Reader Question: Can Cats Mate with Rabbits?

Q: Is it possible to mate a cat with a rabbit? I have a black and white cat that is 6 months old. His back feet are large and he can stand on them for the longest time. He moves his mouth in the same way a rabbit does when he is eating.

A: Rabbits and cats cannot mate any produce viable offspring, even if they tried, for a number of reasons. Only members of the same species can mate with one another and produce offspring. Cats and rabbits are more than just different species. They are members of entirely different orders. Cats are carnivores. Rabbits are lagomorphs. They are simply too far removed from each other, evolutionarily, to be able to mate successfully. Plus, cats and rabbits have very different mating habits. Female cats are induced to ovulate by the barbs at the end of the male cats penis. Male rabbits have smooth penises. Without the barbs, the male rabbit could not stimulate the female cat to ovulate, so there would be no egg for the rabbits sperm to fertilize.