Bunny Advice

[Donna]

Any bunny owners able to give me advice about bunnies and the winter months ahead of us? Only had my bunny a few months so he has not experienced the cold. Am worried he will freeze - thinking of getting the "hot water bottle" thing that you microwave to keep warm - but what else can I do?

Also going to get him neutered soon and introduce a "lady friend" so he has company - any tips???

[alexgirl73]

It depends on whether your rabbit is an innie or outie. If he's an outdoor one like mine, them all I do is line the hutch with newspaper, put down a thick layer of sawdust (which he scrapes away anyway) and put LOTS of straw into his sleeping compartment for him to burrow into. I also have a weather shield for the front of the hutch and it isn't a fancy one that costs a fortune. It's just a tarpaulin for covering a car which I got from the local pound shop. My bunny has survived 2 winters quite happily so far (oh with the water bottle in really cold weather, fill it with lukewarm water or if possible buy an insulated bottle cover to stop it from freezing).

Can't help with the 'lady friend' advice though!

[Donna]

Thanks for that!!

Anyone else?? Not sure who else has bunnies - Luke?? Dawn???

[Mags]

Thanks for that!!

Anyone else?? Not sure who else has bunnies - Luke?? Dawn???
Fran has two bunnies Donna.....

[random]

You can get a hutch cover insulator jacket thingy, I never had one as I always brought mine inside in the winter or covered the cage with a large bit of old carpet to stop draughts in early winter. But they were always inside at the coldest months (december to february).

But yes lots of straw and as long as part of his hutch is closed in (no mesh) and maybe a cardboard box, JJ always loved a cardboard box in his cage. :D

[borderdawn]

My bunny is outdoors. He has a bed inside his "kennel" which I fill with straw, he has a thick sawdust base everywhere else and I also put straw on that in the winter. He has bowl on a bracket inside the kennel for his water, it has never frozen, he wont use a bottle.
Dawn.

[Luke]

Mine stay out during the winter-if its really really REALLY terrible weather then i fetch the indoor cages from the attic for the buns n hogs to come in-but not usually. They have a thick insulating cover-can't remember what its made from, be we made it! and just basically hutches so full of straw that you can't see them!
Never had a problem with the winter and rabbits TBH.

[Donna]

Thanks everyone. I usually have a layer of newspaper then sawdust then lots of straw/hay/shredded newspaper.

Will get a cover to stop the rain and wind penetrating so hope that will be ok. Just made the hutch and run combined so he can run about when he likes.

Just worry that he is bored and not enjoying life as he just sits in his hutch :-(