cooling suggestions for a stubborn bun

[Lani]

It’s been incredibly hot and humid here lately and the AC is struggling to keep the house at a comfortable temp. Most days we end up being around or above 75 in the house even though the thermostat is set to be around 70. Despite her laying stretched out and her ears being warm, she wants nothing to do with any of the cooling ideas I’ve come up with so far. I’ve given her frozen bottles and cool tiles but she runs from them and will just lay somewhere else until they’re removed. Even if I cover them with a towel, she still avoids them. I’ve tried a fan and wet sheet but she hides in her box and thumps until I take away the fan. When I’m at home I can go in and wet her ears and check on her, but I worry when I’m at work and no one is home. We don’t have a basement or any room that is significantly cooler where I could move her for the extra hot days. Any ideas on cooling my stubborn bun? Or maybe she just isn’t at hot as I think she is and I should stop worrying?

[Sarita]

I think that even at 80 degrees inside she will be fine. We have been having temps over 100 for the last 2 weeks where I live and I keep my upstairs at 78 and my downstairs at 78 and the rabbits are fine. I do have a fan in the rabbit room to help circulate the air.

If she is inside where you are running the a/c, you need not worry about the humidity and if she’s inside, she is going to be significantly cooler than a rabbit who is kept outside.

[avarismom1]

How about a large stone tile. I have 2 big marble tiles that I put in the fridge or freezer and then put in their cage. THey both love them! But otherwise are busy shunning frozen water bottles right now. Hoppers -Hoppers goes as far as to rip off the towel and nose the bottle into a corner as far away from himself as possible! lol

[Stickerbunny]

Are the A/C vents on the floor, or wall where she can lay in front of them? My buns hate when it hits 75+ but they flop on the vents when they get too hot and cool off that way. Another thing you can do is offer maybe a carrot frozen into an ice cube, they do that at zoos to help the animals cool off.

[longhairmike]

Posted By Sarita on 07/11/2011 09:13 AM
I think that even at 80 degrees inside she will be fine. We have been having temps over 100 for the last 2 weeks where I live and I keep my upstairs at 78 and my downstairs at 78 and the rabbits are fine. I do have a fan in the rabbit room to help circulate the air.

its a world of difference in the  muggy midwest. when we were in IL, an inside A/C temp of 75 was borderline unbearable. now in AZ, even the A/C set to 80 with a fan blowing is pretty comfy.

 

[Lani]

avarismom, she does have a stone tile that I refrigerate for a bit before giving to her. She refuses to get anywhere near it, won’t even give it a sniff.

stickerbunny, the ac vents are on the floor but she avoids it, even just hopping around the room she gives it a wide berth. I definitely will try the frozen carrot ice cube idea though

I’m thinking that, as Sarita said, she’s fine with the temp even though I think it’s too hot. I will continue to offer the tile and frozen bottles though just in case she gets too hot, hopefully she will use them if needed.

[RabbitPam]

A vet once told me not to put a fan directly on the bun, but to circulate the air above the cage so it doesn’t create a wind as much as an airflow. You could bounce the fanned air off the wall above the cage and see if that makes it just a little more comfortable.

I’ve also had success with a damp, cool, totally wrung out (almost dry again) washcloth that I gently wrap around both ears like a turban. The ears are heat regulators so when they are cooled it helps the rest of the body. They can cool off with a short time in the turban, and usually shake it off when it’s enough. They really aren’t crazy about or helped by being wet from a spray.

[KatnipCrzy]

I am thinking use of a fan. How does she react to having a fan to move air? Does the fan noise bother her? Start with that and once she is comfortable see what you can slowly get her used to in order to make a “cooler” with the wet towel/fan. But start slow. But if you are OK in the house- she very well may be also. It might not be her most active time in the peak of the heat- but that is pretty normal.

[Lani]

Posted By KatnipCrzy on 07/11/2011 10:23 PM
I am thinking use of a fan. How does she react to having a fan to move air? Does the fan noise bother her? Start with that and once she is comfortable see what you can slowly get her used to in order to make a “cooler” with the wet towel/fan. But start slow. But if you are OK in the house- she very well may be also. It might not be her most active time in the peak of the heat- but that is pretty normal.

 

I’ve been putting a fan outside her room so that it blows through the gate blocking the doorway and she’s fine with that. The times I’ve tried to move it into her room when it’s been extra warm, she runs into her hidey box and thumps until I take it away. I think it’s the presence of the fan in her room (it’s a large tower fan) that upsets her, not so much the noise.

My concern stems from the fact that I am uncomfortable in the house so I worry that she is too (although of course I’m usually moving around doing chores and she’s lounging). I’m also concerned for the future, our upcoming move on Friday to an apartment where my roommates want to set the AC at 77 It’s really difficult to go to work and not worry about how hot it might be in the house and how she’s doing. 

[Sarita]

How’s the humidity level where you live? I have 100 plus days and keep the a/c at 77 and 78 with the fan on for the rabbits and they seem fine with that.

I admit I get hot because I am moving in and out of the house – the heat of the day is around 5pm so that is the hottest time where I live.

I think the fan with the a/c at 77 should be okay really as long as you don’t have a high level of humidity where you live.

[Lani]

We’ve been around about 70-75% humidity consistently throughout the day

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