Why Guinea Pigs and Rabbits Don’t Make Good Friends

Rabbits and guinea pigs need companionship, but desexing is often required before bonding can take place. The trend of keeping guinea pigs and rabbits together as companions originates from when having them desexed was not particularly safe or common.

In 2024, surgeries in small animals are far safer than they used to be, and a greater number of vets offer guinea pig and rabbit desexing services. It’s now practical for guinea pig and rabbit guardians to keep desexed, same-species pairs or groups.

But why exactly are guinea pigs and rabbits unsuitable as companions?

Different Communication

Of course, if the primary purpose for keeping a rabbit and a guinea pig together is to provide each with social interaction, it is vital to understand that the two species have different methods of communication. They “speak two different languages.”

While guinea pigs are highly talkative, making all sorts of squeaks and chatters, rabbits rarely vocalise. Instead, rabbits mostly use their ears, tail, and the occasional annoyed leg-flick or concerned thump to communicate their mood. The difference in size, even with a smaller rabbit, can result in serious injuries for the guinea pig if an altercation occurs.

Rabbits and guinea pigs know that they aren’t of the same species, because they don’t act like same-species pairs do. A guinea pig or rabbit wants a companion to groom them, sleep with them, eat with them, and that understands their “back off” cues. Although some rabbits and guinea pigs may live peacefully together, they’ll never provide the same connection to each other that a same-species companion would.

Rabbits and guinea pigs are incredibly social, and they truly value having a same-species companion. There is no greater love than between a bonded pair.

Different Housing Needs

Guinea pigs and rabbits are differently built animals of different sizes. They have different environmental needs, because their physical abilities and behaviours are different.

For example, rabbits are excellent at jumping and love to burrow. Guinea pigs, on the other hand, are far less agile. They can’t climb, can perform only a small hop, and are easily injured by falling. In the wild, they prefer to use the burrows of other animals rather than dig their own.

Rabbits need more space than guinea pigs — twice as much, in fact. While some very large cages may be suitable for guinea pigs, they are just not suitable for rabbits. Rabbits also need larger items than guinea pigs, and the practicalities of providing a shared water source, food bowl, toys, and shelter for two animals of very different sizes may mean that neither is having their needs met properly.

Here, you can see the difference in the minimum height of an indoor, open-top enclosure for rabbits (left) and guinea pigs (right). The size of tunnels and hides is also vastly different.

Different Dietary Needs

While rabbits and guinea pigs have similar dietary needs, guinea pigs must be fed quality guinea pig pellets, not pellets made for rabbits. As they cannot produce their own, guinea pig pellets are fortified with Vitamin C. Both species need unlimited access to hay, a moderate daily portion of leafy greens, and a small daily portion of pellets. Guinea pigs will need a much smaller portion of pellets and vegetables than rabbits, which is difficult to ensure in a mixed group.

Guinea pigs absolutely require a source of dietary Vitamin C, and this is not met by rabbit (or rabbit/guinea pig) pellets or low-quality diets. At OOTP, we use Oxbow Adult Guinea Pig pellets.

Different Lifespans & Health

Rabbits and guinea pigs also have different lifespans. While most guinea pigs live for around 5-7 years with good care, most rabbits will live for 10-12 years with good care. Disregarding all other factors, this alone would make them poor permanent companions, as eventually a rabbit with a guinea pig as a companion will be left lonely, requiring the introduction of a new individual.

Rabbits can also carry Bordetella bronchiseptica, a bacteria which is generally harmless to rabbits but can cause fatal respiratory illness in guinea pigs. The two species have different common diseases, and notably, rabbits require regular vaccination against the deadly Calicivirus. Both should have check ups at the vet at least annually.

Conclusion

Ultimately the very best companion for a rabbit is another rabbit, and the best companion for a guinea pig is another guinea pig. We believe that all rabbits and guinea pigs should be desexed, particularly females, and that all efforts should be made to bond them to a member of their own species.

We also suggest adopting from a reputable small animal rescue. This way you’ll either bring home an already desexed and bonded pair, or the rescue can help you pick the perfect desexed companion for an existing rabbit or guinea pig.