# Cat scratched bunny, what to do?



## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Oh, gosh. I have a rather complicated situation here involving our new cat and our bunnies and need the advice of cat people. This is long, so sorry in advance.

We adopted Declan, a stray from the shelter, last week. We think he is our former neighbor's cat, who loved their pet bunny, but there's no way to know for sure. This was not an impulse adoption, my husband and I have talked about adopting a cat for about 4 years now and I've done lots and lots of research on cat care as well as having cats and rabbits together.

Declan was neutered last Thursday and is a very friendly cat. When we adopted him, we did it with the understanding that he could only stay if he did not harm our pet rabbits, which live in cages in our living room. Thankfully, cats and bunnies can get along surprisingly well, so our hopes were high. Before we adopted Declan, I contacted a local cat rescue that I've been working with and asked them if they would take him if he did not get along with the rabbits because I absolutely did not want to return him to the shelter. They very kindly agreed.

Declan has been spending time with the bunnies since and has spent the rest of his time in the bathroom because the vet said to keep him contained after his neuter. The first evening, he just spent 15 minutes in the living room, then about 2 hours total the next day, and has spent about 6 to 8 hours in the living room the other days. He has done well with the bunnies. Looks at them occasionally and sniffs a little, but no stalking behavior. 

I have not left Declan with the rabbits at all and the bunnies have been in their cages when he is out. It is our goal to slowly get them all used to each other, and eventually let Declan have free roam of the house when the bunnies are in their cages. He would never be left alone with the rabbits out of their cages if no one was in the room to supervise.

There have been no issues with him and the bunnies until a couple of hours ago. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure what happened! I was sitting on the couch watching TV and Declan was playing in a cardboard box full of packing paper that I had sprinkled with cat nip. He was having fun. The box was about 4 feet away from the cage of Rory, my 5 year old rabbit who is VERY aggressive with other rabbits but has not tried to bite Declan or anything so far (side note: I've read that aggressive rabbits often get along fine with cats). I was not specifically watching Declan since I could hear him scrunching around in the box of packing paper. 

Suddenly, Rory dashed up to the top level of his cage making a lot of noise in the process, and Declan ran across to the other side of the room. At the time, I didn't think much of what happened since Rory does that sometimes, and I didn't think Declan was near him. 

However, a few minutes ago I put Declan back in the bathroom and got Rory out for a snuggle. I immediately noticed 2 small wounds on his face. One is about half a centimeter long under his nose and has scabbed over. Doesn't look super deep, but it had bled some. The other was just a little scabbed over dot about half a centimeter diagonally under the bigger one.

My question is, what the heck happened? How did he get this? All I can assume is that Declan scratched him when I thought he was playing in the box, which caused Rory to thunder upstairs and scared Declan. I suppose there's a tiny chance Rory could have scratched his face on something else in the cage, but it's highly unlikely since this has never happened before and he's been in the same cage for 5 years.

What do you all think happened? What would you do? I definitely don't want to part with Declan if nothing really happened, but I absolutely cannot have a kitty that is a danger to the bunnies. This was their home first and they deserve a safe home. I'm afraid if I wait, something worse will happen, and don't know if I'll be able to trust Declan around the bunnies at night and when we aren't there (when they are in their cages), or when they're out of their cages and playing. The bunnies are out of their cages a lot and it would hardly be fair to keep Declan locked up and away from them, or not let the bunnies out to run around. So wish I knew exactly what had happened!!!

Most likely we will give Declan another chance and hope it was a one time thing. We really like Declan and want him to stay with us. I will keep a very close eye on him, especially around Rory. Thought I was doing that already, but it's very hard to keep your eyes 100% on a cat for 8 hours a day!

Thanks for any help!


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Have Declan's claws been trimmed recently? If not, I'd start there...typically trimming every two weeks is sufficient, but you could nip the tips every week. Another alternative would be Soft Paws nail caps.


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Doodlebug, his nails were trimmed on Thursday so it was just a week ago. I was originally going to buy Soft Paws for Declan, but my friend said not to because it upsets the cat and makes them much more likely to resort to biting. I would prefer that Declan scratch one of my bunnies instead of bite them if it comes down to that!!


