Winter Rabbit Care

[Davie_GLA]

Afternoon all.

We have a mini rex rabbit in a hutch outside and i'm concerned he'll freeze to death outside. Am i overly worried? I haven't got a cover for the hutch yet but can get one if that's the solution. I'd rather not bring him inside on account of noise and mess.

[Animal]

Ours live outside: as long as their hutch is wind-proof it should be fine. We put a sheet down over the front at night to minimise draughts/water/snow. We give them plenty of hay and they're fine. If it gets really cold (we were -18c earlier this year) then we'll bring them in for the night and put them in a cat carrier or dog cage.

[Simpo Two]

What about a small tube heater, as used to stop greenhouses and boats from freezing?

[Mubby]

Have to admit mine came indoors from Oct - Mar as I cant bare to think of them being so colg

[The Highway Man]

My 2 are spoilt, they have their own insulated shed with heating and lighting. It's nice cleaning them in the warm and dry during the winter.

[Planet Claire]

Animal said:

Ours live outside: as long as their hutch is wind-proof it should be fine. We put a sheet down over the front at night to minimise draughts/water/snow. We give them plenty of hay and they're fine. If it gets really cold (we were -18c earlier this year) then we'll bring them in for the night and put them in a cat carrier or dog cage.

This. I had rabbits up until I was about 20 and mine all lived outside. Just a bit of plastic sheeting to pull down to keep the rain/snow out. In later years I did used to take their hutches into one of our stables over winter (probably more for me to stop me getting too cold/wet when feeding/cleaning them).

[bexVN]

Is he on his own? If so he is going to be a very lonely bunny during the winter months when it gets dark early :-(

Lots and lots of straw in his bed area and face away from the wind and use a plastic sheet over the front will all help, check water twice a day to ensure not frozen.

Btw rabbits need not be particularly smelly and I don't consider them noisy. You should consider it esp as he can't huddle upto another bunny for warmth. (I had a lone bunny, he didn't like others but I usually brought him in in the winter as he couldn't have so much garden freedom and I wouldn't spend as much time with him if I didn't)

[Animal]

bexVN said:

Is he on his own? If so he is going to be a very lonely bunny during the winter months when it gets dark early :-(

Lots and lots of straw in his bed area and face away from the wind and use a plastic sheet over the front will all help, check water twice a day to ensure not frozen.

Btw rabbits need not be particularly smelly and I don't consider them noisy. You should consider it esp as he can't huddle upto another bunny for warmth. (I had a lone bunny, he didn't like others but I usually brought him in in the winter as he couldn't have so much garden freedom and I wouldn't spend as much time with him if I didn't)

We've got 4 - 3 in one hutch and one all by herself (the others bully her too much to put them all together). We're trying to get her a friend at present, but as an interim measure I've given her a large (3 times her size) Tigger toy as a surrogate. It's sort of worked: she's eaten his face off to make herself a small bed!

[Superficial]

Davie_GLA said:

Afternoon all.

We have a mini rex rabbit in a hutch outside and i'm concerned he'll freeze to death outside. Am i overly worried? I haven't got a cover for the hutch yet but can get one if that's the solution. I'd rather not bring him inside on account of noise and mess.

He won't freeze

By now he will have built up a winter coat and bringing him inside could easily cause him to overheat so he's better outside at this stage. You can't just put indoor bunnies outside, or outdoor bunnies inside in the middle of winter.

Get a cover to give some protection from the elements and load the hutch up with lots and lots of hay for him to snuggle down into. You can also invest in a snugglesafe which is like a hot water bottle for animals and once heated will stay warm for 10 hours. Porridge (made with water not milk) can also be given as an occasional warming treat. The best thing you could give him though would be another bunny friend both to keep warm with and for social interaction.

[littlegreenfairy]

My two are saying that nothing less than a carpeted area under a radiator will possibly do.

And there MUST be a good selection of rabbity treats available at all times and a human to nuzzle cold ear tips.

And boots to stop the cold getting in paws when they venture outside for a sniff.

[Mubby]

littlegreenfairy said:

My two are saying that nothing less than a carpeted area under a radiator will possibly do.

And there MUST be a good selection of rabbity treats available at all times and a human to nuzzle cold ear tips.

