Rabbits do well
both indoors and outdoors, but they cannot handle
certain weather extremes.
Hot Weather
Rabbits do not handle hot weather well at all.
To them, 80 degrees is hot. In order to prevent
your rabbit from suffering in the heat, there are
several things you can do.
 Make sure it has
fresh, cool water throughout the day.
Put water in
plastic soda bottles or milk jugs and freeze
them. Place one in the cage and the rabbit
will lean against it to stay cool.
Make sure the
rabbit's hutch or cage is fully shaded.
Set up a mister
system or a fan near your bunny's cage.
Those things will
generally keep your rabbit cool enough. However,
be on the lookout for signs of heatstroke. These
include heavy panting and wet mouths. Another side
affect of heat is in regards to breeding rabbits.
Bucks may go temporarily sterile, especially older
bucks. Does may refuse to breed or loose litters.
Cold Weather
Rabbits usually handle cold weather a lot
better than they do hot weather. So long as they
are kept out of the wind and are kept dry, they
usually do fine. However, if they are not used to
cold weather, or are particularly sensitive to it,
there are some things you can do to help.
Provide
Hay
 The hay will
create extra calories for them to burn, which
makes more body heat. They will also nest in
it, trapping body heat close to them.
Provide
Fresh Water
If the water
freezes, get the ice out and give the rabbit
fresh water. Ice is not enough for a rabbit.
Do not give them warm water, as that actually
freezes down faster than lukewarm water
does.
When
Bringing Your Rabbit Inside
Keep it in the coolest room you have, or
when you take it back outside, the temperature
change will be a drastic shock on its
system.
Insulate
the Outside Cage
This helps retain
the rabbit's body heat in the cage, increasing
the temperature a bit.
Sunlight
Rabbits cannot handle direct sunlight for very
long at all. Just a few minutes in full sunlight
can kill them. It causes them to overheat rapidly.
Make sure your rabbit always has a shaded area
that it can get to.
Rain
A wet rabbit is a rabbit that is more prone to
getting ill or dying, especially if there are
drafts or there is cold weather. Keep your rabbit
out of the rain, and make sure it does not get
wet. If it does get wet, dry it off right away. A
little water on the surface of the coat will not
harm the rabbit, so long as it has not reached the
under layer of fur called the
"undercoat." If it has reached the
undercoat, some serious drying will be needed. If
that happens, also watch for signs of illness in
the next few weeks.
Wind
Drafts are one of the most common
weather-related killers of rabbits. Make sure your
rabbit is out of drafts, or at least has a place
where it can get out of drafts. Wind chill can be
very deadly.
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