Summertime with your rabbits 🐰 

Rabbits are a popular choice for many families, with an estimated 900,000 kept as pets in the UK. As they are highly intelligent, inquisitive animals, summertime is the time to be outdoors soaking up the sun and enjoying nature with your bunnies. You may be wondering about summertime with your rabbit. Continue reading this blog to find out all the hints and tips about not only keeping your bouncing bunny cool and comfortable during the summer but also how to keep them safe.

Keeping rabbits cool 🆒

While many animals can regulate their own body temperature, rabbits need extra help to stay cool. Wild rabbits will burrow underground on hot days to avoid the heat of the sun. Domestic rabbits do not often have the option to burrow, and some breeds have very thick fur.

• Keep pets and cages, runs or hutches out of direct sunlight.
• Give them extra water – make sure you give your pets extra water during warmer weather, as they’ll drink more.
• Provide plenty of shade in their enclosures – remember, the sun moves across during the day so areas that were shaded in the morning could be in full sun in the afternoon!
• Dampen your rabbit’s ears. Since rabbits lose heat through their ears, you can lightly dampen them to speed up the cooling process. If your bunny is comfortable with it, you can use a spray bottle to mist their skin, or simply use a wet cloth or your hands to dab their ears.

If your bunnies like to free-roam in the garden, you can also provide lots of shrubs and bushes for them to hide under. Johnsons Clean ‘n’ Safe Eye and Ear Wipes for dogs, cats and small animals are safe, gentle, hygienic, and PH-balanced wipes to refresh, clean and cool your pets. https://www.farmandpetplace.co.uk/shop/products/pet/dog/dog-medication-and-health/eye/johnsons-clean-n-safe-eye-and-ear-wipes-for-dogs-and-cats.html

Grooming 🪮

Give your rabbit a short summer haircut. Trim and remove as much excess hair as possible. This will help them stay cool, especially with long-haired rabbits like angora rabbits. Not only will giving your rabbit a brush once a day help them keep cool and keep them looking fresh, but it will also strengthen the bond between you and your pet. Take a look at our small animal grooming products here: https://www.farmandpetplace.co.uk/shop/products/pet/small-pet/grooming-and-shampoo/page-1.html

Activities 🎾

An exciting activity you can do with your rabbit is go for a walk in the sunshine! It’s important during the warmer weather to only take them out during cooler hours of the day and only for short walks to reduce any chance of heatstroke. Rabbits can be leash-trained and walked on a lead. However, not all rabbits will be as willing as others so it’s important to take note of how your pet is reacting during training. Take a look here at our harness and lead for rabbits: https://www.farmandpetplace.co.uk/shop/products/pet/small-pet/leads-and-harnesses/harness-n-lead-for-rabbits.html

Read more about leash training here: http://can-you-leash-train-rabbit\

Additionally, another outdoor activity that can be done with your bunny is to help your pet practice their foraging skills. This is a natural instinct of rabbits that often isn’t nurtured at home. In the wild, rabbits find and forage all their food, so try to stimulate this instinct by doing something similar at home. 

One great way to do this is to take the hay they’d normally eat, and simply put it in something else. This can be a cardboard tube or a paper bag. Just be sure it’s something that your rabbit can safely chew on as they get at their food. You could try hiding some hay in Naturals Woven Stack N’ Hide Den. The den itself is edible and completely glue, wire and staple-free. Your rabbit will be hard to catch as he indulges his favourite pastime of playful entertainment. He will enthusiastically nudge and roll the tunnel, and even jump on top of it. Find out more here: https://www.farmandpetplace.co.uk/shop/products/pet/small-pet/small-pet-toys/naturals-woven-stack-n-hide-den.html

Hydration 💧

Lettuce is 96% water. Therefore give your rabbits plenty to chew on in the warmer weather. It will keep them hydrated and also chewing all day long. Other leafy greens suitable for rabbits in warmer weather are kale, cabbage and broccoli. 

Naturals Himalayan Salt Lick Stone is perfect for when your pet needs that little extra boost of salt and minerals. Salt licks can help encourage your pets to drink more water, which is essential for proper hydration and overall health. Himalayan salt licks can be especially effective at this, as the minerals in the salt can help regulate the body’s fluid balance. Find out more about petplace’s salt licks here: https://www.farmandpetplace.co.uk/shop/products/pet/small-pet/food-and-treats/mixed-animal-treats/naturals-himalayan-salt-lick-stone.html

It’s important during the warmer weather to keep lots of fresh water around for your rabbits. It is also important to remember that the sun moves during the day and therefore it’s vital to remember to keep moving your rabbits’ water during the day out of the sun and into the shade.