Keeping Warm

[Mac189]

For the first time ever, I'm not able to keep my bunnies inside my apartment with me. They are currently residing in the barn below, which has been overall just fine through the fall and summer, but now that winter is here I'm looking for some creative ways to keep them warm. The barn is not heated, but it blocks all elements, the ceiling is insulated, and it tends to be much warmer than the outdoors, but it gets COLD here. I have a few heating pads, a heated water bowl, and two space heaters, but I can only keep the space heaters on while I'm home and awake due to fire risk. My original goal was to keep the space 30 degrees F and above all winter, at 40 if I can, although most importantly I want the bunnies to at least have a warm place to cuddle up. They LOVE the space heater and bask in front of it as much as they can, I just can't have it on all the time between work, school, and sleep.

If anyone has any creative ideas or advice to keep the furballs warm and happy, I'm all ears! Thank you!

 

[Juste]

I am not an expert, my buns live inside. Maybe you could make their living area a bit higher up from the ground(some coffe tabble with ramp or something). if your bunnies are not chewers you could add 'self heating' bed or a rug.

 

[Mac189]

They do have a self-heating rug, chew-proof bed thing, but it doesn't get very warm and I don't see them gravitating towards it. They also have a few thick rugs down and a cardboard box with a small opening they can cuddle in that is insulated from the floor by a rug and the cardboard. They certainly don't seem miserable, or really even cold at all, but I'm a bit neurotic and I know how brutal our winters can be. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Hermelin]

They will be able to handle it, fix a spot where you have straws and they can be off the floor. The floor will be colder than a platform a bit above, because warmth is ligther than cold air.

You are already doing a good thing with heating rugs. My outdoor bunnies like getting lukewarm water and I can give them bottles with warm water in them as a way they can cuddle up to.

But they get really thick winter fur and would often rather sleep out in the snow than the hutch. Specially if you keep it around 30 F, heading down to 15 F and my bunnies will still spend most time out in the snow than in the warmer parts

 

[AVIE]

I also heated cozy hidey houses (on either Amazon or wish) I saw both hard sided like for outside dogs, and the soft sided cozy ones for cats. The heat being enclosed might make a difference?

 

[Zee-Man]

Dosiedoe has done well in her outdoor hutch. She has a hide box which I insulate with only 3 layers of cardboard. She adds to that with fur as she would when nesting for kits. As others have said, it is most important to raise the rabbits off the ground. For hide boxes, they should not be much larger that the rabbits. Enough room to turn around and not much more. A smaller space is easier for their body heat to maintain than a larger space.

Rabbits are built for cold. The temperature that is hard to bear for them is heat. Look forward to how you will keep them cool in the summer.

 

[Mac189]

Thanks, guys! I had no issues keeping everyone cool over the summer, but I was certainly worried about the winter. While my two are pretty tough, I want them to be enjoying the chilly weather rather than just bearing it!

 

[Cloverhouse]

They sell ceramic heaters for reptiles, that will give off heat but not catch anything on fire like a spaceheater might. Bunnies are usually fine in cold weather when protected from the elements. Give them some straw and make sure their water doesn't freeze and they should be good. They will grow warmer coats for winter. I've never lost a bunny to cold.