People want many things in life. Some people want a rabbit, while others want a cat. However, what would be the best option for you if you choose between the two?
While you could not be pressed to say that the topic of which of these two would make for a better pet has been asked nearly as much as something more iconic, like dogs and cats, the parallels between rabbits and cats are much more linear. Some of their traits might surprise you in how closely they can present themselves in your daily lives.
In most people’s eyes, one of the most basic ideals you could gravitate towards that would define whether or not a pet is right for you would be how it expresses its love towards you (assuming they do love you in the first place, cats can be fickle, mind you). Still, many things can define this love, whether long stares, settling near you, or the apparent cuddling and rubbing against you.
This article will explore which animal is best for you and your lifestyle choices. We will discuss appearance, habitat, diet, and much more. Now, let us get into the nitty-gritty details!
What Is the Difference Between a Rabbit and a Cat as a Pet?
While there can be a wide variety of differences between these two adorable creatures, we’ll boil their biggest differences down to seven key elements and explore those in greater detail so that you can more easily gleam which of these fluffy friends can seamlessly weave themselves into your household dynamic and make your life better for the additional member.
1. Appearance
Regarding appearances, rabbits and cats can appear relatively the same if you observe them sitting down and eliminate their ears from the equation. However, upon closer look, you’ll find they have some notable features that can pull on any heartstrings.
Rabbits
Most rabbits have relatively short hair, with ears that droop down to their sides or stand up high above their heads, aptly listening for any would-be threats in the wild or their loveable owners in domesticated rabbits. These fluffy friends can come in many different colors and sizes depending on their breed, with eyes that can vary just as significantly. Amongst albino rabbits, the most unique colors are red or pink.
Buns are also notorious for having tiny faces that culminate with a little pink or brown nose that occasionally flares when they take in the scents of their surroundings. These adorable noses help to further pronounce the cuteness of their cheeks, which can puff just as much when happily gnawing on hay while observing their surroundings.
Cats
In the same fashion that rabbits can significantly alter amongst different species, cats get further expression in terms of appearance when considering some breeds being hairless or having fur that can come in long strands, making them appear opulent or mysterious. These key differences can be even further exaggerated by beautiful color patterns on their fur and eye colors that shift from vibrant blues to relaxed browns and hazels.
Regarding physicality, typical domesticated house cat breeds are about the same size. Still, specific species, like the Maine Coon cat, can get as large as a small dog, with a luxurious fur coat that lends further credibility to their regal behavior (or cat entitlement if you prefer to view it that way). Regardless, these incredible animals can captivate your heart with dazzling fur patterns, expressive faces, and puffed lips, making their silly faces and reactions alluring.
2. Diet
A well-balanced diet can lead to a happy and long life, but what that diet consists of can have a significant effect on your animal’s behavior and how it interacts with you and its surroundings. It can even affect how often you’ll need to clean their enclosures or litter boxes (yes, rabbits can use litter boxes as well).
Rabbits
The dietary needs of a rabbit can easily be taken care of by endorsing a well-balanced pellet formula that can be easily obtained from a local pet store. Still, suppose that isn’t your speed, and you want more of a hands-on approach to your pet’s nutritional needs. In that case, you can go all out by dicing up various vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, kale, bell peppers, and even dandelions, adding other filling hay like Timothy, Oat, and Alfalfa to help balance things.
You can additionally give your rabbits small treats between meals or help reinforce good behaviors by sprinkling in things like dried fruits, bananas, and even watermelon. However, you’ll need to be very careful about doing this in moderation, as most fruits are high in sugars (especially for rabbits) and can easily lead to obesity and health problems if they are given too liberally.
Cats
If left to their own devices, cats aren’t too picky about what they will or won’t eat. In the wild, they are predatory hunters, capable and cunning enough to capture almost anything that is roughly their size and not an immediate threat. As predatory animals, they are obligate carnivores, meaning that to some extent or another, they should have access to meat in their kibble or directly from cutlets (a little expensive, but to each their own).
