Rabbits should be protected from bad weather as well as strong sunlight or changes in temperature. This includes your rabbit's living area and run. Outdoors, a cover, blanket or piece of old carpet or other insulation material could offer added protection on cold nights provided there is enough ventilation.
Blankets/Polar fleece – Blankets are a soft material that allows your bunny to dig, dig, dig. Polar fleece is the only safe fabric for buns, because the fibers are short enough that they will not cause digestive problems. Pile these in front of your bunny and let him dig to his heart's content.
Blankets and towels are great additions to a rabbit's home. Just avoid old, threadbare blankets with holes as paws can be trapped. Ensure your pet is not swallowing large amounts of fabric. Do not wrap your rabbit in a blanket.
Rabbits enjoy sleeping on soft and comfortable materials. Consider providing your bunnies with pillows and blankets. Some animals may require extra bedding cover during winter. However, avoid providing your rabbits with too many blankets and pillows because the bunnies can quickly overheat.
We recommend a good quality soft straw as the ideal bedding for warmth and comfort, particularly for outdoor rabbits. It's warm because the hollow strands trap warm air and it's also absorbent. It's important to understand the difference between hay and straw.
Bedding should be provided to give your rabbit extra insulation, somewhere to hide and something to nibble on. It should be clean and dry and should also be safe for your rabbit to eat. Hay and straw can be used. Wood shavings are not suitable as bedding material.
You should also try to avoid wood shavings or pine pellets. Paper pellets are a good option, as is shredded paper or straw. You'll only need a thin layer of litter at the bottom. funnily enough, rabbits like to "poo and chew" so make sure there's also some hay within easy reach!
Your rabbits need deep bedding of shavings or Megazorb under their bed of plenty of straw. Straw is warmer than hay because it's hollow and provides more insulation. Buy good-quality soft straw that's not spiky or dusty, such as barley straw.
Wild and most domestic breeds of rabbits have warm fur coats and most breeds have thick fur pads on the bottoms of their feet; these are natural adaptations to help them survive cold conditions. Wild rabbits live in underground burrows, where the temperature is kept relatively constant.
Mother rabbits do not “sit” on the babies to keep them warm as do some mammals and birds. They build a nest with fur and grasses which helps to keep the babies warm in between feedings.
Cookies, nuts, seeds, grains, and bread should not be fed to rabbits. "Cookies, nuts, seeds, grains, and bread should not be fed to rabbits." Fruits can be fed in very limited quantities – no more than 1-2 tablespoons of high-fiber fresh fruit (such as apple, pear, or berries) every 1-2 days.
Many bunnies enjoy cuddles and affection
You can bond with your bunny by relaxing at home and petting them quietly. When they're enjoying a good cuddle, they'll “chatter” by clicking their teeth together. Bunnies are super-soft, and many will love cuddling with you as much as you love cuddling with them.
The best places to pet a rabbit are their forehead and behind their ears. The cheeks and strokes down their backs are also good spots. But rabbits dislike being pet on their bottom, feet, chin, and underside.
Very young or old rabbits, or those with medical conditions, should be kept indoors because they may not be able to tolerate cold temperatures even with modifications to their hutches and diets. Temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit may be too cold even for healthy adult rabbits.
Avoid Sawdust
Don't use sawdust for your rabbit's bedding. Sawdust gives off dust, which can cause respiratory problems. Also, the sawdust from some types of wood can contain chemicals that can harm your rabbit. Sawdust can also get into your rabbit's eyes and cause damage there.
Due to documented links to cancer risk and enzyme alteration, pine and cedar wood shavings should not be used. If you've already bought safe bedding such as aspen shavings, paper bedding or paper pellets, you can use that in your rabbit's litter box instead of lining the bottom of the cage.
Rabbits need protection from extreme temperature and bad weather in all environments (including living areas and outdoor runs). The recommended temperature range is 10 to 25°C. Outdoor hutches should be covered with a blanket or carpet on cold nights (taking care not to block ventilation).
Rabbits can handle the cold very well as they usually have thick fur and pads on their feet, but strong winds and damp environments can make them very uncomfortable. Their hutch should be dry and warm, and there are many things you can do to ensure this.
These include their ears, that twitchy little nose, and their toe pads. These are helpful spots when you want to check the health of your rabbit. Their noses may always feel chilly due to their breath, but you can touch a bunny's ears or feet to see if they're too warm or too cold.
Normal rabbit body temperature is between 101-103°F. If their temperature drops below 100°F, they are at the beginning stages of hypothermia. If your rabbits has hypothermia and can't keep their body temperature up, wrap them in a towel to keep them warm.
Bunnies don't sleep at night and stay up during the day like humans do, either. They are crepuscular. Yup, there's that word again! It means they're most active at dusk and dawn.
It is fine to cover more of the hutch during the night but you should still leave a small area open for ventilation. Add extra bedding for your bunny to snuggle into. This can be lined underneath with newspaper for increased insulation.
They sleep about 12 to 14 hours a day, according to the Ohio State University website. The most active times for rabbits are early morning, night and dusk. The rabbit is quietest during the day, usually between noon and four in the afternoon.
No they don't! Rabbits themselves are very clean animals with odourless fur and they fastidiously groom themselves all day. Only their urine smells so as long as you keep their living area clean (spot clean every few days and a full clean-out once a week) you shouldn't have a problem.
This is because buns like to mark their territory, and if a space smells unfamiliar, they claim this space by 'marking' it - i.e. leaving their scent in the form of their pee and poop.