Rabbits should not live outside. There are many risks with living outside. One of those risks is that an animal would be able to break into the rabbits living space and have it for a meal. Another risk is RHDV2 a deadly rabbit virus spreading like wildfire. Also 80 degrees would be too high but I am not going to get into that ( at least not yet ) because the bunny should be permanently moved indoors.

I think 80 F is a safe cut off (I would use the temps in your bun’s area, but if you’re not sure you could just go with the forecasted temp). Around 80 F is where you start worrying about heat stroke in rabbits as a rule of thumb. However, if the temp spikes up way above the normal temps, you might want to bring him in sooner (like if it’s been in the low 60s and suddenly its 80 or higher).

I usually turn on my AC when temps get above 80 for that reason. You can also offer a frozen bottle to your bun if things are kind of marginal (I had to do this a lot in the days before I had AC).

I think it would be less stressful for the bun if you could bring them in for the whole heat wave, rather than going in and out each day.

Can you offer a bun sized piece of granite or something similar for him to lay on?  That can be cooling.

Perhaps check temp on the grass, in the shade, that should give you a good idea of the temps he’s really getting.

You say the yard is enclosed…does that include the top?  I’d worry about hawks!

It’s not good for a rabbit to go from hot to cool environments every day. It will cause their fur to not develop properly for either environment, they will end up being too hot or too cold no matter where they are. Sudden temperature changes can also lead to respiratory illnesses.

It would be best if you just take him inside permanently. If he goes inside at night I assume you already have a setup for him in the house, so why kick him outside during the day to begin with, especially when temperatures are unfavorable?

Is your yard covered to keep birds out?

I know he’s been out there for 5 years, but just because he’s still alive doesn’t necessarily mean he’s well and it certainly doesn’t mean he couldn’t be better. Rabbits aren’t like dogs in that they would cry and complain if they are unhappy. Being prey animals, they will suffer in silence for as long as they can bear it as to not draw attention to themselves. His quality of life would be immeasurably improved if he lived permanently inside with you, getting interaction and affection, being part of your daily life, being save from weather, predators, parasites and disease, instead of spending most of his time out there with noone for company but himself. He must be desperately lonely. I never understood why people get a pet just to banish it to the yard. They deserve to be part of your family, they need companionship. If all you want is a lawn ornament, get something without a heartbeat.

It’s great to hear that your rabbit is healthy and gets a lot of attention.

Let’s keep in mind the topic presented by the OP and keep this topic related to it. It is clear that everyone is expressing with rabbit care in mind, and it is important to respect that there are different ways to provide fine care for pet rabbits. Also, I’d like to highlight that online forum interactions can be tricky, and things such as tone can be warped. Again, it is very clear to me that everything expressed has expressed from a place of caring.

As stated in our Forum Guidelines, “We Do Not Tolerate Poor Manners: Snide, Snotty, Snarky Snooty, Judgmental, Chastising, Berating, Scolding type of Remarks not allowed.” I’d appreciate it if everyone can move forward with this in mind and try our best to facilitate that environment on our forums.

I agree that going from hot to cold repeatedly without a conditioning period is not a good idea. If your bunny is acclimated to being outside during the day, then it would probably be best to find ways for him to stay cool when he is outside. Have you thought about making a “burrow”? Basically, it is a dig-proof house built into a berm. May not be an immediate solution for the warm weather you are currently experiencing, but it may be something to consider for the future.

Hi, Richard, if you check out the Bunny Info section of the site you may find more suggestions for cooling your bunny in the heat that haven’t already been mentioned. My favorite is laying down a frozen water bottle since a bunny can both lay next to it and lick the condensation to drink cool water. I am partial to taking a washcloth, wetting it with cool water, wringing it out and wrapping it around his ears like a turban. The skin there is thin and it helps to regulate their body temp.

As a House Rabbit site our members often give impassioned reasons to take a bunny indoors permanently since we have visitors with outdoor bunnies less frequently. Clearly you take good care of him and love him, so thanks guys for making good points in favor of indoors, but it’s time to play nice and stick to the question at hand.

Like areas where AC is rarely needed, this is a short term problem that needs immediate attention. I like the concrete slab idea too. If you want to get a dog exercise pen it’s tall, collapsible for shaping and storage. Possibly a worthwhile investment to have on hand. You can stretch a sheet across the top and clip it, making a shady enclosure that’s temporary. It could even be moved into a garage for a cool floor until the heat wave ends. Tall because bunnies can jump high, and out, if they want to escape.

Hope our suggestions help. Stay hydrated yourself!

I know what I said was rude, but I do feel that sometimes people (and more importantly their animals) can benefit from a bit of a wakeup call. I don’t mind stepping on people’s toes if that means it might open their eyes to how they can care better for their animal. Normally I wouldn’t come in hot like this, but after I saw the op dismiss the concern about the rabbit living mainly outside when it was raised in an earlier post, I decided to be more direct.

Nevertheless, I apologize for being rude.

I’m going to lock this thread now, as advice has been given and there is no use continuing to circle around.

I’d like to reiterate what Wick said to all participants of this discussion:

“As stated in our Forum Guidelines, “We Do Not Tolerate Poor Manners: Snide, Snotty, Snarky Snooty, Judgmental, Chastising, Berating, Scolding type of Remarks not allowed.”

To the OP, please keep in mind that this is a house-rabbit centric forum. We often come across issues of animal welfare buried in questions about other topics, so it is very normal for members to offer advice that in general benefits rabbit welfare. As Wick said, all advice given came from a place of caring rabbits. I do encourage you to look into vaccinating your rabbit against RHDV, as was suggested earlier in the thread (there is a pinned post on this topic in each section).