Cold weather warnings for outside animals!

emmeey

Please make sure your outdoor animals rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens etc are protected in this weather!!

Many are often forgotten about because there outside!

Covers over hutches-duvets-tarp etc, extra hay for bedding, blankets inside for them to snuggle on and heatpods to keep the warm are a must!

I hear to many stories of outdoor animals dying because its just assumed they are fine!!

jenhug

very good advice.
Every night at bedtime I refill my rabbits water bottle with tepid water and cover it with a thermal sock for insulation, helps protect against freezing.

Rabbits need extra food this time of year too, so they should have an extra helping of hay and whatever food you usually give them.

olias

May be a bit OTT, but I have a plastic cat basket/crate type thing, and I always used to fill it with straw and put my pigs in it and bring it into the kitchen overnight in the really bad weather.

olias

zaksmum

I couldn't leave any creature outside night or day in this weather.

lisajane8482

We've been bringing the stray in who visits our house on a night. She comes around 8 for her tea and stays in until around 6:30 on the morning when she's had her breakfast and is ready to go back out. My parents think I'm crazy for letting her in and feeding her but I can't bear the thought of leavign her out there to freeze. In return for food and shelter I get lots of purrs and snuggles so seems like a good arrangement to me

Mara69

zaksmum wrote: »

I couldn't leave any creature outside night or day in this weather.

If a rabbit lives permanently outside they grow a very thick fur coat and are adjusted to the weather. Bringing it into a centrally heated house will cause it to overheat and potentially die.

That advice in the OP was absolutely correct - cover hutches so that they are protected from the worst of the rain and snow, give extra hay and ensure water bottles/bowls are not frozen. Your post is a tad sensationalist and could do more harm than good.

zaksmum

Mara69 wrote: »

If a rabbit lives permanently outside they grow a very thick fur coat and are adjusted to the weather. Bringing it into a centrally heated house will cause it to overheat and potentially die.

That advice in the OP was absolutely correct - cover hutches so that they are protected from the worst of the rain and snow, give extra hay and ensure water bottles/bowls are not frozen. Your post is a tad sensationalist and could do more harm than good.

Don't give a stuff if it's sensationalist. I still wouldn't leave any animal outside in this dreadful weather.

lisawood78

I'm with Zaksmum, I couldn't either, that is why I don't have a pond or any outdoor animals.
Even the 20stone of dogs we have wanted in after 10 minutes playing in it (sadly the other 10 stone left us for the bridge just before Christmas)

Mara69

zaksmum wrote: »

Don't give a stuff if it's sensationalist. I still wouldn't leave any animal outside in this dreadful weather.

Well lets hope you never keep rabbits as pets as you'll probably kill them.

Fosterdog

lisawood78 wrote: »

I'm with Zaksmum, I couldn't either, that is why I don't have a pond or any outdoor animals.
Even the 20stone of dogs we have wanted in after 10 minutes playing in it (sadly the other 10 stone left us for the bridge just before Christmas)

The difference is your dogs are used to living indoors so they don't develop the same natural defences from the cold that an outdoor animal would.

How do you think animals survive in colder climates?

An animal is more likely to get ill and die if you move it from an outdoor to an indoor suddenly or the other way around.

reehsetin

zaksmum wrote: »

I couldn't leave any creature outside night or day in this weather.

:huh: So there's no such thing as wild animals? do you gather the local poor badgers, birds and squirrels home at night?

I have indoor buns because it's what I prefer but animals are fine outside as long as they are used to it