Help! My Kitten Was Attacked

[cihanthepanda]

okay so our big rabbit, who i have now given away, as im very upset
attacked our kitten because it was eating what it thought was its food

ive had bunnys and kittens for years now, always played together no problem

anyway the rabbit who is one year old, dug its teeth deep into the side of the kitten
literally bitting away about 2 inches in length of fur, exposing its flesh, and a big scratch there

no blood is dripping, but it looked absolutly gruesome

i immeditaly bandaged it over, and ive kept the kitten in a safe, relaxing area by itself with plenty of sleep and food (this happened about 18 hours ago)

but i just felt so sick looking at what the rabbit had done to the kitten, it was really squirmish

have i done the right thing, and how long will it take to heal
as theres a sizeable patch of fur yanked out, exposing the kittens flesh

ps i still have my little friendly bunnys, but i will never be leaving them alone with my kittens again

 

[Boo_with_buzz_and_woody]

poor you i expect that was very traumatic as you have both rabbits and kittens i highly praise for you too have a animal first aid kit it has lots f useful thing sin it such as eyedrops and badges to a lot more you can get them from numerous's kits from different vets but i recommend Pinfold very they have the best kit its well priced and a lovely veterinary place

 

[danteshuman]

Poor kitten. I would keep an eye out for infection. Cats can get abscesses. In which case she will need to go to the vet.

 

[danteshuman]

I stand corrected. Your kitten needs a vet/antibiotics. (I'm assuming a bunny bite is just as bad as a cat bite for spreading bacteria under the skin.)
Cat Abscess Treatment Tips From a Veterinarian

 

[cihanthepanda]

thanks for your replies
well the rabbit who is one year old has always been a home rabbit, never gone outside
so hopefully that massively reduces any risk of it carrying an infection to give to the kitten

second of all, the wound looked really squirmish, like a patch of fur ripped right off revealing just red skin, which had a scratch and a bite mark, and some white dots around it which looked like skin tissue
immediatly i bandaged it up, so theres no flys/ or anything that can get to it

also, ive kept the kitten in the spare room, on a blanket, resting with lots of water and food, to minimise any movement

is a patch of fur completly puled off, normal? and what is it im looking at, its flesh or just skin without fur

 

[daisyd]

I'd take the kitten to the vets !

 

[mokapi]

It is never a good idea to keep rabbits and cats together, as you've learned in a very hard way. Predator and prey animals can have what you might think is a positive relationship, but I've seen multiple instances where an owner thought that their rabbit was having "fun", when in all actuality the rabbit was displaying fear/distraction/evasion tactics toward an animal that it recognizes as its predator. Be careful to not anthropomorphize your pets in this way.

Other than using their very strong teeth, if your cat and rabbit were to begin wrestling, a rabbit can very easily eviscerate a cat by using their extremely powerful hind legs to literally rip open the cat's stomach. I've seen this before...more than once, actually.

Additionally, a cat bite can kill a rabbit, as cat's have bacteria in their saliva that is particularly dangerous to rabbits.

Definitely get your kitten to the vet!

 

[cihanthepanda]

It is never a good idea to keep rabbits and cats together, as you've learned in a very hard way. Predator and prey animals can have what you might think is a positive relationship, but I've seen multiple instances where an owner thought that their rabbit was having "fun", when in all actuality the rabbit was displaying fear/distraction/evasion tactics toward an animal that it recognizes as its predator. Be careful to not anthropomorphize your pets in this way.

Other than using their very strong teeth, if your cat and rabbit were to begin wrestling, a rabbit can very easily eviscerate a cat by using their extremely powerful hind legs to literally rip open the cat's stomach. I've seen this before...more than once, actually.

Additionally, a cat bite can kill a rabbit, as cat's have bacteria in their saliva that is particularly dangerous to rabbits.

Definitely get your kitten to the vet!

i just feel so shocked
as ive let the kittens and bunnys be friends for ages now
and i will be taking the kitten to the vets tomorrow
i never realised rabbits were stronger than cats

 

[daisyd]

I think with animals the only way they can show their emotions is to snap sometimes ! Even 2 cats and dogs and cats can do that ! I've heard rabbits can get quite aggressive ! I only ever knew them in hutches when I was a child (in the 80s) never had house rabbits then - not that I recall ..