In most households, cats will enjoy a balanced meal from a preferred kibble brand and get dried meats as a treat, in much the same way a rabbit would get access to them, either because you want to give them one or you want to instill certain behaviors, regardless, giving your cat special treats will help forge stronger bonds with them, and allow them to remain healthy for longer, so don’t skip this step.
3. Behavior
Here, we enter a realm where these two animals begin to diverge from one another more formally. Cats typically lead a life that is more flavor of the day (or moment, depending on the cat), whereas rabbits can have a wide array of emotions. However, the disparity between them is much less erratic.
Rabbits
Rabbits are typically very docile by nature. They are usually on the lookout for potential threats, or if they have no such concerns, they are simply relaxed and observing their surroundings. They occasionally get excited and playful or extremely content and affectionate after receiving a tasty treat or seeing their favorite person.
Unfortunately, not all behaviors are innately good, and rabbits can experience temperamental mood swings if they are feeling overstimulated, threatened, or scared. These mood swings can make them fidgety or moody, with a penchant for biting at people or sprinting away to a “safer” location where they can gather themselves before coming out again.
You must never handle your rabbit when it displays any of these behaviors or callsigns. They may thrash about in a desperate attempt to escape the situation and may end up hurting themselves severely in the attempt. So be patient and mindful, as they are delicate creatures after all.
Cats
Feisty and zesty are two terms that can summarize a cat’s overall behavior in equal measure. Cats are naturally extremely curious, hence the timeless phrasing of “Curiosity killed the cat.” However, they are also prone to express their satisfaction and displeasure equally depending on how the mood strikes them.
When noting a cat’s latent curiosity, it can go from completely relaxed and napping to highly focused and playful within seconds if given its favorite toy or even something as basic as a good string to slap at or chase. These interactions give way to profound bonding moments, inspiring a deep connection with its owner and potentially leading to some special displays of love.
A happy and content cat can be observed by staring at you and potentially lowering its head, closing its eyes, or giving you its stomach. These are all signs that the cat is comfortable exposing its weaknesses to you and trusts you to be safe, showing strong bonds.
Alternatively, however, cats are also capable of expressing extreme hostility in a multitude of ways, from deep, guttural growls, hissing, swatting, and even making their fur stand on end in an attempt to make themselves appear bigger and more menacing to outright aggression, from biting and scratching. Typically, you’ll know when a cat wants some space long before it attacks you.
4. Habitat
Where your animals live can mean just as much as how they live, as the key differences can quickly add up to how often they see you and how deeply they have bonded with you (or how much opportunity they’ve had to do so, primarily geared at outside pets).
Rabbits
A standard rabbit enclosure can be as basic as a cage with hay as a foundation and a few special toys dotted around the landscape. Still, it can also be something much more vibrant and natural, simulating a free-roaming environment without the need to observe what is happening in the area constantly.
The closer you can get to make your rabbit’s enclosure or living area replicate its natural surroundings, the better glimpse you can get at it’s true nature, and the more likely you are to form a stronger bond with it, but this isn’t to be confused with the surroundings being purely decorative, as their very lively hood is based on survival, so form over function is the name of the game in most cases.
Adding anything that is aesthetically pleasing, is done more so to your benefit, and not the rabbit’s, as they don’t rightly care, and truthfully, the decorations themselves can become dangerous if your rabbit attempts to climb over them, or the object falls onto the rabbit, so simplicity is the best choice in most cases.
Cats
Because cats are so intuitive and intelligent, they can thrive in some of the most unique environments ever, being resourceful enough to procure their food if they have access (and capability to do so, meaning they aren’t de-clawed), and nimble enough to both hunt and evade potential threats, there aren’t a lot of settings a cat won’t thrive in, provided the area isn’t naturally dangerous to exist in.
Bearing that in mind, you won’t need to cater your home to your cat very much, but you will want to try and fulfill your cat’s innate needs and desires, as those can be much more troublesome. For instance, cats need to keep their claws trimmed or stimulate them by clawing at things.
