Water bath for bunnies

Hiya

Milly and Molly are so hot today that I thought I should give them something to play in and cool off. I was thinking a shallow water bath. How deep must the water be? How big should the bowl/dish be? Do you think they'll use it?

I would not advise bathing any rabbit or encouraging any rabbit to get wet, rabbits loose heat so quickly that they can go into shock due to suddenly dropping their temperature, fur can also get matted very easily if they get wet. I would also not advise giving them a tray with water in it apart from a bowl to drink out of.

In this heat you are better giving them a sheltered area out of the sun, a frozen bottle they can lie down next to if they wish to do so or a marble slab they can lay on.

we have a ninja turtles paddling pool........for the buns

when oscar was alive he sued to love splashing around it..we filed it high and he swam..we tipped half the water out and he still swam even tho his feet could walk along the bottom...he sat up in it washed his ears inthe water..the works...
bif made him mad cos she kept pooping in the pool...i i had to follow her aorund with a sieve:shock::lol:

bif amazed us..she was indeed a furry mermaid..loved the water round her bum whilst she sat up paws on the pool edge listening to my next door neighbours conversation:lol:

its funny cos shes needed a fair few butt baths since then and her favourite way is for me to put warm soapy water in the nadbasin and she sits with her front paws up on the ledge where the taps are and just sits there and relaxes witht he water lapping round her butt......i havent had to do a deep butt bath for a while but shes so relaxed in the basin....ive never known it in a rabbit! shes the same in an old washing up bowl but not as relaxed...she gets really miffed when i eventually yank her out as shes too comfy in it!

get a cheap paddling pool..think ive seen one for £3.99 somehwhere like tesco online etc...add water enough to cover the bottom therefore their feet..make it room temp or let it wamr up a little outside....hte change from heat to cold water is to much of a shock.

dont forget the bath toys!

i havent used that pool since oscar died...but this summer looks like being a scrocher like it was then 2005 so i think itll be well used by the frenchies and the cats and bif..bandit wouldnt like it at all..hes hell even having a sponge bath for his butt or thwne he had urine scold....

my neighbours offically think im nuts now:lol:

I thought that bathing buns was a big no no, I was told that flies are attracted to the smell of wet fur...this will be a interesting thread, I look forward to seeing what other people do!

well we had twels on standby but it was sooo hot they dried so fast!!

we were with them all the time and didnt notice nay more flies thanusual and they werent swarming the buns but we did have a huge contiental wasp..looked like an overgrown hornet crossed with a wasp...it chased me as usual!

I had a washing up bowl with just cold water in (I was waiting to get Hubby back for soaking me with hose pipe yesterday) and Ellie rather large french lop is now sat in it!!! and won't come out !!!! she is growling at me as if to say leave me here!!! she didn't seem too hot but likes sitting there, not a good idea but as she is a housebunny she will be tucked up warm tonight and i will dry her off when madame gets out!!

When the rabbits are hot, I sponge their ears with cool water (just the outside), they really like it.

Im an ear sponger too and I give frozen bottles as well. They seem to use them if they have a teatowel wrapped around them.

yeah i sponge the ears also and make sure they have shelter they now have the icepod which they love, but a frozen water bottle also does the trick

Rabbits can swim but i would think that the majority would only do so when the are in danger or when they have no other choice. I don't think many would choose to though :?