 

[cihanthepanda]

thanks everyone
can i also ask, how long approx would a wound where its fur has been ripped off, revealing its skin
how long would the fur take to grow back
we arent talking about a trim of fur i mean its literally an entire small patch ripped out

 

[mokapi]

thanks everyone
can i also ask, how long approx would a wound where its fur has been ripped off, revealing its skin
how long would the fur take to grow back
we arent talking about a trim of fur i mean its literally an entire small patch ripped out

Fur will grow back in time, don't worry about that-- probably just a few weeks, max.

I'm sorry this happened to your kitty...both rabbits and cats are wonderful pets. I'm sure it was hard for you to give up your bunny. It's difficult as an owner to think that your pets would ever do this to one another; many of us see our multiple animals as "siblings", but animals of different species rarely have that level of camaraderie 100% of the time. It's the most dangerous with predator/prey animals. I cringe when I see pics/videos of dogs with rabbits, guinea pigs, chicks, etc.

 

[cihanthepanda]

Fur will grow back in time, don't worry about that-- probably just a few weeks, max.

I'm sorry this happened to your kitty...both rabbits and cats are wonderful pets. I'm sure it was hard for you to give up your bunny. It's difficult as an owner to think that your pets would ever do this to one another; many of us see our multiple animals as "siblings", but animals of different species rarely have that level of camaraderie 100% of the time. It's the most dangerous with predator/prey animals. I cringe when I see pics/videos of dogs with rabbits, guinea pigs, chicks, etc.

yes i had that rabbit (angela) for over a year
she was lovely but as she got bigger, she started to be more agressive, and claw whenever touched

she had nipped the kitten a few times before but more an ``out of my way`` sort of thing

when i took my headphones off and saw it literally on top of my kitten with its claws stuck right into the side of its stomache, i was horrified

literally right then, any compassion for angela went out of my window, i put her in a box with some hay, cellotaped it up, made some holes in the box, took it round to my sisters who will keep it in a segregated hutch, and that was that

i still have my cute bunnys who are around 2 months old, and they look very sad for the kitten and keep trying to snuggle up with it

im really hoping this was a one off, but i know that had i not intervened, the rabbit would have killed the kitten thats what horrifies me

 

[nansiludie]

Is your kitten eating and drinking ok? I would be worried about the kitty going into shock. I am trying to determine in your posts did the fur just get ripped out or did any skin actually get torn as well?

 

[cihanthepanda]

Is your kitten eating and drinking ok? I would be worried about the kitty going into shock. I am trying to determine in your posts did the fur just get ripped out or did any skin actually get torn as well?

it is eating
but moving slowly and seems in pain if i touch it
thats why i made sure it was fully bandaged in the affected area
and making sure it doesnt move around much

 

[nansiludie]

That is good but I agree with the others, as soon as you can, she really needs to see a Vet.

 

[kittens mom]

I kept housebunnies for many years. You have heard nothing until you hear a rabbit snarl. Prey species are not passive. If the kitten was new the rabbit might have been showing some territorial behavior.
The kitten needs to see the vet. Danger of abscess and it should have something for the pain.

 

[catcrazycanuck]

I had a rabbit when I was a child (about 12). I cared for her and loved her but she could snap and be rather mean. She was from wild rabbits only a generation or two back. She scratched me and bit me (not too hard) but when she tried that back leg kicking thing I didn't trust her. They look so cute. I was shocked a rabbit could be like that. She was my only rabbit. I agree with others about not putting the two species together anymore. Not worth the risk! Hope your kitten is ok.

 

[_spadekitty]

I'd take the kitten to the vet for pain meds, an antibiotic (just in case), and so someone can properly clean and bandage the wound.

Its going to need breathable bandaging to heal, and a good scrub to make sure its clean and as sterile as possible. I imagine the cat is in pain as well, sounds like a nasty wound.

I work at a clinic and we had a dog just the other day with a wound on its leg from imporper bandaging (a pressure sore). It got infected and the dog may have to have the leg amputated now. Not trying to scare you, just stressing why its important to get the kitten to a professional

 

[Purr-fect]

After reading the other posts, I agree....your kitten should see a vet.

There are several issues I see as a non medical professional........ possible infection, physical treatment of the wound, the fur around the wound might need to be shaved to prevent it from growing into the wound and infecting it, measures might need to be taken to prevent the kitten from licking the injury and possible pain medication.

You dont want to have regrets latter.

 

[Purr-fect]

And I should add......sorry for the loss of your pet rabbit. You lost a pet and had one injured....not a great day.

But I suspect your kitten will recover fully.