While this may not seem like a big deal, they can either fill this desire on a purchased scratching pole that you’ve trained them to use, or they can do it on the side of your bed, or perhaps a new couch, curbing these behaviors is more the issue than providing them with specific environments that make them happy in most cases.
5. Grooming
Being filthy isn’t something most people would be able to abide by, and whether it is people or animals, grooming is something that should be taken quite seriously, whether it be stemming off potential diseases or infestations, it’s good to stay in a clean state, which is something both of these animals handle quite remarkably.
Rabbits
Cleaning your rabbit’s cage differs quite significantly from your need to aid the rabbit in cleaning itself, primarily because rabbits do an exceptional job of grooming themselves without any direct involvement from us. You only need to lend a helping hand if something is going wrong with your pet’s health or they are unable to do so. You can aid them with a good brushing, assuming they are open to the idea, of course.
One primary example you can consider is if your rabbit is so old that it is having a hard time reaching a particularly nasty clump that has accumulated on its bottom. In this case, you can help it using either a wet wipe or even a damp rag, but under no circumstance should you consider bathing your rabbit.
Attempting to bathe your rabbit can lead to any number of complications and issues, from simple things like their skin having a poor reaction to your soap of choice to them becoming outright traumatized by the experience and lack of control. Your best choice is to leave your rabbit to clean itself unless your vet directly tells you otherwise.
Cats
Yet another opportunity for these two pets to differ from one another (although not too dramatically, all things considered): cats, much like rabbits, do a fantastic job at grooming themselves. They do so in a very passionate and lengthy manner, covering every inch of their bodies that is accessible to them and leaving only the inner parts of their ears and backs of their necks directly out of reach.
Despite this, there are a handful of reasons you may want to clean your cat, such as the onset of fleas or particular odors emitted by your pet. Regardless, you’ll want to use gentle, cat-friendly shampoos that won’t irritate your cat’s skin or potentially damage its coat. No matter what, you want to keep said soap away from your pet’s nose, mouth, and eyes.
Finally, you can assist your cat in grooming much like you can a rabbit by giving them a good brushing. Most cats enjoy these brush sessions, and they can even become regular expectations. Your cat may even attempt to return the favor by grooming you (much to the dismay of their owners, unless you enjoy the scraping of a cat’s tongue, of course).
6. Lifespan
Unfortunately, lifespan is a major differing factor between cats and rabbits, with rabbits living significantly shorter lives than cats. However, this does not mean the quality of those lives is less. These differences in time can be very heavy on the heart when their times do come to pass, so it’s definitely worth knowing before making your selection.
Rabbit
The average rabbit lifespan is anywhere from three to nine years depending on the particular breed you go with, whether or not the rabbit was domesticated, and how much effort was put into your rabbit’s dietary routine. Still, assuming all it’s other needs are met, these are the timeframes you can typically expect.
Notably, you can extent the duration of a different species of rabbits expected lifespan by doubling down on it’s nutritional needs and ensuring it is getting enough exercise for all of its internal organs to remain healthy, and they avoid unnecessary stress and hardship from living in deplorable conditions, or other pets that might scare them, causing elevated heart rates, and potentially causing additional health complications in the long run.
On the note of dietary needs, you mustn’t attempt to buy your rabbit’s love and affection through sugary treats, as this may make the rabbit enjoy your presence more in the short term, the rabbit will end up paying the price for this overload in sugars in the long run.
Cats
Amongst cats, you can expect to see them reach a ripe old age of thirteen to even twenty years old, assuming you take fantastic care of them, keep their nutritional needs in check, and give them ample opportunity to stretch their legs and play, keeping a healthy lifestyle and environment for them.
The easiest way to do this is to regularly supplement your cat’s kibble with dried fish or chicken, either as treats or simply mixed in, and have your cat chase toys around or even play amongst other cats around your house. These energetic moments will keep your cat in peak condition and help contribute to its long, happy life.
One thing to be aware of, however, is that in much the same way that a rabbit can indulge in too many sugary treats, a cat can be prone to overeating. Be it putting too large of a portion too regularly in their bowl or not off-setting their food intake with regular activity, your cat can quickly become obese, and while this is fluffy and can make them more cuddly (due to laziness), it isn’t good for their health.
