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Author: Sarah Giers
Rabbits do well both indoors and outdoors, but
they cannot handle certain weather extremes.
Hot Weather
Rabbits do not handle hot weather well at all. To them, 80
degrees is hot. In order to prevent your rabbit from suffering
in the heat, there are several things you can do.
1. Make sure it has fresh, cool water throughout
the day.
2. Put water in plastic soda bottles or milk
jugs and freeze them. Place one in the cage and the rabbit
will lean against it to stay cool.
3. Make sure the rabbit's hutch or cage is
fully shaded.
4. Set up a mister system or a fan near your
bunny's cage.
Those things will generally keep your rabbit cool enough.
However, be on the lookout for signs of heatstroke. These
include heavy panting and wet mouths.
Another side affect of heat is in reguards to breeding rabbits.
Bucks may go temporarily sterile, especially older bucks.
Does may refuse to breed or loose litters.
Cold Weather
Rabbits usually handle cold weather a lot better than they
do hot weather. So long as they are kept out of the wind and
are kept dry, they usually do fine. However, if they are not
used to cold weather, or are particularly sensetive to it,
there are some things you can do to help.
1. Provide hay for them to eat and to dig
into. The hay will create extra calories for them to burn,
which makes more body heat. They will also nest in it, trapping
body heat close to them.
2. Be sure they have fresh water at all times.
If the water freezes, get the ice out and give the rabbit
fresh water. Ice is not enough for a rabbit. Do not give them
warm water, as that actually freezes down faster than lukewarm
water does.
3. If you do bring your rabbit inside, do
not put it in a warm room. Keep it in the coolest room you
have, or when you take it back outside, the temperature change
will be a drastic shock on its system.
4. Place tarps or blankets over the hutch
or cage, leaving a corner open for fresh air. This helps retain
the rabbit's body heat in the cage, increasing the temperature
a bit.
Sunlight
Rabbits cannot handle direct sunlight for very long at all.
Just a few minutes in full sunlight can kill them. It causes
them to overheat rapidly. Make sure your rabbit always has
a shaded area that it can get to.
Rain
A wet rabbit is a rabbit that is more prone to getting ill
or dying, especially if there are drafts or there is cold
weather. Keep your rabbit out of the rain, and make sure it
does not get wet. If it does get wet, dry it off right away.
A little water on the surface of the coat will not harm the
rabbit, so long as it has not reached the under layer of fur
called the "undercoat." If it has reached the undercoat,
some serious
drying will be needed. If that happens, also watch for signs
of illness in the next few weeks.
Wind
Drafts are one of the most common weather-related killers
of rabbits. Make sure your rabbit is out of drafts, or at
least has a place where it can get out of drafts. Wind chill
can be very deadly.
About the author:
Breeder of show rabbits for 11 years, member of the American
Rabbit Breeders Association, and fan of all types of animals. |
