How To Keep Rabbits Cool In The Summer (8 Quick & Easy Tips)

Wild rabbits have thrived in both warm and cold climates however, our domesticated rabbits are a little more sensitive to extremes of hot and cold temperatures, we’ve covered how you might keep your rabbit warm in colder temperatures but what about cooling him down when temperatures are a little too high? We’re going to cover this today but if you’re in a rush here are our tips.

8 quick tips for keeping a rabbit cool in summer and avoiding heatstroke.

Provide unlimited fresh drinking water
Ensure the hutch, cage or enclosure is out of direct sunlight

Provide a shaded area with a large opening (e.g. a cardboard box)
Rinse vegetables in cool water and offer high water content fruit and veg pieces as a treat (e.g. cucumber & celery)
Put frozen bottles of water in cages or runs that they can lie near

Consider using portable air conditioner if their enclosure is particularly warm
Brush the pet regularly to remove any residual molted fur or clip breeds that have extremely long coats
Check on the pet regularly and use a spray bottle with a mist setting to cool down if necessary

Just as extreme cold can be fatal in rabbits, heat exhaustion can be just as deadly. Rabbits have very small sweat glands in their mouths which are not very efficient when it comes to regulating body temperature. Instead, rabbits rely on their impressive ears which help cool the blood as it travels through the large blood vessels in the organ before returning back to the rabbit’s heart.

The best tool that wild rabbits have to keep cool in the summer is their burrows. Burrows have multiple exit and entrance points which ensure they stay fresh and ventilated for its bunny inhabitants.

Although wild bunnies spend the summer in cool burrows, domesticated rabbits have to rely on us to keep them cool. Since being introduced as pets, rabbits have traditionally lived in hutches and although the idea of house rabbits has been popular and promoted since around the 1980s, hutches have remained popular, unfortunately, though, most hutches are usually poorly ventilated and can trap heat.

What is the Maximum Temperature Rabbits Can Tolerate?

The House Rabbit Society quotes temperatures above 77° F (25° C) as being dangerous for rabbits. If you have an outdoor rabbit we recommend keeping an eye on local weather forecasts during summer. If temperatures are expected to exceed this temp, you can then take necessary measures in good time, for example freezing water bottles overnight. For outside bunny homes, you may also like to use a thermometer to monitor the temperature such as this very basic outdoor thermometer from Amazon.

Can Rabbits Die From Heat?

Rabbits are very susceptible to heatstroke and can die if they are left exposed to extremes of temperature or humidity for long periods of time. Early indications of heat exhaustion in rabbits include lethargy or tiredness, panting, and dehydration. If left untreated the rabbit may become completely unresponsive and suffer a fit.

How Do I Cool a Rabbit Down Quickly?

If you suspect your rabbit is suffering from heatstroke you should immediately bring the rabbit to a cooler place. If it’s outside in a hutch or a run consider bringing it inside the house and putting the bunny on a cool tiled or laminated floor. Use a spray bottle to wet the rabbit’s ears and give plenty of fresh cold water. If the rabbit’s symptoms persist, take it to a vet immediately.

How Can I Keep a Rabbit Cool Outside?

Wooden hutches do a terrible job of keeping a rabbit cool. Even larger outside rabbit homes such as converted playhouses or custom made enclosures will never be able to match the efficiency of the rabbit burrow.

While house rabbits get to enjoy our cooler room temperatures (perhaps even air conditioning) outside bunnies especially long-haired breeds, juveniles, elderly and the overweight usually need us to take some extra precautionary measures during times of warm weather. There is a technological solution to keeping a rabbit cool that we will go through a little later in this post but firstly, here are some steps we can all do for absolutely free to minimize the risks of heatstroke in our outside bunnies.

8 Ways to Keep a Rabbit Cool During Summer

1. During the summer move your rabbits home to a cool place, this could be a garage (providing no cars use it) or a basement. If the rabbit absolutely must be kept outside in a hutch move it to a shaded spot in the garden (for us this would be against one of the high fences). Wherever you move your furry friend remember you will need to still provide access to an outside play space, just make sure the bunny has a shaded area or hide to escape out of direct sunlight.

2. Always keep some water bottles in the freezer, that way if there’s an unexpected heatwave, you already have some prepared. Larger bottles (2-liter size) are best as they will stay frozen for the longest. If you feel your rabbits need cooling down you can place the water bottles in. Bunnies will lie next to the water bottle to help lower its body temperature.

3. Most important of all is to keep the bunny hydrated. Fill a large bowl up with fresh water, large dog bowls like the one linked below are perfect. If your bunny is used to using a bottle don’t remove it, just add in the bowl as an additional water source. Ensure that the water remains topped up throughout the day, you can also add some ice cubes to the water to make it extra refreshing.

4. Keep your rabbit groomed regularly throughout the year, if he’s still losing his winter coat through molting, brushing will help speed will increase the chance of the bunny getting too hot.

5. Use a misting spray bottle, like the one linked below to give their ears the occasional spray with cool water. Be careful not to spray the bunny’s eyes and avoid drenching them in cold water.

6. Keep hutches clean and dry at all times. Summer also brings with it flies which will be attracted to the smell of poop, even more so in the warm. Flies put the rabbit at risk of flystrike, a dangerous and potentially fatal condition whereby fly eggs are laid on the rabbits skin. Once maggots are hatched they proceed to eat the bunny alive.

7. If you have any ceramic tiles available, put some on the floor of the buns hutch or run. Ceramic tiles stay cool and can be a cool place for the rabbit to stretch out.

8. Always rinse veggies in cool water before offering them to your bunny, this is something we recommend doing anyway to remove any potentially harmful pesticides but it will also help to increase the pet’s water intake during warmer months.

Our Favorite Way to Keep Rabbits Cool in the Summer

The Portable Air Conditioner!

As well as the ways described above we have also tested several small portable air conditioners in some of our own rabbit homes. These are popular are used in place of permanent air conditioning in homes.

Although not specifically meant for rabbit homes the one below did a really good job of keeping our bunny playhouses cool during the hottest days of the year. Simply fill them with ice cubes from the fridge and some cold water and away you go.

Another good thing about these is that they can be powered by a USB cable connected to a portable power bank rather than mains power. This makes it easy to hide the power lead from those inquisitive bunny jaws!

Wrap Up

Remember heatstroke in rabbits is a very serious condition. Never forget to check your rabbit regularly during warm weather and overall ensure that it has access to unlimited fresh drinking water.