HOW CAN I MAKE SURE MY RABBIT ISN’T TOO COLD IN WINTER?

Copyright Alan Pitchford

The simplest way of keeping rabbits (and guinea pigs) warm and their bottles unfrozen, is to move their living quarters indoors or into a shed or unused garage (not a used garage because of car fumes) during cold weather. Any temperature lower than –7 degrees centigrade may be dangerous to rabbits but temperatures above that but below freezing may cause them discomfort if the hutch is either damp or the prevailing wind blows into it. It’s vital that any outdoor hutch is dry and weatherproof with plenty of hay. If you have a damp hutch you should buy a new one anyway. The ideal temperature range is 15-20 degrees above freezing. Put bubble wrap round the water bottle but the nozzle may still freeze in really bad weather. So change the water bottles five times a day to make sure the rabbits get enough unfrozen water. In an emergency, you can keep the hutch temperature higher by insulation at night. Staple heavy duty polythene between two broom handles and use this to cover the hutch. Put both broom handles under the roof, with clips for both, letting one hang down in front like a blind in severe weather. During the day roll up this bottom broom handle and put it back into the clips. Fix a blanket between the front of the hutch and the polythene at night. If the hutch is covered in this way it MUST be uncovered every morning. You can also keep the rabbits warm at night with a SnuggleSafe microwave heat pad available from www.snugglesafe.co.uk They are wonderful for humans too) It’s important to follow instructions, not to overheat, and to cover the device with cloth as well as hay so it cannot burn the rabbit. They are firm plastic discs but it is possible you might rig them up in some way near the bottle. In any case they will raise the hutch temperature in general. A reader writes " I have made wooden panels for the front of my hutches, attached by small swivel pegs for use at night. The cap left by the water bottle on the door leaves enough ventilation. I then drop the plastic sheeting over the hutch with a wooden strip stapled on to the bottom to give it some weight." CAN MY RABBIT GET TOO HOT IN SUMMER? Yes. If the desired temperature is between 15-20 degrees above freezing then any temperature above 20 degrees will begin to stress a rabbit. Getting too hot is probably more dangerous for a rabbit than being too cold. They can’t pant or sweat to et rid of the heat. At 28.3 degrees they get dangerously hot. This is why shade must be provided in the run. Hot hutches also make a rabbit vulnerable to fly strike and good hygiene is essential in hot weather. Daily cleaning out of all dropping and soiled material is a must. A rabbit’s bottom should be checked twice daily and Rearguard used.