Friday, June 3, 2011

Simple methods to Keep Your Rabbit Cool in Summer

By Bob Watson


In the event your rabbit resides in a bunny hutch or bunny cage outside the house, summer is usually a tough time for them. Believe it or not, it can also be fatal should you not take more precautions to care for them. Let's take a couple of minutes to look at tips on how to care for your rabbit during the summer time.

Why Summer is Hard for Rabbits

We humans are able to endure heat a lot better than many animals, including rabbits, for one main reason - we perspire. Our bodies have the capacity to release heat through the skin as a cooling system. Bunnies do not possess this ability. Combine this with a fur coat and you've got a very, very hot bunny.

If it's a wild hare/rabbit, they'll try and make up for this by burrowing into the ground. They escape from sunshine and into the cooler ground. If you've seen a bunny burrow, you realize they can get very deep which gets them much cooler. For those in a bunny hutch or rabbit cage, they do not have this alternative. So, let's take into account steps to make their summer a more comfortable time.

In case your pet's housing is a bunny hutch or rabbit caged environment, the ideal way to fix the summer heat concern is to take them inside in the air conditioning for the hottest hours. You can arrange them in a bathroom, guest room or another room where they can be cooler. Just make sure you bring in the litter pan. Not an option? Then let's take into consideration alternate options. Allow me to share a couple of things I'd strongly suggest you need to do to keep your bunny cool in summertime:

- Guarantee your bunny has a great deal of cover from the sun - You can't overestimate the value of shade. Don't believe me? Head outdoors on a day when it's in excess of 90 degrees and sunny. Remain in the sunshine for five minutes. Relocate to cooler areas and hang out there for 5 minutes. You'll understand. Your bunny will too.

- Put frozen water bottles in with your rabbit - Save some of the 2-liter or milk bottles/jugs and fill them with water. Freeze them and place them in the cage with your rabbit twice daily (one mid-morning, one mid-afternoon). They'll rest against it and thank you for it.

- Provide them ice water - While we're talking about ice, add lots of ice cubes into their water twice daily as well (same times). Putting ice within a BIG heavy crock gives them the capability to soak their paws and/or ears in it when they would like. Not surprisingly, they really need the hydration desperately also. Ensure they NEVER run out of water in the heat. Do yourself (and also your rabbit) a big favor and get one of these brilliant lock-on crocks. They're essential because bunnies can't tip them over and waste their hydration whenever it's 100 degrees outdoors. That's a recipe for disaster. It's really worth $6.

- Give a cold ceramic tile - Purchase a couple 12" x 12" ceramic floor tiles and keep a collection of them in your deep freeze. Place them in the bunny hutch or cage while in the hot hours.

- Mist or wash bunny's ears with cool water - Bunnies dissipate heat through their ears. Wash their ears with a chilled cloth or mist them with chilled water and it'll certainly help.

- Brush, brush, brush - It is best to groom your bunny regardless but getting rid of that excess hair by using a brush during summer is an essential.

- Run a circulating fan - You don't want a continuous breeze on your bunny but a clip-on circulating fan can certainly help. You can make it even better by having it go over a wet cloth to offer some cooling. Be certain to keep the power cord from rabbit's touch.

- Allow them fresh produce - Delicious veggies provide moisture. Don't skimp on those when it's very hot outdoors.

The heat is increasing here, so we'll be using the majority of the guidelines previously mentioned to help keep our bunnies cool in the summer. If you are utilizing a rabbit hutch or rabbit cage just as we are, we really hope you will do similar.




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