Keeping cool?

Both of my buns are outdoors, in separate spaces, and while Roo is fine, William has been miserable with the heat. His hutch and run are covered in white sheets, for shade and to reflect the sun. I’ve been periodically soaking the sheets with the hose to try and cool it down a little. I’m also changing his water bottle for cool water, but he’s not drinking an awful lot.

He’ll eat plenty of greens, which I’m washing and leaving wet, but isn’t fussed on his pellets and just picking at his hay.

Is there anything more I can be doing for him? He usually enjoys sunbathing, but it’s just got a bit much lately! I know you’re not meant to wash rabbits, but could I maybe wet his ears or something?

capable said:

Both of my buns are outdoors, in separate spaces, and while Roo is fine, William has been miserable with the heat. His hutch and run are covered in white sheets, for shade and to reflect the sun. I’ve been periodically soaking the sheets with the hose to try and cool it down a little. I’m also changing his water bottle for cool water, but he’s not drinking an awful lot.

He’ll eat plenty of greens, which I’m washing and leaving wet, but isn’t fussed on his pellets and just picking at his hay.

Is there anything more I can be doing for him? He usually enjoys sunbathing, but it’s just got a bit much lately! I know you’re not meant to wash rabbits, but could I maybe wet his ears or something?

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https://www.rabbitawareness.co.uk/2017/06/15/too-hot-to-handle/

I have been brushing cool water onto my boys ears a few times a day, putting ice cubes in his water to keep it cool longer and just making sure that he stays hydrated. Soaking herbs in water before feeding them and making sure there are plenty of drinking spots around so he doesn’t have to go too far seems to be working.

I have a bunch of tiles around the house and in his area for him to lie on, I keep some constantly in the freezer and just rotate them out. He loves chilling out on these during the day so I think they are helping. I got each one in different textures to keep it interesting in the hope it would encourage him. Some are marble, some are stone, and some are ceramic like zigzag or hexagonal patterns which I find good for putting on top of blankets or soft furnishings as they mould to the shape.

We get hot summers so I’m nervous about keeping him cool!

This might be useful for outdoor bunnies. I had this cement (I think) tube which I used as a play tunnel for years. A man down the pub stole it from a building site for me when I got my first bunny :lol: That was always cool to the touch, it just didn’t seem to absorb heat, placed in the shade especially it was a nice cold and dark hiding space. I loved that thing, it was passed along all my bunnies and they all spent so much time in there.

I was going to bring it to Canada when I moved but it was dropped and cracked when we were getting our stuff together for the shopping container I’ve gone to a bunch of home improvement stores and checked out building sites at night, and I can’t find anything like it, it all seems to be plastic tubes over here :roll:

What about some cool tiles?

Mine are usually ok but are all struggling dreadfully today

I picked up a couple of granite paving slabs which I put in the fridge in a plastic bag (the garage is now too hot to keep them cool) but the bunnies don't seem to care for them. I wet Lopsy last night (mostly just his ears) but Aboleth hates it. I also doused the run and sprayed the dog crate a bit. They sit in the dog crate a lot because there's a lovely breeze down the corridor between the garage and house, and especially now the gate's missing a few panels which I've chicken-wired over, it can be quite cool there.

ETA: Lopsy's loafing under the stool in the playhouse and Aboleth is sploofed out by the tube entrance in the playhouse too (I can only see her feet), so it can't be too bad right now