Just a quicky for the rabbit owners on here




Looking after your rabbit in winter

Now is the time to think about your outside bunnies and make them as comfortable as you can over the winter months. Here are some tips from The British Rabbit Council.



Rabbits, like many other animals, find winter tough. They do not hibernate and they will rely on their owners for survival. Even though Mother Nature will supply them with a warm winter coat, a little extra thought will be needed. These tips will help your readers help their pet rabbit, Britain's third most popular pet.

Bedding must be clean and dry at all times. Wet bedding could freeze!

Keep an old towel for your rabbit and gently dry him if he gets unexpectedly wet.

Rabbits do not like draughts, especially at night. If his hutch is outside, make sure it is fitted with a rain and wind proof cover for bad weather and night time. It should hang down over the front but it should allow a little air for ventilation. However, a rabbit will thrive with its hutch outside or in a garden shed, even in harsh conditions - no need to bring the hutch into the living room!

If the hutch has an outside run onto grass or concrete, close it off until spring arrives.

Rabbits like a little greenery in their diet but make sure that they are not frosted or frozen when given to your rabbit - this could easily result in a fatality. Best keep foodstuffs in your kitchen so they stay at room temperature.

Your rabbit's water should be kept free of ice at all times. Don't allow it to freeze.

Diet need not be necessarily altered but rabbits do like a little extra hay in the winter as extra bedding too . Don't go mad feeding extra food or you may have a tubby rabbit to deal with in the spring!.

Even when winter seems very quiet for wildlife, foxes and vermin are still busy and extra hungry. Make sure that your rabbit's hutch is secure and safe.

Thanks for this I am in the process of getting my rabbit's hutch readied for winter, have just bought some hessian to cover it over with at night.

As you're an experienced rabbiter - should I still close his run off during the day inwinter as per the above article? Surely he'll get bored & destructive. Also any suggestions on how I can stop him using the back of his bedroom area as his litter corner, he used to use a different one until we added the ladder for him to get into his run on his own and now he goes in his bed. I clean out the wet stuff every day of course but don't want to miss any and it get damp or anything.

Just a quicky for the rabbit owners on here


Diet need not be necessarily altered but rabbits do like a little hay in the winter as an extra. Don't go mad or you may have a tubby rabbit to deal with in the spring! A handful will be plenty.



I thought rabbits always need a supply of hay? :confused:

Thanks for this I am in the process of getting my rabbit's hutch readied for winter, have just bought some hessian to cover it over with at night.

As you're an experienced rabbiter - should I still close his run off during the day inwinter as per the above article? Surely he'll get bored & destructive. Also any suggestions on how I can stop him using the back of his bedroom area as his litter corner, he used to use a different one until we added the ladder for him to get into his run on his own and now he goes in his bed. I clean out the wet stuff every day of course but don't want to miss any and it get damp or anything.

No let him have access but try and make it more draft proof and no as open.
I have all mine covered at present with hessian and plastic , I have winter boards up at the sides so as to try to make it less drafty. They do still need their play times although mine have had theirs in side today .:)

I thought rabbits always need a supply of hay? :confused:

Yes rabbits always need a supply of hay and I ment to say they need an extra few handfuls which i will edit in the main bit lol :)

Yes rabbits always need a supply of hay and I ment to say they need an extra few handfuls which i will edit in the main bit lol :)

:) thats ok, was just checking if I was massivley wrong, or the OP needed editing so no-one got confused. :)

Can I just add as well, avoid bringing your rabbits into the warmth of the house for too long. They will feel the cold more afterwards.

Can I just add as well, avoid bringing your rabbits into the warmth of the house for too long. They will feel the cold more afterwards.[/QUOTE]

not if they only come in for short periods they need human intereaction.
Mind you my bunny shed is heated 24 hours so there isn't alot of difference.
My french lops still go out all day and are fine their coats are thick, ready for winter !!!

Can I just add as well, avoid bringing your rabbits into the warmth of the house for too long. They will feel the cold more afterwards.

not if they only come in for short periods they need human intereaction.
Mind you my bunny shed is heated 24 hours so there isn't alot of difference.
My french lops still go out all day and are fine their coats are thick, ready for winter !!![/QUOTE]

Yes I have noticed that our new arrival has a VERY thick coat. And even though the house isn't so warm she's doing a grand job of shedding it everywhere!

lol oh yes they do and so do the dogs!

No let him have access but try and make it more draft proof and no as open.
I have all mine covered at present with hessian and plastic , I have winter boards up at the sides so as to try to make it less drafty. They do still need their play times although mine have had theirs in side today .:)

I've been covering the front with hessian and we're getting some plastic to go over that this weekend. The bit round the bottom of the hutch where his little ladder goes down to for him to get into the run has wood round the side so is only open one end - the end the run attaches to - if that makes sense so that should be adequate draft protection shouldn't it.

He keeps dragging loads of his hay out of his bed into his main hutch lately - do you think he's just being mardy or too hot? We have made some changes to the hutch recently so could that be why he's grumpy. He doesn't seem at all happy about the front of his hutch being covered up with hessian either.

Sorry to keep asking you questions - you seem to certainly know a lot about rabbits. I think the man in West Street pet shop thinks I'm a bit mad cos I always talk to him about my rabbit when I go in - maybe I need to get out more!:(