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## OSCARSMOM (Jul 6, 2012)

Perhaps Declan was "under the influence" of the catnip? I couldn't give catnip to Oscar and Felix because in the middle of their fun with the catnip, they would start attacking each other! Felix actually scratched Oscar's nose once and they never did that to each other normally. It was just too much stimulation for them. Maybe Declan reacts to catnip the same way.


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Oscarsmom, that had occurred to me, too! Maybe no catnip for Declan for a while. 

In any case, I talked to my husband and Declan will definitely get a second chance. We are really, really hoping this was a fluke. We have become very fond of Declan in the past week and want him to have a fantastic home, which we would surely provide him since we are devoted, loving, and committed pet owners. I feel like a huge jerk for even considering adopting him under a contingency plan, but it's really the only way to go about it in our situation with the bunnies. The cat rescue had even promised to give us a month long trial period if we adopted one of their cats so we could make sure it got along with the bunnies, but things go kind of differently when you adopt from the shelter! We wanted to save poor Declan and give him a loving home and so took the risk of it not working out, but made sure he would go to a good place if it doesn't.

And of course I'm kicking myself now because after it happened and I thought Declan had just been startled by Rory, I went over to Declan and picked him up and cuddled him. Way to positively reinforce bad behavior!

Okay, it just occurred to me that this could have happened another time, too: Right before I put Declan back in the bathroom, I put his new collar on him. This resulted in much thrashing about. I kind of herded him into the bathroom so he wouldn't accidentally scratch one of the bunnies (he even came close to scratching me since the collar with the jangly tags confused him so much!), but I suppose Cyclone Declan could have passed by Rory's cage even though I don't remember him being over there.

Regardless, we are very hopeful that this was a one time thing and everyone (cat and rabbits alike!) will behave themselves in the future!


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

Catnip makes my cat Tugs mean... so he's not allowed to have the nip  actually I don't bother with it with any of my cats, except for what is already put in toys, and Tugs can't have those particular toys...


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

Scabs indicate a prior wound, not something that occurred in the past 12 hours, just FYI.


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

As with doodlebug, I would suggest trimming claws and using Soft Paws. He will adjust to having caps on fairly quickly. I don't think it would make him all of a sudden start biting.


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## muggyscugglemeyer (Dec 1, 2010)

Personally, I would keep a close eye on Rory's scratches because cats and bunnies both can be hotbeds for bacteria, and you don't want to deal with an infection.

I've seen cats react differently with catnip. Some vege out, some become the most loving creatures on earth and some get a bit scratchy. More than likely, Rory got a bit curious about what Declan was doing (anyone who has owned a bunny knows that curiousity isn't just a cat-killer) and Declan took a swipe at him. It could have been a playful thing, or he might have been concerned that Rory was planning to poach some nip. Either way, I don't think he would have scratched the bunny if he hadn't been under the influence.


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Momof4, I don't know, in my experience with bunnies, injuries scab quickly. I inadvertently picked off a bit of Rory's scab and it had re-formed within half an hour or so.

I will be sure to keep the catnip away from Declan for the time being. Did not know it could make them scratchy! And I will keep an extra close eye on him, especially around Rory. Whatever interaction they had must have been very quick and not very dramatic.


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## OSCARSMOM (Jul 6, 2012)

Rory has had a few weeks to think about this. He palmed a nail file when he was out of his cage. In the middle of the night, while you were sleeping, he sharpened a piece of metal in his cage. Then he bided his time. When "that cat thing" was in the room, he waited for you to look away, used the sharp piece of metal to quickly self inflict a scratch on his nose, and then created a commotion so you would notice him, thereby placing the blame squarely on "that cat thing".:lol::devil:lol:


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Oscarsmom, that's so funny! I read it aloud to my husband and we laughed and laughed 

Does anyone have experience with Soft Paws? A friend of mine told me not to use them because the cat will just resort to biting first, but another friend who used to work as a vet tech and met lots of cats with Soft Paws says that's not true. She pointed out that the Soft Paws would prevent Declan from scratching the bunnies while we train him how to act around them.


