Winter Rabbit Hutch: What Your Pet Needs During Cold Weather?

Have you prepared your rabbit for the cold days?

Do you know what rabbits need during the winter?

Do you know which things are essential for a winter rabbit hutch?

You are in the right place!

10 Things You Need For Winter Rabbit Hutch

1.Rabbit Hutch Warmer

Rabbits need a warm home, especially during the winter. One way you can warm a rabbit hutch is to clean it daily. Your rabbits will be warmer if everything is cleaned and if they do not lie on cold and wet ground. You can also place a cardboard box that you pre-fill with straw. Conceptions will enjoy lying in it because they will be warm and dry. Of course, you have to change the straw often. In the wild, rabbits are used to warming each other and hiding from the weather, so you must provide them with a warm home. Make sure to hide them from rain, care, wind and provide them with as comfortable a hutch as possible. Remember that temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit are not good for rabbits. Buy waterproof materials to build a rabbit cage.

2.Best Food

Your pets must also have a lot of quality horseradish during the winter. Food must be rich in vitamins and high in protein. In winter, you will need more timothy hay, because rabbits will eat more of it because they want to gain weight. They will eat more to keep themselves warm. Therefore, always check that the rabbit has sufficient amounts of timothy hay in unlimited quantities. You can also feed the rabbits with twigs, leave them near them, and they will slowly bite them. Warn other household members to approach rabbits slowly, as they can easily get scared and stop eating. There is also a lot of food that is harmful to rabbits. for example, rabbits should not be fed human foods that are high in sugar. Don’t give them sweets, sodas, avocados, chocolates, apple seeds, or even almonds. Although you should focus on fresh hay, you can feed the rabbits some fruits and vegetables. For example, rabbits adore carrots, blueberries, arugula, endives, and apples. They also love vegetables and will enjoy nibbling on green lettuce leaves. Some vegetable rabbits should consume daily. For example, feed them broccoli, kale, and parsley. If you give them a new type of vegetable, make sure to slowly prepare them for the new food as otherwise, they could have stomach problems. If you have more animals you should know that they should not eat the same food. Best food for chinchillas would not be the best food for your rabbit, so you need to be careful while giving food to your animals.

3.Water

Water is important for every creature in every season. Therefore, make sure your rabbit has enough water every day during the winter. Also, in winter you will have to pay more attention to the water because it can easily freeze, so your rabbits will not be able to drink it. Also, make sure that rabbits do not drink too much cold water as this can make them easily ill. It would be good to check often how much water they have, and in what condition it is. Put fresh water in a bowl and place it in an easily accessible place. The bowl should be firmer so that rabbits cannot overturn it easily. Do not put in very hot water. Rabbits should not use juices that people drink, just give them water because it is the hardest option. You can also put some fruit in the water to make the water taste better. Be careful not to let your rabbits play in the water, as their fur should not get wet. Wet fur can cause hypothermia and stress in rabbits.

4.Check Roof

Before you put rabbits in their winter hiding place, check their future home. One of the important things is the roofing. The roof should be solid and impermeable. During the winter, strong storms, rain, snow, and other weather disasters are possible, and for these reasons, the roof must be made of very good materials. Make sure the roof is waterproof. There should be no holes or places at the top of the roof where rain could enter. If you built the hutch out of wood, make sure all the material is dry. Also, make sure the roof is high enough so that your rabbits have enough space. You can also lay a tile that would be strong enough to withstand larger amounts of snow. But you can also make a steep roof, so all the rain would instantly pour off it. Also, you can try a cheaper option, and that would be adhesive bituminized roofing. Everything you need for a hamster to be checked in their cage, you need to check in the rabbit hutch too.

5.Rise Hutch

There are a couple of very important reasons why you should raise a rabbit hutch above the ground. When the hutch is on the ground then your rabbits are also in danger from other predators that can attack them. Conceptions can be easily frightened, so you must try to protect them from enemies, and the easiest way to do this is to keep them away from them. Place the hutch on planks, or high legs. Also, one of the advantages of a higher cage is that rabbits will not be so cold, and will be protected from frost. Their water will not freeze so often, and they will not have various insects in the cage, which can enter through small holes in the cage. The lower part of the cage can easily freeze on the ground, so rabbits would be colder in the cage. Water can significantly damage the bottom of the cage, but when it is raised that damage would be minimal.

6.Exercise

Like any animal, rabbits need exercise so you should ensure activity in their winter rabbit hutch. That way they will warm up and they will not be cold. There are a variety of toys that you can buy for your pets, and they will encourage them to take action. The hutch must be big enough for your rabbits to run freely in it. They will play quickly, so you will be able to see them jumping around the cage. Also, rabbits love company and will be more active if they have company. You need to try to play around and get your pets active so they can stay healthy during the whole winter. You can also get some toys for free because you already have them in your house, and rabbits will be interested in them. For example, take an old magazine, or paper, and place it in their hutch. They will jump around it, nibble on it, and scratch. Those what do hedgehogs need for exercise is pretty much the same as with rabbits.

7.Check Areas In Hutch

Your animals must be protected from threats outside the cage, but there are also threats inside the cage. Check all the material in the cage, and make sure everything is in place. Rabbits can easily damage their paws on sharp parts in the cage. Therefore, before you put the rabbits in the hutch, check all the corners, other areas, and the bottom of the cage. Of course, you also need to check the door, how it closes, and whether there is a possibility of an animal entering the cage and attacking your animals. Only when you have checked all the parts well can you move in the rabbits. They will probably need some time to get used to the new space, and for that reason, you need to make sure they have everything they need.

8.How Big Should It Be

The hutch should be large enough for your rabbit to walk around and jump inside it comfortably. It must be large enough to hold all the toys, food containers, water, and all other materials. It is advised that the hutch be large enough for three jumps inside the cage. Of course, if you have multiple rabbits you will need to work on size and comfort inside the cage. 6ft x 2ft x 2ft hutch would be the best solution for a rabbit, so he could jump and run freely, and he would be tall enough. 

9.You Must Have

Of the other useful things you can get for a rabbit hutch, it is recommended to buy a rabbit hutch cover for winter. It will be great protection from rain, snow, but also winter. Your rabbits would be warmer and would be less visible to other predators. An outdoor rabbit hutch heater is one of the most useful things, it will keep your animals warm and you won’t need to take them home. Buy a sufficient amount of hay, because it will come in handy in winter. Also, you need several hutch cleaners. Make sure that no remedy is dangerous for rabbits, and that it cannot harm them. After cleaning the cage, rinse everything well with water so that no traces of chemicals remain.

10.Check Regularly

Like any pet, you need to control and take care of rabbits often. You need to increase your care if you keep them outside in a hutch. Rabbits are peaceful animals, but they are easily frightened. Be calm when you approach them. Change their water often, give them enough healthy food, and make sure they don’t miss anything. You also take care of their health. If you notice any strange symptoms, it’s time to visit the vet.