Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie .... help! help! help! .... hot weather is coming!!!

[Sox]

Hi guys

I read somewhere that the Aussie summer heat can be rather dangerous and can kill our rabbits if we're not careful. This is my first bunny which I got in the middle of winter. I read that one needs to turn on the air conditioning for the rabbit which is not possible in my place.

Sox lives in a hutch inside the house. However where the hutch is is not a real part of the house. It was a patio that has been converted into a habitable room which means the interior roof is just Colorbond patio roofing covered with foam and can get up to 40 degrees.

I need some advise from you experts as to what to do, how to prepare for this.

Any advise is muchly appreciated.

Carol

 

[Saudade]

As an expert Australian and a rabbit owner you will have to bring Sox inside, those temperatures are too high for the rabbit, keeping it inside during the middle part of the day especially come new years will be vital. Provide it with plenty of water and icepacks in it's cage, it'll happily snuggle up to them if it gets too hot.

 

[crystal]

I haven't had my bunnies for an Australian summer yet either...

I have read that a tile can be nice a cool for them too. and it won't melt like a water bottle, not that you shouldn't use them but they won't last all day I guess.

I guess ideally it would be good if you could bring your rabbit inside during the hottest hours of the day.

What do experienced people suggest if the rabbit really can't be inside?

 

[PepnFluff]

It doesn't get nearly as hot here as over there but my bunnies where never allowed inside so they were placed in a hutch on the ground under a big shady tree, I then put an extension cord outside and had a fan going from when I left for school till about 4pm. I got a coke bottle and filled it with water then froze it and placed it in one of those cat bowels that have the bottle off them and when the cat drinks it releases more water? so as it defrosted they had cool water. I also Wrapped frozen drinkbottles and tiles in a handtowel which they liked.

 

[Imarni]

We had to bring inside over Summer and did the ice pack suggestion too.

 

[Camelot]

We didn't bring our bunnies inside, I had them under shady trees and gave them iced 1.25l water bottles to lay against. They were happy enough with this.

 

[Pipp]

Remember that air flow is probably more or just as important as temperature. Bunnies are 'air cooled'. They expel heat through their breath (and ears), they need good ventilation so they don't just breath it back in.


sas :bunnydance:

 

[Flopsyrabbit]

I no that this topic was posted a while ago but since another summer is here I might aswell post some suggestions.

* Get Multiple big and/or small soft drink or water bottles and filling them up with water so that when 1 melts a frozen one other can go in
* Bringing them inside or placing them outside under a shady tree
* Getting one of those mini fans and keeping that next to their cage if they are outside a outdoor extension lead will do.
* You can also get these things off ebay they are like dog water beds but you can get them in extra small, you can freeze them and put a cloth over them. ( This is the more expensive way)
* Or you can buy cheap ice packs from coles or woolies

Hope this helps

 

[Nancy McClelland]

It gets over 120 F here in the summer--June thru Sept, so ours are indoors. Without air conditioning they'd die as 85 F is fatal.

 

[Kizza]

Just a note on the tiles:

They do help to keep bunny cool but if you can, try pavers or rough tiles so your bunny doesn't slip over on them. They will be groggy from the heat and might get a bit off balance.

This happened to my bunny he slipped over once and it hurt, the poor little thing.

 

[Flopsyrabbit]

HELLO HELLO HELLO!! Summer is just around the corner!! Cant wait to get to the beach!! Anyway just starting up the convo again if you are on school holidays hope your having fun

 

[cashie]

Hi, yes australian weather can get very hot and if you can't bring your bunny inside then it is best to use fans or frozen water bottles, I use 2lt cordial bottles fill them up with water and put a good amount of salt in them it helps them to stay frozen much longer. Floor tiles or pavers are great to...Put them in the freezer as well for a short time. I also keep my empty margerine containers and fill them up with water and freeze them then tip them into a bowl for them to lick on...they love it its like a big ice block.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We're looking at snow on the hills behind us.

 

[Anaira]

No need to rub it in, Larry. :C