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

Kittybuns said:


> Momof4, I don't know, in my experience with bunnies, injuries scab quickly. I inadvertently picked off a bit of Rory's scab and it had re-formed within half an hour or so.


Ahh semantics. Here is what we use in the clinic:
A blood clot can dry out quickly on an abrasion or laceration. When wet, the blood clot will often leave a red spot on gauze. It can look similar to a "scab," but forms in minutes.
A scab has granulation tissue forming under it, with the graduation tissue becoming the new skin, which may include a visible scar. Though it can become gelatin-like when wet, it will dry out and harden again, eventually flaking off. 
And I only commented on this because I was thinking the injury was older than you originally thought - maybe, it happened from another cause, several hours before.

In my experience, soft paws were a pain to put on and keep in place. They didn't remain in place long enough to be worth the hassle for us.


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## coyt (Jul 15, 2012)

I'd also suggest trying to wear him out before letting him near the bunnies. get a toy like da bird, a wand style toy with feathers or a sparkly mylar attachment.

swing it around a LOT, get Declan running around, jumping, etc. he eventually will be panting. then give him a treat (or feed him his meal if it's meal time) and then let him near the bunnies. he'll most likely be so worn out he won't bother them at all


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Momof4, okay, I think I get what you mean. Scab or not, the blood in the scratch was dried and hard. The potential scratching incident was 3 or 4 hours before I found it (so around 2 am, found it around 6:00). I know it wasn't there the night before because I was cuddling with Rory and he was injury free then.


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

I've used SoftPaws on two of my cats and neither has bit more than before... the one doesn't bite anyway and the other is a kitten so he just bites (thankfully not me anymore!).


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Nothing really to suggest but just a reassurance that cats and rabbits can learn to get on. Some years ago, I had rabbits at the same time a very large, semi-feral cat. The rabbits lived mainly outside - they had a large fenced run about twelve foot wide by 20 foot long plus a hutch for the daytime and a secure unit for when they were out in the night. The cat we had was wonderful with them - better than with other cats - he didn't even take advantage of the fact that one of the rabbits was blind in one eye (unlike the pet jackdow we also had at that moment).


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## kty78 (Mar 18, 2012)

I had cats and rabbits at the same time when I was younger and they got along fine. 

Have you had a cat before, with the rabbits? My theory here, is that Declan and Rory somehow startled each other, and with Rory's jerky movements when he was startled, he may have somehow scratched himself on a cage clip or something. Maybe Declan moved in for a closer look and caught Rory off guard? 

Also maybe Rory really wanted to go play in the box too and was trying to stick his nose through the cage and rubbed a sore, that way? Miley did that in the carrier one time when I took her to the vet. I was worried that she'd have a scar on her nose permanently but the hair grew back. I put neosporin on it.


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Arianwen and kty78, thanks for the good cat and bunny stories!

Declan has been very good with the bunnies since Friday night. He did get behind Rory's cage yesterday, and Rory responded by rushing over aggressively. Declan reacted by high tailing it out of there! Checked both animals over right away and no sign of injury on either. Also, Rory's scratch is all healed now.

Oh Declan did do one slightly disturbing thing. One of our bunnies is in a cage with a translucent base and the cage is up off the ground. He could kind of see her moving around (black bunny) and started batting at the cage base from below. This is the only time I've seen him act like he's hunting. The thing is, he could have easily just stood up on his back legs and looked at her (which he does do occasionally and she runs over and sniffs him, then he wanders off), but he just batted at the bottom of the cage. Honestly, I think he may have been playing instead of trying to hurt her. Thoughts?

He met one of our bunnies tonight. He was lying down on the couch and I brought over one of my girls. Held her tightly and kneeled down so they could sniff each other. They sniffed for a few seconds and then he went back to sleep.


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## OSCARSMOM (Jul 6, 2012)

That sounds like a great first face to face intro. Declan was probably just reacting to the movement and not to the black bunny, so I wouldn't worry too much.

