4
February was rabbit month, right? Now March for cavies.
OK, so where do we find out about the GP/rabbit together issue? As the bun is so much larger I would figure the GP would get pushed around. (??). Do rabbits need a companion? (I am not getting a second rabbit)? Do cavies?
So, what would one need for a GP? Is a big tank OK, or must it be a cage? Can they be kept solitary or must they be in pairs and groups? Do they (and can they) be let out to roam around? (All these questions are why I started the care sticky thread). i would not mind having a GP, if feasible.
BTW, I was told today by the fellow who promised me the degus that rabbits do NOT use cages with multi-levels and ramps, and that what I have is in reality a ferret cage. True?? (Poppy negotiates the levels well enough).
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Post by dosergirl on Mar 3, 2004 2:33:06 GMT -4
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Mar 3, 2004 9:22:52 GMT -4
Two GP's in a cage, or 20 gallon tank? What kind of habitat is best?
The GP/rabbit thing I will read up on more, later. Sounds intriguing. Although I doubt if I'd ever add a GP to that cage you saw. (What would you think about that?).
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Post by adara on Mar 3, 2004 16:23:04 GMT -4
Dosergirl in many cases I have heard of and seen, the guinea pig has been severely bullied by the rabbit, sometimes to the point of starvation because the rabbit wouldn't let the guinea pig eat.
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Post by dosergirl on Mar 3, 2004 16:40:15 GMT -4
well i think a common problem is that peple feed the two together, which should not be done anyway because they have different nutrional needs. i have seen the pairing work well everytime in my personal experiance. Astrid is way too dominant for a gp which i know. she is alpha girl in the house (well really i am)
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Mar 3, 2004 22:44:40 GMT -4
Dosergirl in many cases I have heard of and seen, the guinea pig has been severely bullied by the rabbit, sometimes to the point of starvation because the rabbit wouldn't let the guinea pig eat. And where exactly was the human during all this?? Obviously, paying no attention? Even if the human was not present all the time (as obviously he/she could not be) with enough food why couldn't the cavy eat? Was the bunny guarding it 24/7? Couldn't the food be put in different places? I was at the pet store today, and the fellow I have long known and who has had rabbits for many years said it would be no problem putting them together, but he did say I should feed them BOTH GP food, not rabbit food. (?).
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Mar 3, 2004 22:50:36 GMT -4
well i think a common problem is that peple feed the two together, which should not be done anyway because they have different nutrional needs. i have seen the pairing work well everytime in my personal experiance. Astrid is way too dominant for a gp which i know. she is alpha girl in the house (well really i am). So Astrid could NOT socialize with a cavy? If you feed them at different times, how do you stop the other from trying to eat at the same time? Also, you have seen my cage. It likely is about 3'x3'x3' Maybe a little longer than 3' on second thought. It seems big enough for this rabbit, but will it also be big enough for a rabbit and a cavy? The petstore also gave me a better estimate on her age (Poppy's). Closer to 6-8 months rather than "3 or 4". You've seen her photo; can anyone tell from ear size and other factors? I was told that was possible to do. Oh yes, I was also told today ramps are no problem for bunnies.
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Post by adara on Mar 4, 2004 8:02:02 GMT -4
DF: Sometimes it's not exactly obvious when an animal is being bullied by the other. Usually the bullying would occur when they were out in the run or put to bed in the hutch. People can't usually be with their animals 24/7 and some less experienced people might not realise the signs. A lot of vets aren't that experienced with small animals either and may put weight loss etc down to something else.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Mar 4, 2004 23:13:14 GMT -4
I figured bullying might be obvious by:
1. Loss of weight.
2. Injuries or merely an unkempt look.
3. Timidity or even fear around the other animal, and a lack of interaction between them.
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Post by dosergirl on Mar 4, 2004 23:54:43 GMT -4
i feel the same way...that i would definately notice bullying. i AM with my animals nearly 24/7 because i haven't worked in a year...due to a repetive stress injury....i think i would like to try a gp or two at some point but unless i happen upon one on the sidewalk it's not in the forseeable future.
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Post by jeannie on Mar 5, 2004 0:12:36 GMT -4
DF, why don't you just adopt another rabbit, rather than a Guinea Pig?
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Mar 5, 2004 1:18:24 GMT -4
Because the the cage probably (?) is too small for two - imagine a 3x3x3.5 cage.
Because I have been told by people who know rabbits it is more likely two rabbits would squable than a rabbit and GP.
Because it might get problematic letting two bunnies lose around here (one is hard enough). This is especially so as they don't especially like being picked up (bunnies, that is).
I don't have any cavies and I always wanted one (but if I got one I think it should not be kept solitary).
(I await word on the degus, and am still undecided on the dwarf issue: one or two? If no degus, that is).
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