Going Between Garage & House Temps

[Pippen]

I'm wondering if it's possible to safely bring a bunny back and forth between a 50 degree garage and 70 degree kitchen. I'm always cautious about sudden temperature changes and this seems too much for me.

What if I give him ice packs when he's in to cool it down and run a space heater at about 60 degrees for awhile when I take him back out? Do you think that would provide enough to safely cushion the transition? Or any other ideas?

We've had a major change since we got him in that I've gone back to work. He needs more time with us and living inside full time isn't possible, both due to our 20 pound cat who loves rabbit and the fact that Jack sprays me big time. I'm hoping I can find a way to bring him inside safely for a few hours each day. We do run a space heater in the garage so it doesn't vary too much from 50 degrees and I always bring him in if the temps are very cold.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Is he neutered? That can really help with spraying. Depending on how old he is, it can take a few weeks before it really settles down, but it should drastically reduce or eliminate the spraying.
Is there any room in the house that you can block off from the cat? A bed room, basement or something? This would allow him to be inside but safe from the cat. You could put the cat away for a couple hours while you let him out to run around.

I am not too sure about the temperature. It's not a huge temperature difference for a short visit, but he could still get hot. One issue is that his coat it good for the temperature he live in, so even if you use a heater to help with the difference, he still have a thicker coat. Rabbits will do better in the cold than the heat, so being out in the garage is not too bad since it is still above freezing.
You could take him inside for short periods and put him back out if he starts to look hot.

 

[JBun]

Yeah, you will want to make sure he has a way to cool off when you bring him in because he will have adapted to the temps in the garage and may get too warm inside. Make sure he has a bowl of cool water to drink from and maybe a frozen bottle of water he could lay against if he gets hot. If you have a cement or tile floor, that can help too. Just keep an eye on him to make sure that he's not getting too hot.

 

[Imbrium]

70F is still pretty cool, so I doubt it would be a problem... just keep an eye out for signs that he's getting too warm.

is the kitchen the only room you have available for him to play in? if so, I recommend getting an inexpensive fan to run while he's in there if he seems to get warm. if not, a room with a ceiling fan might help quite a bit - I know my bunnies seem to really appreciate theirs when it's 100+ degrees outside and my ancient air conditioner can't handle cooling the house any lower than 77-78F. (which is a bit warmer than we'd like)