How to tell if a bunny is cold?

[Rebelbun]

How can you tell if your bunny is cold? The weather here has turned from suffering Hot to nippy cold and I don’t want anyone to get a cold or sick from being too cold. They started getting their fall fur before it turned cold so their coats are pretty thick but I still worry that it’s too cold. The heater hasn’t been working either, so I’m worried it may get colder. They have fleece blankets on the trays of their cages so they don’t have to sit on the cold plastic (like they liked to do during the summer).

[Bam]

Bunnies handle cold very well if they have shelter from wind, rain and snow + appropriate bedding-material. They should have a hidey-space that’s elevated off of the ground if the floor is cold or if there’s a cold draft, and they need a little bit extra food to keep warm. If it freezes, you need to serve them warmed water twice a day (because water freezes).

Rabbits as a rule do much less good in hot temperatures. They principally disperse heat via their ears since they don’t breathe through their mouths and they don’t sweat. At colder temps their ears tend to get cold, that means they are saving heat by not sending warm blood out into the ears. If their appetite is good and they are normally alert and active, cold ears don’t mean they are too cold.

You can give a little bit of rolled oats extra if it creeps down to temps around 32 F. And remember the warmed water if it gets that cold.

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