And boots to stop the cold getting in paws when they venture outside for a sniff.

sounds familiar

[P101]

I find it so sad that people still keep rabbits in hutch's in this day and age. A hutch is way too small to accommodate a rabbit. In the right accommodation a rabbit will take care of itself, no matter what the climate. I feel guilty about how we keep ours, and they have a 9 by 4 meter run.

[littlegreenfairy]

A rabbit can take care of itself?!!

Mine never got that memo.

'muuuummmmmyyyy I has itch I can't be bothered to scratxh' 'bring food to me, too slleeepppyyyy to

Bunnies are very misunderstood creatures and have fantastic personalities if given space and attention.

[P101]

littlegreenfairy said:

A rabbit can take care of itself?!!

Mine never got that memo.

'muuuummmmmyyyy I has itch I can't be bothered to scratxh' 'bring food to me, too slleeepppyyyy to

Bunnies are very misunderstood creatures and have fantastic personalities if given space and attention.

Yes pretty much, they can. Apart from Myxi and vhd jabs, regular vetenary care, the correct environment, fresh straw grass's, hay etc, they can and do look after themselves. Rabbits do exist in the wild you know. I'm pissed.

[bexVN]

P101 said:

littlegreenfairy said:

A rabbit can take care of itself?!!

Mine never got that memo.

'muuuummmmmyyyy I has itch I can't be bothered to scratxh' 'bring food to me, too slleeepppyyyy to

Bunnies are very misunderstood creatures and have fantastic personalities if given space and attention.

Yes pretty much, they can. Apart from Myxi and vhd jabs, regular vetenary care, the correct environment, fresh straw grass's, hay etc, they can and do look after themselves. Rabbits do exist in the wild you know. I'm pissed.

Such an old fashioned view. Rabbits are completely at our mercy when we keep them as pets. They may be forced to deal with what's thrown at them but they are one of the most poorly kept pets to date. Providing a hutch and food etc is not enough these days, we understand a lot more about them. Rabbits suffer with loneliness. Basically I'd rather have LGF as a rabbit owner than someone who stiffs s rabbit in too small a hutch at the bottom of the garden and then expects the 8yr old child to take care of it. Which happens all too often. I firmly believe cats are easier to keep PROPERLY than bunnies.

Still as you are pissed no problem

Edited by bexVN on Saturday 8th December 07:50

[5paul5]

P101 said:

I find it so sad that people still keep rabbits in hutch's in this day and age. A hutch is way too small to accommodate a rabbit. In the right accommodation a rabbit will take care of itself, no matter what the climate. I feel guilty about how we keep ours, and they have a 9 by 4 meter run.

I agree , ours have free run of the garden and a large shed for shelter, however they hardly use the shed as they have dug holes in the garden and have a mini warren system and are totally happy. Left to their own devices they seem to automatically revert back to the wild. Nothing worse than seeing one in a hutch, or kept indoors in my opinion.

[The Highway Man]

Although my 2 sleep in a hutch, that's all they do. their hutch is always open so they can come and go as they please. My garden is bunny proof and their hutch is in a shed which has a cat flap in the door, so they can get in and out of the shed whenever they want.

[Steve in Stoke]

Mubby said:

littlegreenfairy said:

My two are saying that nothing less than a carpeted area under a radiator will possibly do.

And there MUST be a good selection of rabbity treats available at all times and a human to nuzzle cold ear tips.

And boots to stop the cold getting in paws when they venture outside for a sniff.

sounds familiar

Two snoozing under my living room radiator at the moment as well! They have a litter tray and a hutch in the garden that they dive into if it rains when they are out, but they have no interest in going outside at the moment at all. They sleep indoors all year round.

[littlegreenfairy]

I let my two out for a run yesterday evening and they refused to go any further than the patio (about 4x6 feet) did two laps of it and came back in.

Angered them further today by hoovering their bit of carpet behind the sofa (wood floors everywhere else) and got head butted for my troubles. They are getting terribly terratorial over the radiator behind the sofa!

What are all the bunnies getting for Christmas this year? Xx

[littlegreenfairy]

I let my two out for a run yesterday evening and they refused to go any further than the patio (about 4x6 feet) did two laps of it and came back in.

Angered them further today by hoovering their bit of carpet behind the sofa (wood floors everywhere else) and got head butted for my troubles. They are getting terribly terratorial over the radiator behind the sofa!

What are all the bunnies getting for Christmas this year? Xx