Although you can buy specific cooling mats for rabbits, damp towels also work well and can be easily moved between a hutch and a run. On very hot days, you could even lay a large, damp towel over their hutch to create a cool, calm sanctuary for your rabbit.
All domesticated rabbits like blankets and pillows in the home. You'll likely be tempted to place similar items in your pet's hutch for added comfort. Blankets and towels are great additions to a rabbit's home. Just avoid old, threadbare blankets with holes as paws can be trapped.
Their fur usually protects them very well, but they lose that shield when they are wet. For this reason, rabbits will often have severe skin irritation that could even lead to an infection. Rabbit skin is also delicate enough when wet that it can tear more easily. A small cut can turn into a large wound very quickly.
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.
Avoid getting your rabbit wet.
Baths are not necessary for rabbits and can potentially lead to shock from the sudden contact with water. In addition, rabbit fur does not dry off quickly, making it more likely they will develop hypothermia and shock when they are wet.
The most common symptoms of a dying rabbit include a lack of appetite, a loss of strength, and erratic movements. Other signs will vary depending on the cause of death, and sometimes you will not notice any symptoms before a rabbit passes on.
As far as digestive upsets are concerned, the commonest killer of rabbits under 12 weeks of age is mucoid enteritis or associated digestive conditions like bloat, and gut stasis.
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. Make sure the pillows and blankets you provide your rabbit are safe.
A rabbit's bedding must keep them safe, comfortable, and warm. Rabbits often eat their bedding, so it cannot be toxic. Shredded paper, Aspen shreds, specialist litter or pellets, and hay are all safe options.
The majority of pet rabbits will not require any bedding in their enclosure. If you keep your rabbit indoors (which I always recommend), then bedding is unnecessary except when it's used as litter in a litter box.
Since rabbits lose heat through their ears, you can lightly dampen them to speed up the cooling process. If your rabbit is comfortable with it, you can use a spray bottle to mist their skin, or simply use a wet cloth or your hands to dab their ears.
Rabbits do not require routine bathing and in fact frequent washing, either with or without shampoo, strips the rabbit's fur of its natural oils, which helps to keep the rabbit's coat in good condition. Bathing is also extremely stressful for rabbits and has many potential and serious dangers.
If you blast your bunny with a jet of water this could not only be harmful if you catch areas around the eyes, nose or ears, it could also be stressful and your rabbit could develop aggressive behavior towards you or become antisocial and timid.
Hold rabbits gently but firmly - ensure one hand supports their back and hindquarters at all times. Help them feel secure by holding all four feet against your body. Never pick rabbits up by their ears - this would be extremely stressful and is highly likely to injure them.
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.
Private space. Apart from eating these droppings, rabbits are extremely clean animals and like to have their own 'bunny bathrooms' - dedicated areas in their hutch for sleeping, eating and toileting.
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.
Rabbits don't have the same sleep cycles as humans. On average, a person will get 8 hours of sleep a night. Rabbits on the other hand will wake up periodically during the night and catch up on sleep during the day. They have to be awake at night in order to stay alert against attacks from predators.
When your bunny is snoozing, he lies on his stomach with his back legs behind him stretched out or sideways. You may even see him sleep upright. If your bunny is upright and you want to know if he's sleeping, check his ears. If his ears are folded down on his head, that's a sign he's asleep.
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.
While some rabbits may like them, the very plush beds are generally too soft and bunnies may pee instead of nap on them. We recommend trying the flatter ones first. Towels/Blankets/Rugs: A cheap, washable alternative to beds are 100% cotton towels, rugs, or fleece blankets.
The domestic rabbit, also known as the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), are prone to a multitude of infections that may cause them to die suddenly. Pathogens that may cause mortality in rabbits include those which are bacterial, viral, and protozoan.
Let Him Say Goodbye
Allow your rabbit the opportunity, if possible, to say goodbye to his mate by giving him time alone with the deceased rabbit's body. Many times the surviving rabbit will sniff, nudge, groom, and even hop on their mate.
What is Floppy Bunny Syndrome? Floppy Bunny Syndrome is a condition that usually presents with acute onset of generalised weakness or flaccid paralysis of the body, resulting in the rabbit's inability to hop around or, in severe cases, not do anything but lie on their sides.