Keeping your rabbitry cool

[HollandHopz]

Hi everyone new here, was wondering how you all keep your rabbitrys cool in summer? we're in phoenix and i just cant seem to beat the heat thats already started, even with the AC unit. any tips appreciated!

 

[somebunnylovesme]

Mine loves the basement. But here are a few ideas, you can fill 2 liter pop bottles with water and freeze them. You rabbit will lay down beside them. You make ice cubes with some pieces of veggies in them. Freeze some ice cubes and put them in there water dish or you can freeze their water bottle they drink out of. Fans work great in their area too.

There are pet cooling mats
https://www.living.ca/en/p-349979-g...4QIVXR-tBh0H_gRTEAQYASABEgIH6PD_BwE#sku353755

https://www.petsmart.ca/dog/beds-an...padandtrade-self-cooling-pet-pad-5215472.html

https://www.amazon.ca/Green-Pet-Shop-GP48394-Cooling/dp/B006NONHNE

I've never tried them. My bun loves to lay down on the tile in the front entrance.

You can look into buy a marble slab or granite slab for your rabbit to lay down on.
https://www.lowes.ca/vanity-tops/am...VhB-tBh35ZQpUEAQYASABEgJ-_fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[SableSteel]

An evaporate cooler might help (if AC is not working, but an AC should work. Check all the filters, rabbit fur can really block filter). Frozen 2 liter bottles full of water can do in a pinch. I'm in arizona and I use an evaporate cooler and it keeps my rabbitry about ~80-85 degrees in the hotter parts of the summer. Misting systems can work if you can't afford an evaporate cooler or AC or the area isnt as enclosed for those other two to work but it probably wouldn't keep it as cool.

 

[HollandHopz]

I think you're right it might be a filter issue with the AC unit? We will also look into getting an evap cooler and see how that does. It is an enclosed building but it needs to be insulated.
I completely forgot about the tile idea! will add that to our frozen bottle routine. Thank you both for your replies, just trying to keep the buns comfy in AZ heat lol.

 

[Blue eyes]

Evap cooler won't do much once monsoon season rolls in. You'll definitely want to do some serious insulating before then so your AC can take over then.

Honestly I don't see how anyone can keep rabbits comfortable in the Phoenix area unless they are indoors. For those in the mountains or up north of Phoenix, it isn't nearly as hot. (I'm in Phoenix area)

Even indoors in our home, we sometimes struggle to get it down below 85. I end up using frozen bottles and tiles inside our indoor rabbit's cage each summer at times. An outdoor rabbit building should be every bit as insulated and cooled as your home.

How large is your building? Not much time left to insulate before the heat rolls in. (Mon & Tues were our weather warning . Thankfully the next days will be cooler.)

 

[woahlookitsme]

Our rabbits stayed outside in Texas heat and we never lost one due to heat.

We had fans everywhere around our cages. Also in the middle of the day or when I got home from school (right before the strong heat of the afternoon sunset) I would take ice bottles out to everyone - my dad loved Gatorade so he didn’t mind drinking enough of it to make ice bottles for almost every cage. I would also fill up all the water bowls with 3-5 ice cubes and dip my hands in it and cover their ears with water. Most of them hated it but I know it probably felt good haha. We also had granite tiles in everyone’s cage and some people even talked about you could freeze them (we were limited with freezer space because we didn’t have a deep freeze but maybe would have done this as well). Since your buns are indoors this probably won’t matter but we also had shade cloth that would cover the cages when there was direct sunlight.