rabbits & guinea pigs

Question
hi

i have 2 male rabbits who are 3 yrs old and live in the shed (and run around the garden in the evening).

my sister has 2 female guinea pigs who are 4 years old which she wants me to look after for a good while.

Could you please tell me if:

a)They can live together all the time
b)Share food

I have a large cage which the g.pigs could live in in the daytime until i let them out? But id prefer to leave them together if poss? (assuming they like each other in the 1st place?)

also is it OK that the bunnies are male (both neutered)and g.pigs are female (not neutered)?

Thanks

:D


Answer
Dear Marcus,

Most rabbits and guinea pigs get along fine, but introduce them carefully to be sure there are no "introductory scrapes."  Some rabbits harbor a bacterium (Bordetella bronchiseptica) that can be dangerous to guinea pigs, and cause potentially life-threatening respiratory infections.  Not *all* rabbits have this bacterium (which usually does not cause major problems in otherwise healthy rabbits), but it's something to consider.

If they get along, they can live together and share food.  Just remember that guinea pigs need supplementary Vitamin C, which rabbits don't.  They can eat the same types of vegetables and other dietary items:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

For a good overview of guinea pig care, please visit:

http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rar/MNAALAS/GPig.html

I hope this helps.

Dana