What Should You do with your Rabbits in Winter?

Question

I know I've asked this question before but I didn't get a very clear answer.

What can you do in winter to make sure your rabbits are nice and snug and warm and to make sure they aren't cold?

Answer 1

keep them in the house

Answer 2

Rabbits usually grow thicker fur in winter but just to be on the safe side put some extra bedding in and if they have bars on their cage put some material over it but leave breathing holes just to keep the heat inside.

good luck

Answer 3

I cover the mesh with carpet and then some waterproof sheeting. I also give them plenty of hay to snuggle in.

Answer 4

Definitely Bring the hutch indoors. Not only Can the rabbits freeze but hard weather can break the hutch setting the rabbits loose where they will most certainly become ill or even die. Dont use hay as the rabbits will catch mites.

Answer 5

You could bring them into the house..... Or get a heating pad and put it in the cage or hutch with something on top of it other then a towel. Because the rabbit will have the towel gone in like a week.

Answer 6

I've had rabbits for a long time and live in Chicago -- so they've been outside alot. The best thing to do is to line their cage with hay (like the kind you would feed horses). You jsut put it in their cage and they will make a little nest out of it. They're wild animals so they can stand the cold -- you dont need to bring them inside just give them some insulation. Also, make sureyou check their water frequently because it will freeze.

Answer 7

you don't say where they are now..but if they are in an outside hutch you need to make sure their sleeping area is all enclosed(except for a small entrance,of course)And they have plenty of bedding. And if it is possible to move it, can you put it somewhere that is sheltered from the wind?

I don't know if this will help, i haven't kept rabbits since i was a kid,but this is what i would do.

Hope you find the answer.

Answer 8

i had a bunny that i pretty much kept inside all the time. he had a big cage in my room. he just sorta chilled there. then i trained him how to walk on a leash so he got plenty of exercise. if you keep them inside you don't have to worry.

Answer 9

I live in Canada so as u can imagine, my rabbit has to go through some bad winters. i simply have her inside the house in a large cage. the room is well heated and she is perfectly fine the whole season. I have never once seen her shiver or noticed her being cold. as long as you don't leave the rabbits outside, have heat going on in your house and you give it a good sized age to roam around in during the day while you're out than the rabbits should she fine.

also, don't forget to give your rabbits lots of exercise inside the house because just being stuck in a cage all day is not healthy for them, but i'm sure you know that already

best of luck with your rabbits!  

Answer 10

If it's possible it's best to bring them indoors or put them somewhere where they are sheltered from the cold.

however, it is possible to keep them outside throughout the winter as long as you take steps to keep them warm enough, my rabbits are always outside all year round but, I just take extra care to keep them warm in the winter.

You will need to build their sleeping area up with a lot of straw or insulating bedding as this will hold the warmth in for them. You should make sure that you have a weather shield on the front of the hutch which you can fold down over the doors to keep the wind and the rain out. You need to check their water bottle regularly to make sure it isn't freezing over. You should buy an insulating cover to go over their hutch at night to hold the warmth in the hutch and keep them snug.

If it is a particularly cold winter, I usually put a throw blanket or some old carper on top of the hutch, underneath the insulating cover as this will hold further heat around the hutch.

If you have more than one rabbit they have the advantage of having eachother to snuggle up to to keep warm :)

Answer 11

Just give your bunny more bedding,like straw(this is good for heat,just make sure it isn't prickly) Extra shavings,newspaper.. Just more bedding,or if your really worried about it bring it in! Buy an indoor cage and for the winter have it as a house bunny.

But my bunnies survive perfectly well out side in full freezing winters,all i do is give them PLENTY of snug bedding and about double their normal feed. Barley or oats added to its feed can help as these both are good for warmth horses in winter are often given more barley/oats. I have heard of rare cases of people putting Miniature dogs rugs/blankets on their bunnies,as you can buy as small as 8'' ones!But some bunnies tend to just rip it off!

Hope this helps & your bun,stays lovely & warm this winter!

Answer 12

I have been around rabbits all my life, and my mother always makes sure they are covered up at night, especially at winter. It makes me sad to think of these poor animals getting cold because they have no covers over them. For mine, we use old carpets plus waterproof covers to keep the cold and the wet out. We also give them extra hay at night, especially if they're living on their own. It's perfectly fine to have them facing the wind, but ONLY if they are covered with several layers of old carpet etc. Aside from keeping them warm, it also deters foxes.  

Answer 13

i live in california and i keep my rabbit outdoors.  at night i cover his cage with a plastic table cloth that is lined with flannel.  that pretty much cuts alot of the cold.  at some pet stores and petco they sell these cardboard tubes in different sizes.  my rabbit loves to sleep in them at night and it helps keep him warm by shielding him from the cold and keeping his body heat near him.  choose the tube that fits closer to his body.  he'll love it!  you could also try putting alfalfa, hay or a towel inside of it.  however, don't spend alot of money on the towel since alot of rabbits like to go wee on them and chew them up.  you may want to hand clean the towel.  i suggest buying a few towels from the 99 cent store.  dish towels work great if you fold them and you can just throw them out and replace when you please.

also, a great site for any rabbit info is www.rabbit.org.