Question:

Dear Budget Bunny,

I’m thinking about getting a friend for my bunny, but I’m not sure I want another bunny. I have researched online and many articles say to get a guinea pig. I have never had a guinea pig before so I don’t know their behavior. Do you think I should get a guinea pig to bond with my rabbit ? Why or why not ?

Thank you so very much,

G

Answer:

Hi G,

This is a great question so I’m glad you asked it! In the past it was considered acceptable to house bunnies and guinea pigs together but now that we know more about both types of animals, it’s not the best decision for either species. Guinea pigs have different dietary needs then rabbits so although they both eat hay they would each need their own food. It would be extremely hard to monitor this if both animals were kept together. A rabbit could also easily injure a guinea pig. Rabbits have very strong back legs and a good kick (even unintentional) could easily hurt a guinea pig’s delicate frame. Rabbits also tend to be territorial (especially an unneutered or unspayed one) and again could really injure a guinea pig if he/she tried to mount the much smaller piggy. Any kind of bullying or cage aggression would also put the guinea pig at risk. Finally, I’ve always believed that the best companion for your pet is one of the same species. A rabbit is the only friend that will really understand another rabbit’s behaviour. No matter how close a bunny and guinea pig may seem, they still won’t be able to effectively communicate with one another.

Hope that helps in your decision making!