7. Health
It only makes sense to discuss both of these animals’ overall health needs and expectations after speaking on their lifespans. Moreover, we’ll touch base very briefly on some of the most concerning complications that can arise and how you can effectively combat them.
Rabbits
As far as rabbits are concerned, some of their most prominent issues arise directly from the foods they intake and, more importantly, struggle to digest. Now, these issues can manifest over time or through direct exposure to food, but the best way to stem them is to be very vigilant about what kinds of foods your rabbit is eating and how often it is eating them.
Other issues that might arise include respiratory infections, which can be caused by poor enclosure cleanliness or direct exposure to dust, allergens, and other stimulants that can either block the airway or irritate it. Finally, skin issues crop up usually when chemicals or other problematic materials make direct contact with the skin.
One final aspect that needs to be kept in check when thinking about owning a rabbit is their dental needs, which can become a serious concern when left unchecked. This is why it is absolutely vital to allow your rabbits to have toys or spare hay that facilitate constant gnawing and supplement these actions with checkups from their vet.
Cats
Because cats are much more prone to exploring and engaging in mischievous behavior, they are far likelier to be exposed to something that can directly injure them, like falling onto something or eating/smelling things that irritate or damage their internal organs.
Aside from obvious dangers, more subtle issues can arise in your cat that may occur even before they are born, like the onset of flea infestations, for example, which can be passed directly from mother to kit at birth.
Taking your cat to the vet to get them inspected for flea and worm infestations and to get the proper medications and treatments for both is imperative to your cat’s health in the long run. Your cat can easily get several diseases or overlapping issues from both of these pests, which dramatically reduces your animal’s life expectancy and quality of life.
Can Cats and Rabbits Live Together?
Assuming you like to dabble in hypothetical scenarios, yes, rabbits can live together. However, the likelihood of this situation playing out smoothly, with the rabbit never falling prey to the cat or, at the very least, being threatened or scared by it, is incredibly unlikely.
In the interest of both animals leading happy and safe lives, it’s better to choose one or the other or keep them directly separated at all times, with no possible chance of them entering one another’s enclosures. Even if a cat cannot physically reach the rabbit, it can hiss, growl, and swat at it, increasing your rabbit’s stress levels and impeding its well-being.
Are Rabbits as Clean as Cats?
Yes, because both animals can technically go without bathing or outside help. They are deeply fascinated by keeping themselves well groomed, and free of gunk and parasites (to the best of their ability).
What Are the Pros and Cons of Rabbit Care?
The biggest pros to rabbit care come with the understanding that they are usually confined to an enclosure, meaning you only have a definitive area that you’ll be expected to clean. Most rabbits only like going to the restroom in certain corners of said living area, so they are easier to care for by default.
As far as cons go, rabbits are very hesitant and nervous by nature, being quick to frighten makes bonding with them very hard for some people, and the inability to have a physical connection if your rabbit just doesn’t like it can be very disheartening to certain owners, even prompting them to regret their pet choice at times.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Cat Care?
Because cats are natural survivors, you don’t have to do much to ensure your cat lives a great life. If you provide for their nutritional needs and give them several toys and options to play with, perhaps a companion to chase around the house, you don’t truly need to interact with them that often, making your relationship as intimate or hands-off as you desire.
In much the same fashion, because cats are daredevils and prone to getting into literally everything both above your head and beneath your feat, they can become an absolute nightmare to restrain from going into problematic areas or accidentally knocking things off shelves and the like. Never mind the potty training era, where kittens can run under a couch, use the restroom, and nobody knows for days, potentially.
Final Words
After all is said and done, you’ll ideally want to select a pet that matches your specific love needs and guarantees you ample time to give the pet itself the care. Attention it desires on a regular enough basis that it can lead a full life, while not conflicting with your life as well, with any luck, you can now make a far more educated decision on which of these small bundles of fluff will fill out your family dynamic perfectly.
