Indoor heating and rabbits

I have a rabbit indoors. He was outside until last week, but his friend Johnny died last week and we had to bring Moriarty in to keep an eye on him to make sure he did not catch the same infection that my other rabbit had. It has gotten too cold to put him back out as he is only about 16 weeks old. His cage is on a worktop but I have heating (radiator) underneath, will it be too warm for him or should he be alright. With the weather getting colder the heating will soon need to go on. There is no where else to put him and he does come out of his cage for quite a bit during the day.

Would it be fine or would he be fine to go back outside now?

I'm afraid it's not suitable to have him near a radiator. Rabbit's can suffer quite a lot when they get too hot. They only really have their ears as a way of cooling.

I also think it's too cold to be moving an indoor rabbit outside again :?

Can you find some kind of nook or cranny to put his overnight cage in? Under the stairs or something?

He may have to go at the top of the stairs, underneath is only a very small cupboard which is too dark and filled with c**p. Thanks for letting me know.

I'm not 100% sure, but if he's only been inside for a few days then would he not be alright to go back outside? (If that's what you would prefer of course)

I can understand that indoor rabbits shouldn't be put outside at this time of year because they won't have a nice thick fur coat but if your bun was outside until a few days ago then it should have already started adjusting to the cold. I would appreciate other's views on this though, as it's just my thoughts.

If you put the bun outside you'd have to let him adjust slowly - ie not putting him out at night straight away. I think it can probably be done, but I am not 100% sure due to the age of the bun.

Dusty is indoors and does hang around near radiators, but she doesn't have a cage so can move away. Heat rises too, so to have a cage above a radiator would possibly be worse.

Could you just turn off that particular radiator that he is on top of?

That's what I have done with the one in my room (I have a cage in front of it) and my room doesn't get that cold, yes, cooler, but not cold.

The radiator does not turn off and is the only heat source within that room, so it can get really cold without heating as it has a concrete floor. He was only brought in due to the other rabbit dying, however he has only been inside a week at the moment.

He had also only been outside for two weeks when the other died. He has lovely thick fur which did thicken up. I would prefer for him to be outside as I think getting fresh air is better.

How do other people weather proof and keep the hutches warm. Pets at home charge a fortune for there covers, especially as I have three hutches. I will be using tarpaulin for the rain, but what can I use that is low cost for warmth. (Could I use bubble wrap or something else, I have no old carpets)

I would put him back outside as soon as possible. I think dry and warm indoor air is probably more dangerous to a bunny than the cold outside air. If he has a winter coat already, then he should be fine. Maybe you can ask at your local rescues, if they have a suitable girlfriend for him, then he has someone to snuggle up to. In the hutch and run combo we attach perspex on three sides and on the lid in winter, to block out some of the cold wind.
We made our own hutch protection. We bought big sheets of perspex and cut them into the same size as the front of the hutch. Then we made a wooden frame for them, and we hang or stand the perspex "window" in front of the hutch at night and in bad weather. The bunnies can still look out, but the rain can't get in. We make sure that there is a small gap between the frame and the hutch, for ventilation.
If it gets really cold, then we sometimes put some extra blankets over the hutches. But the bunnies don't seem to mind the cold, they almost always sit in their run, and if I give them lots of hay and straw, then they push it in one corner and prefer to sit on the bare wood.

tesco do a foil warm cover thing im not sure wha its meant for but its really snug like a hutch hugger... think you might need a few though dependant on size of hutch. some people put buns into a shed in winder.. i put foam and cusions on top of hutch and put blankets over teh top i also fill it deep with hay and straw and layers of newspaper at the bottem there is a box inside the hutch to ofor a snug little hidey hole. i heat them up a blanket in the winter on the radiator and put it in huch to snuggle to mum puts hot water bottles wrapped in towels and covers insure hutches to keep warm too.(tho hers are in a building outside as well. when its freezing(snow adn frost in the minuses i often bring my 2 inside overnight i let them outdoors during the day but i only do it when its really really cold.at moment tehy are happily outside adn its only ever one or 2 nights usually at a time. i dobnt put radiators on near them and they have thick coats so should be fine x

Thanks but we already use perspex, but with all this rain and I do worry about my rabbits. We are just waiting to get him a new friend, I was offered a rex but thought it was too big as he is only a mini dwarf lop.

silverfox said:

Thanks but we already use perspex, but with all this rain and I do worry about my rabbits. We are just waiting to get him a new friend, I was offered a rex but thought it was too big as he is only a mini dwarf lop.

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if you do get him a friend then make sure both buns are neutered first. ideally a male and female usually bond easiest. they wil lneed to be onded on neutral territory as otherwise fights will ensure. just be wary bout bonding until you have everything set up and know what is ok and not( ie humping fur pulling chasing normal lock on is a fight they need seperating) good luck tho bun size doesnt usually pose a mjor problem if you got o arescue he can choose his wife to be too !x

silverfox said:

Thanks but we already use perspex, but with all this rain and I do worry about my rabbits. We are just waiting to get him a new friend, I was offered a rex but thought it was too big as he is only a mini dwarf lop.

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Size doesn't really matter when bonding bunnies, it's the character that is important. And the size of your hutch, of course. I have a mini lop, and his girlfriend is a medium sized lop cross, they get along fine.

Bubble wrap is probably quite good for insulation, but it doesn't look very nice, and you would have to weigh it down well.