Radiator reflective foil

[geekgirl101]

My husband bought some radiator reflective foil to attach to the outdoor hutch so the bunnies don't get too cold over the winter. Only we don't know where to put it. Do we staple it on the outside or the inside? And do we have the foil side against the wood or the foam side against the wood? I'm guessing outside so the rabbits don't chew on it, but then it's supposed to reflect their body heat so maybe it's supposed to be inside?

 

[JBun]

You don't want it on the inside. They'll chew it up and could injest some of it. They just need protection from the wind and hay on the floor to help insulate, to keep them warm.

 

[tamsin]

I would say foil side pointing inwards to reflect heat back in. You can also part cover the mesh (on the outside) with it to cut down on the wind. If you just attach it and the top, you can roll it up/down in the day/night and just peg it at the bottom. Obviously leave a bit of a gap for ventilation.

 

[majorv]

It sounds very similar to the insulation sheets we use, where its a layer of foam board with reflective foil attached to one side. We have a separate cover over our cages outside and we have it attached to the inside of the roof, foil side towards the cage (out of the rabbits reach). We got it mainly to help keep the temps from getting too high due to the hot sun, but it's also helping to hold any heat in from the cold outside, too.

 

[LakeCondo]

Besides putting it inside, on the roof only, as magorv suggests, foam could be useful on the outside. If the reflective side were on top, that would reflect the sun away, which isn't what you want to do in winter. Instead, if you found a big enough Styrofoam cooler, you could put it over the hutch in winter. Or make a cover from closed-cell foam sheets etc.

 

[geekgirl101]

Great, thanks. We'll be putting the stuff on their cage during the weekend to help them keep snug and warm since it gets pretty cold during most the year in the UK.