When I had my first cat Smokey, I also had 8 gerbils. I would put a few of the gerbils at a time in the (dry) bathtub so they could run around. Smokey would hang over the side of the bathtub and watch them. He would put one of his paws down and just "pet" them - never any claws or any hunting behaviors. They would run up to his paw as part of their playtime. One day when we weren't home, one group of the gerbils escaped and were in the house with Smokey all day. None of them had a scratch on them! Smokey even led me to the drapes in the frontroom to show me where one of them was hiding. I think they know when other critters are part of their family.


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Oscarsmom, that's so cute!

So we've had a couple of disturbing Declan and bunny incidents. Yesterday I was lying down on the couch and heard something behind me. Turned to find Declan 3 feet off the ground, hanging to the side of Mabel's cage! Mabel is the black bunny who he batted at from under her cage before. Of course I jumped up and yelled, "NO NO!" and he took off. As I'm sure we all know, bunnies are sensitive animals and get scared easily, and Mabel is no different. However, she seemed utterly unbothered by the incident. I didn't really think Declan was trying to hurt her- just wanted to get a look at her, but climbing on bunny cages is a HUGE no no for me. What do you all think?

Then tonight we had another incident that is more disturbing, especially when coupled with Mabel yesterday. I need your thoughts. Declan was sitting on the couch and I came over and sat down with my little Kerensa on my lap. She is the same bunny he met earlier that I mentioned. This is only the second time he has met a bunny when the bunny was not in his/her cage. Declan looked at her a bit, then reached over and batted at her ear (she is a lop so has floppy ears) and his nails were not out. THEN he slowly reached over and bit her ear! It wasn't a hard bite- left no mark and she didn't move at all- but of course I scolded him, then put Kerensa back in her cage. Perhaps she was a poor choice. She is my smallest bunny at just over 2 pounds, and her cage is 4 feet off the ground so Declan never has a chance to really sniff at her. I picked her because she's very calm. The whole thing was odd- Kerensa did not seem frightened at all (I would know if she was scared), and Declan didn't really seem aggressive. The bat at her ear was with claws in, and the bite was so light. What do you all think? Does he want to eat my little girl?!

As you can imagine, between these two incidents, I'm rather alarmed. We've had him a month now and he's been around the bunnies for at least 12 hours a day almost that entire time. I am at home all the time so am always here with him and the bunnies. At night I put him in the bathroom (where his litter box, bed, some toys, scratching post, and food and water are) because I don't trust him alone with the bunnies, even if they're in their cages. After a month of absolutely 0 harassment on his part (up until the side of cage climbing yesterday!), I thought we were getting to the point where I would let him out of the bathroom 24 hours a day and I would sleep on the couch the first week so I could immediately hear it if he started bothering the bunnies. Then my plan was to not confine him to the bathroom anymore and let him be with them (in their cages) even when I'm not home. Now I am concerned this may not work since I really don't want him hunting them while I'm not here! Thoughts?

Sorry this is so long...


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

Well, my cats bat at and nip each other in play, but I can't say for certain whether or not he was trying to play with the bunnies or be aggressive :-/ I think I'd err on the side of caution until you're more sure of his intentions.


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## jadis (Jul 9, 2011)

I agree with minikin, I wouldn't want to say for sure, but when my cats want to engage eachother in play they will slap at the other cat without claws or mouth eachothers ears.

This is Payton trying to get Zoey to play with her:


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## OliverandCo. (Jul 20, 2012)

Keep an eye on the bunny. Bunnies get any bit of dirt in an open wound and they get an abscess. The abscess is hard to deal with be their pus is so thick (like toothpaste). I used to have a mini rex with tooth problems (once she had retrobulbar disease) and so I am very used to dealing with bunny pus. My current bunny is having abscess issues now too. Kitty litter and cat spit would be on the cat's nails when he scratched the bunny- so that worries me a bit. 

In the meantime, cat-proof the bunny cage! lol here's mine: 
I bought the plastic car floor mats at the dollar store.


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