Do your rabbits use frozen water bottles?

[Wick & Fable]

It’s beginning to get hot (finally) in my area, so Wick understandably has been sprawling out a bit more than usual. I’ve kind of struggled trying to keep Wick cool. He doesn’t lean again frozen water bottles (both covered and uncovered), he doesn’t go to fanned areas. It seems cool interventions I put in both his usual spots and not-usual spots make them undesirable for him to go. I’m hoping this means he’s hot, but it’s not intolerable, but we all know rabbits don’t always act on what’s best for their health.

Any tips? He is drinking water as usual (heavy drinker due to his teeth as it is). As of now, I usually go up and smoosh an ice pack or bottle next to him so he has something. But when myself or his other parent are not there, I don’t think he utilizes the cooled items we place around for him. He just deals with the heat.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[sarahthegemini]

Neither of mine were interested in frozen water bottles. They did sometimes lay in front of the fan though. Have you tried tiles in shaded areas?

[Wick & Fable]

Ah yes, he does have two tiles that I usually refrigerate and place down as well. No interest either!

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Gordo and Janice]

Wick I would think being too hot or too cold is such a basic instinct for most mammals that he will naturally do what he needs to do to be comfortable enough. Even though it is true they don’t always act on what’s best for their health. He is already sprawling more so he is already naturally getting comfortable.

In our experience, in our old house we had air conditioning problems, and it was summertime in Texas, and it got unreasonably hot for Janice and I let alone Icey. We had some old plastic gallon protein powder containers that I had saved. We froze water in those and put those on the tile floor 2 at a time where she liked to sprawl. She would adjust herself accordingly depending on how comfortable or not she was with respect to how close she was to the bottles. Anywhere from pushing them apart, squeezing between them, and flopping between them in a little bunny wedgie, to lying close and licking the condensation, to even further away. She adjusted naturally. So I think he is sufficiently dealing with the heat.

[Gordo and Janice]

So if you are putting down things that would help cool him and he is not using them. Then he is probably okay without them. In our new house, Icey had specific places that she would lie, sprawl, and hang out depending on the time of year. Those places rotated predictably with the seasons.

[Gordo and Janice]

Weird…I call you Wick when I am talking about Wick. Just sounds weird.

[Gordo and Janice]

I mean I guess that is what everyone does but I had to keep changing “Wick” to “he” because I started out addressing you as Wick and the first sentence started as “Wick I would think Wick being too hot or…” and from then on my mind was screwed up. Still is obviously. Hung up on that.

[Nutmeg]

ok side comment to Gordo and Janice – I do that too hahahah

And to Wicks “MOMMY” (is that less confusing? hahah… or are you Wick’s Daddy? I shouldn’t assume lol)…..
My bunny (who recently passed away) LOVED to lick and play with ice cubes. I would put one in a bowl for her to also lick up the cold melted water and one on a plate for her lick and play with. She also used to love to lick the condensation off of the glass lol

It hasn’t been hot yet in my area since we’ve had the new bunnies – so I’m not sure about them yet or if that was just something weird about my first bunny. *shrugs*

[LittlePuffyTail]

None of my past rabbits have wanted anything to do with frozen bottles. Frustrating, when it’s so hot. We will see what Elara thinks of them when it gets hot enough. Yesterday felt like summer, today was 1 C. Crazy Atlantic weather.

[kurottabun]

Where I live it’s pretty much “summer” all year round lol (yay tropical weather). Kurotta pretty much just sprawls on the cooling tiles all day, everyday. I’ve felt his ears and behind his neck to see if it feels hot, but usually it seems alright. I’ve also tried the frozen water bottle thing – when it’s exposed he just licks the condensation off the bottle and when it’s covered with cloth, he totally ignored it. I figured the best way is just to put ice in his water and making sure that he gets some tile space.

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