lupine lacuna
Warren Scout
I am worried about my buns. Its really wet and windy at the moment in Guernsey and the inside of their ears feels freezing!!
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How can you tell if your rabbit is too cold?
- Thread starter lupine lacuna
- Start date
tanya_306
Alpha Buck
When my buns were living outside and felt cold I gave them extra blankets and hay as well as a heat pad. Like this one ....
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/cat-accessor...-626_325/snugglesafe-heat-pad-and-cover-p-250
Make sure that the inside of their cage doesn't get wet as they will get a chill. When it is cold and wet you may also want to put a cover over the front of the cage for some extra protection.
Thought I should add... if your rabbit has been outside all year he/she will have grown a winter coat that will help to keep warm.
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/cat-accessor...-626_325/snugglesafe-heat-pad-and-cover-p-250
Make sure that the inside of their cage doesn't get wet as they will get a chill. When it is cold and wet you may also want to put a cover over the front of the cage for some extra protection.
Thought I should add... if your rabbit has been outside all year he/she will have grown a winter coat that will help to keep warm.
Hoppit!
Wise Old Thumper
Yeah, you can tell by their ears. I highly recommend a hutch cover, lots and lots of thick straw and a snugglesafe. How big is the hutch? It needs to be at least 6ft x 2ft x 2ft, and preferably 2 or 3 tiers so they can hop up and down and keep themselves warm that way. Do you have a garden shed you could convert into a bunny palace?
lupine lacuna
Warren Scout
I have one of the big happy hutches, with an attached run, only because of the rain I think their wet feet made their bedding area a bit wet too. First thing I need to do is a igger rain cover for the run I think. But I know what changes I am going to make, what I wanted to find out is how can I actually tell if the bunny is too/dangerously cold?
Last year my buns went through their second winter with temperatures dipping to -18. They were absolutely fine as they had loads and loads of bedding and the hutch was covered up to minimise draughts. If you bury your hand into their fur and hold it there you should feel the bun's heat. It should feel warm. If its lips are not pink and it doesn't feel warm when you try the 'under the fur test', bring it into a warm place (a back porch) with a wrapped hot water bottle.
Their ears are used to get rid of excess heat and sometimes they are cold but the rabbit is perfectly OK. You need to feel for body heat.
Their ears are used to get rid of excess heat and sometimes they are cold but the rabbit is perfectly OK. You need to feel for body heat.
If they're used to being outside, bunnies can cope with the cold very well as long as they're somewhere dry and free from draughts.
The ears aren't always a good gauge of body temperature as, when it's cold, bunnies will try to conserve heat meaning the extremities (such as the ears) will feel cold to the touch. If you part the fur on their body and feel, they should still be quite warm.
The ears aren't always a good gauge of body temperature as, when it's cold, bunnies will try to conserve heat meaning the extremities (such as the ears) will feel cold to the touch. If you part the fur on their body and feel, they should still be quite warm.
lupine lacuna
Warren Scout
Thanks very much everyone.
If you cover up to stop draughts, how do you stop the build up of condensation? One of my buns is really bad a weeing everywhere and in the enclosed bit of the cage I have seen a little bit of mould developing up the wall....
If you cover up to stop draughts, how do you stop the build up of condensation? One of my buns is really bad a weeing everywhere and in the enclosed bit of the cage I have seen a little bit of mould developing up the wall....
