How can I tell if my rabbit is cold?

shjo558

I have a house rabbit which roams free while I am there to supervise and the rest of the time he's in a large indoor rabbit cage in my kitchen.

We've been hitting lows of -18 degrees this week and I'm worried that the rabbit might end up being too cold in the kitchen which isn't heated.

Are there any tell-tale signs or should he be okay as he's in the house as apposed to a hutch at the bottom of the garden?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Anything below 12 degrees Celsius/55 Fahrenheit, I'd suggest a bit more bedding/blanket over hutch, etc. Rabbits are tough, but they aren't able to snuggle into groups or remain in the relatively stable temperatures of warrens when they are single pets.

Although sitting here at the moment, the temperature is around that indoors - my feet are quite cold, but the cat is quite happy sleeping beside me. If she were feeling the cold, she'd be on me like a shot to steal my body heat. If a lazy domestic mog is warm, I think a rabbit with bedding would be able to manage.

Why not take the temperature of the room?

diable

The polyurethane may harden and the batteries may loose their charge....................

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

diable wrote: »

The polyurethane may harden and the batteries may loose their charge....................

[facepalm]

babyshoes

Have a feel of his/her feet and nose - you should know what they normally feel like, if they feel colder than normal then it is likely that bunny is feeling a bit chilly.

My small fuzzies (ferrets) get poundshop fleecy pet/baby blankets to snuggle in, and always have a few extra in winter. If you are really concerned, is there a warmer room you could move the cage to, or do you have a small oil radiator you could put in the kitchen on very cold days?

shjo558

Thanks guys, he's a dwarf bunny and does not require batteries;)

He seems happy enough and isn't hiding away in the enclosed section of the cage. I can't really move the cage as it's so big the kitchen is the only place it will fit. The cage was originally meant for the living room but you know how things always seem smaller in the shop...:rotfl:

Kaelea

The only time I ever start to worry about my bunnies being cold is when their water bottles freeze up, if that happens I take extra measures, extra hay, bottle snugging bottle, covering hutch etc

I don't think a bunny inside is in any danger

janeawej

feel his ears they are a good indication of if he is feeling the cold

CarlaRD

My bunny has really hot ears when she's been running around, and they go fairly cool when she's chilling out. Ears are definitely a good indication of how warm your rabbit is.

Catslovelycats

I think indoors is OK. You can always invest in fleece bedding so bun can snuggle in that when/if cold