Cats might eat and hunt rabbits. They might also get along well if they live in the same household, but, if your cat sees a wild rabbit outside the home there’s a good chance she’ll try to hunt it.
Cats need meat in order to get all their required nutrients. For that reason, you can find several types of animal proteins in cat food including rabbit.
All carnivores have a prey drive which is their instinctual urge to find, pursue, and capture prey. When it comes to rabbits, if a rabbit just walks up casually to a cat there’s a good chance your cat’s prey drive won’t kick in.
There’s a rare, but possibly fatal disease called tularemia that can be transmitted from rabbits to cats. This is why you shouldn't let your cat hunt and eat wild rabbits.
While cats might have an instinctual urge to hunt wild rabbits a lot can change inside the home. Cats and rabbits can get along with the right introductions. Watch out so that a frightened rabbit doesn't trigger your cat’s prey drive!
One of the safest ways to start the introduction is while your rabbit is safe within a hutch or cage. That way the two furry future friends can get used to each other without any real danger between them.