If your property now includes a few pet rabbits, there’s more to their care than cleaning the hutch regularly and ensuring the bunnies are well-fed, hydrated, and loved. Keeping the fuzzy family members cool in late summer and early fall is just as important since their small bodies overheat quickly and can suffer from fatal heatstroke. Below, review ways to cool your rabbits in the warmer weather and what supplies you’ll need from a feed store to keep them healthy. 

5 Ways To Keep Pet Rabbits From Getting Too Hot

1. Place the Hutch in a Shady Area

Find a perpetually-shady area of your yard or home to place your rabbits’ hutch. If the cage is easily moveable, simply transfer it to various indoor or outdoor spots, so the bunnies never have to sit in the direct sun. Sun umbrellas and similar accessories also provide shade if you live in a location with high UV rays. 

2. Brush & Trim Fur

Keep your rabbits’ coat trimmed and brushed, especially if they are long-furred. This fur can become matted without regular care and create hot spots on the skin. Routine brushing also removes loose fur that might feel itchy and make bunnies uncomfortable in the heat.

3. Provide Cooling Sources

Visit your local feed store for pet supplies such as self-cooling mats to place in the hutch. You can also install ceramic tile on the floor of the hutch to maintain cool ground and fill soda bottles with water. Freeze these bottles and place them in the hutch, so your rabbits have cool objects to lean on. You can also gently mist their ears with cool water since the ears are how rabbits release heat.

4. Chill Their Food

Keep lettuce, carrots, and other vegetables chilled in the cooler section of your refrigerator or dunk them in frigid water right before feeding your rabbits. Washing the greens also means the bunnies ingest more water so that they stay hydrated and cool.

5. Change the Water Several Times a Day

Replace the water in your bunnies’ bottles a few times a day to prevent it from getting warm in the heat. Add a few ice chips to the bottles each time for additional cooling benefits. Also, consider asking your feed store about insulating materials to protect their water bottles from high temperatures. 

Find what you need to care for your rabbits at Racine’s Feed, Garden, & Supply. The Robertsdale, AL-based, family-owned store provides the best selection of livestock and pet supplies in the area, as well as gardening supplies, plants, and seeds. Call (251) 947-3003 to ask about rabbit products or visit the feed store online for more information.