Ice pods and keeping bunnies cool

[sdf76]

I've never used ice pods myself but remember that wooden hutches can get hot this warm weather so think of ways to keep your rabbit cool. Rabbit's in the wild would go down into a burrow under the earth to keep cool.

However- please do not wash or bath your rabbit as this will cause them great distress.

Please post your ideas?
sue

[Apache]

Well Paddington decided that the marble hearth was a good place to snooze!

I'm fairly lucky as I moan about my house being cold all year round, but it feels quite cool downstairs when you walk in from outside. (I then nearly keep over when I've walked upstairs as its like a sauna!)

[Foofy]

I have an ice pod sometimes the bunnies use it but not always.

Another thing I do to cool bunnies down if it's very hot is to get a cotton wool pad and soak it in cold water, ring it out and then dampen down bunny ears with it, you need to ensure you don't drip water inside the ears obviously though, you can leave it laid over the ears for a few seconds for a quick cool down as rabbits regulate their heat through their ears, all 4 of my rabbits seem to like having this done and it really does seem to revive and cool them down.

Also paving slabs, and ceramic or marble tiles are cool for bunnies to lay on when hot and you'll often find they will lay stretched right out on them keeping themselves cool.

You can also use water/fizzy drinks bottles when you've drunk the contents re0use them fill up with water and pop in the freezer, then put them in your run or cage and quite often you'll find bunny will lay next to it to keep cool.

You can also put cotton down, I find that old pillowcases are ideal then use a mister spray and spray with water to make it damp and bunnies like to lay on top, you can also use towels or tea towels dampened down.

[Hunnybunny2007]

The indoor bunnies are lucky as it's quite a cool house

We put a big garden umbrella over the runs to try and keep them cool, with bowls of water everywhere

Some of my sheds are partially shaded too which helps in summer

[HopperHaven]

I got the sanctuary rabbits ready for the heatwave by grooming anybun who was moulting at all and by shaving those with the worst coats. Aniseed now looks tiny! And we have lots of rabbits with bare patches where the new fur isn't growing yet, but that must feel so good! The moutain of fur was enormous! Actually two mountains as I spent two whole days at it.

Also Caroline cut ground level windows in all the sheds for ventilation and Jennifer put up canopies for shade in the runs without shade from trees.

There were hot rabbits sprawled everywhere having a very lazy day on Wednesday but they all had shade to lie in and coped very well.

Wetting rabbits in the heat is not a good option as it puts them at risk from flies.

[Hunnybunny2007]

Some of mine also like laying in the old hutches that are in the runs for extra shade, although I do have Poppy who likes sunbathing She lays in the doorway of the shed and catches the rays

[Foofy]

Casper was laying up against the frozen juice bottle, that was wrapped in a pillow case yesterday, by the evening it was still frozen inside, so I think wrapping it in the pillow case must have stopped it all melting and left it nice and cool for him to lay next too

[Apache]

That's good

I once put a frozen water bottle in a sock for Alfred, who decided the sock monster should be attacked and dispatched pronto (and probably made himself a lot hotter in the process.

I gave up after that (although I did put some large stone tiles in his run, which where ignored.... I tried...